After the end of the Civil War, hundreds of thousands of Russians scattered across the world. Our compatriots settled in South and North America, China, Australia, European countries, and even Africa. In Morocco, known then as Maghreb, mainly Russian sailors settled, who built most of the ports when the country was under French protectorate. However, despite their numbers, they felt like strangers here.

Priest Ilya Fondaminsky wrote that Russians who found themselves in exile against their will must preserve their identity and not dissolve among the peoples that sheltered them. Fortunately, this was achieved. In 1926, a group of naval officers founded the society "Orthodox Church and Russian Hearth in Morocco." Hieromonk Varsonofy held services in a small wooden barrack. Russian emigrants dreamed of building their own church but lacked the means to purchase land.

However, soon local Sheikh Sharif Hussein Jebli acquired for them the best plot in Rabat. According to legend, he fell seriously ill, and his wife, a former Orthodox, asked Varsonofy to pray for his recovery. A miracle occurred, and in gratitude, the sheikh gifted the land to the Russian emigrants. A beautiful church was soon built on this site. Writer Antoine de Saint-Exupéry was said to be a fan of Russian church singing and visited this place. Today, the Resurrection Church is attended not only by Russians but also by Serbs, Bulgarians, Greeks, and Orthodox Lebanese.