Orthodox
Nikel, Russia.
The orthodox cross as used by the the Eastern Orthodox Church in Russia.
This Church in Nikel is quite new. the only church in Nikel was built in the 1990s but was destroyed in a fire i 2010. Since then it has been rebuilt with help from a fund-raising from the neighboring town of Kirkenes in Norway. It is built with logs from the Karelia region.
In Norway the orthodox churches are a tiny minority in Norway. Consisting mostly of immigrants from Russia and the Balkans.
It's got some history here, though. The oldest orthodox church in Norway is actually from as early as 1565 in the village of Neiden, near Kirkenes in Finnmark county. It is actually quite something that it is still there, considering how much of Finnmark was torched by the nazi forces as part of their scorched earth tactic in their retreat from Finnmark in 1944.
The church was established by Saint Tryphon of Pechenga, an old monk who seems to be important in the area. Among other things, Russian seamen is said to traditionally pray to St. Tryphon when they are in danger.
He is also importan for one particular group of the Sami people - the Skol sámi - or just the Skolts in the border area between Russia, Finland and Norway. Unlike other sami groups, which traditionally are Lutheran Christians, the skolts are tradtionally Orthodox. The village of Neiden is the main area for the Skolt sami people in Norway. Their number is small, however, only a total of 1250 people according to Wikipedia, with only about 150 in Norway. The skols also have their own variation of sami language.
Orthodox
Nikel, Russia.
The orthodox cross as used by the the Eastern Orthodox Church in Russia.
This Church in Nikel is quite new. the only church in Nikel was built in the 1990s but was destroyed in a fire i 2010. Since then it has been rebuilt with help from a fund-raising from the neighboring town of Kirkenes in Norway. It is built with logs from the Karelia region.
In Norway the orthodox churches are a tiny minority in Norway. Consisting mostly of immigrants from Russia and the Balkans.
It's got some history here, though. The oldest orthodox church in Norway is actually from as early as 1565 in the village of Neiden, near Kirkenes in Finnmark county. It is actually quite something that it is still there, considering how much of Finnmark was torched by the nazi forces as part of their scorched earth tactic in their retreat from Finnmark in 1944.
The church was established by Saint Tryphon of Pechenga, an old monk who seems to be important in the area. Among other things, Russian seamen is said to traditionally pray to St. Tryphon when they are in danger.
He is also importan for one particular group of the Sami people - the Skol sámi - or just the Skolts in the border area between Russia, Finland and Norway. Unlike other sami groups, which traditionally are Lutheran Christians, the skolts are tradtionally Orthodox. The village of Neiden is the main area for the Skolt sami people in Norway. Their number is small, however, only a total of 1250 people according to Wikipedia, with only about 150 in Norway. The skols also have their own variation of sami language.