The Russian Orthodox Church did its first religious service in Izmir, attended by more than 20 people.
It is stated that the rituals planned to be held every month will start from September, while groups of believers living in Istanbul, Antalya, Alanya, Ankara and Izmir are expected to attend these rites. In addition, it is stated that there are building projects where crowded groups can come together. Not only the Russians, but also the local community expressed their interest in participating in services.
Until 2019, the Russian Orthodox Church was not in direct communication with the Russians in Turkey, because the Ecumenical Patriarchate was giving religious service to the Russian speaking Orthodox faithful in the country. However, after the problems between Russia and Ukraine, this union ended and with the permission of the Turkish authorities, the Russian Orthodox Church started to carry out this task directly.
