On May 6, 2015, the Archbishop of Pyatigorsk and Cherkessk consecrated the George Church in the village of Grecheskoye after the completion of extensive restoration. In the renovated church, he also conducted the Divine Liturgy.
The village of Grecheskoye in the Mineralnye Vody district was founded in 1897 by Greeks who migrated to Russia from Asia Minor, fleeing persecution by the Ottoman authorities. In 1909, a church was consecrated in honor of the great martyr George, combining Byzantine and Russian architectural styles. The day of the consecration, conducted by Archbishop Agafodor (Preobrazhensky), became a celebration for the entire village. During the Soviet era, the church was destroyed: the crosses were knocked down, the bells removed, and the iconostasis looted. The building was repurposed as a chemical warehouse, which damaged the murals and walls.
Worship resumed in the 1990s, but it became clear that the church needed a complete restoration. Work began in late 2012 and was completed by May 2015.
Archbishop Theophylact expressed gratitude to everyone who participated in the restoration of the shrine. The restoration became a communal effort. The residents of the village were assisted by Greek communities in the Caucasian Mineral Waters region. A special contribution was made by Mikhail Afanasov, a member of the Federation Council. For these efforts, His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia awarded him the Sign of the Church Builder.
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