In the historic center of San Francisco lies St. Tikhon's Shelter, founded by St. John of Shanghai. The institution originally opened in 1935 in Shanghai, China. Its main task was to care for children who were orphaned after the revolution and the Civil War in Russia, and to raise them in the Orthodox tradition. During the Sino-Japanese War, the shelter began accepting Chinese children as well. In 1950, when power in China passed to the communists, the shelter, along with other refugees, evacuated first to Tubabao Island in the Philippines, and then to the west coast of the USA in California. Not far from the Cathedral, near the Russian neighborhood, a two-story building with cells, a kitchen, a home church, and classrooms was established. The children had a special uniform, and Bishop John slept in his office, using a chair instead of a bed. Currently, a museum room is set up in the saint's office.