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Holy Trinity Church in Vancouver (Canada)

Фото 1
The Holy Trinity Church was built between 1938 and 1940 thanks to the efforts of the first rector, Archpriest Alexander Kizyun. He not only acquired the land for construction but also actively participated in the process itself. Thanks to his efforts, a fairly spacious church was built, especially when compared to other parish churches of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia (ROCOR), many of which were converted residential houses.

Initially, the interior decoration of the church was quite modest: paper icons, simple utensils, and an unpainted iconostasis. The modern appearance of the church was given by the second rector, Archpriest Filimon Gorelik. His life was not easy: originally from Belarus, during World War II he found himself in Europe and could not return to the USSR due to the threat of being accused of treason. In England, like many Russian priests, he joined the ROCOR. In 1953, after the death of Fr. Alexander Kizyun, Fr. Filimon was appointed to Vancouver. He and his wife actively took on the task: a Parish Council was created, a beautiful wooden iconostasis and stained glass windows were installed, a parish hall was built under the church, and church linens and vestments were sewn, in which especially distinguished herself Mother of Fr. Filimon. An altar icon was also ordered from the Holy Trinity Monastery in Jordanville, New York.

The third rector, Fr. Vladimir Chikanovsky, is interesting due to his background. His father was a well-known professor at the Kyiv Theological Academy before the revolution and was repressed in the 1930s. Fr. Vladimir himself became a priest in 1942, having a geological education obtained at Kharkiv University. During the war, he found himself in occupied territories and, like Fr. Filimon, moved to Europe, joining the ROCOR. In 1969, he was appointed to Vancouver after the death of Fr. Filimon, having previously served in Venezuela and Ottawa.

In 1992-1993, restoration of the frescoes on the dome and vaults, preserved since the time of construction, was carried out. The bright images of the Four Evangelists were cleaned and restored. The work was done by Russian students. Overall, the interior of the church remains simple and modest.

Geo point

Храм Святой Троицы в Ванкувере (Канада)

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