Homeless rebuilding world’s northernmost monastery
The northernmost monastery in the world, the Monastery of St. Triphon of Pechenga, is being rebuilt with the help of homeless people.
The ancient monastery is located in the village of Luostari, Murmansk province. It was founded in the early 16th century by St. Triphon of Pechenga, enlightener of the far north, and has been razed several times in its history by armies and fires.
The last time the monastery was struck by fire was six years ago, when the only remaining church burnt to the ground. The Russian church immediately decided that the church and the monastery should be rebuilt, and construction started in 2008.
Now the monastery is being rebuilt once again by homeless people who have gathered there from all over the region. The workers are now building the monastery’s church, and after its consecration they will begin construction of a shelter and a rehabilitation center, which will become the home to many of the workers themselves.
See video from the construction site on Rossiya24.
The regional authorities have also chipped in with financial aid amounting to 43 million rubles (€1.1 million) as a first step. The shelter is projected to have three buildings - an administrative building and two residential buildings with space for 120 people.
A metochion of the monastery has already been built on the outskirts of Murmansk. This institution will has several churches and chapels, a 150 beds shelter for homeless people and a hotel for pilgrims.
