Khabarovsk, the Far East of Russia, January 6, 2016
Two new Orthodox churches will open this year in Mys Shmidta (an urban area near the cape with the same name) and Wrangel Island in the Arctic, where units of the Eastern Military District are deployed, reports RIA-Novosti with reference to the Eastern Military District’s press service.
© RIA-Novosti – Alexander Paniotov.
“The military churches in Mys Otto Shmidta and Wrangel Island will begin to receive the faithful by the end of 2016. The churches were assembled in the Ryazan region with funds provided by the Omofor Charitable Foundation for Support to Military Veterans and Invalids. The “mobile” churches have been delivered to the deployment site of military units of the Eastern Military District in the Arctic. The churches are currently being equipped with church furniture,” the message reads.
At the present time there are two wooden chapels in Mys Shmidta and Wrangel Island. They are built not far from military towns. The chapels are installed on piles and are 6 meters (c. 19.68 feet) high.
It has also been reported that churches for believing servicemen are actively being built in the District. Last year a church for the Russian Troops of Radiological, Chemical and Biological Defense in the Primorsky (“Maritime”) administrative territory was built on private donations of sponsors. Churches and chapels are also being built within the military units stationed in Transbaikalia (Transbaikal administrative territory) and on Sakhalin.
