IN PHOTOS: Russian priest finds peace at world’s south end
In this Feb. 1, 2015 photo, Russian Orthodox priest Sophrony Kirilov, 38, walks to the Holy Trinity Church, precariously perched on a rocky hill on King George Island, Antarctica. Russian priests here rotate in for yearlong stints, primarily to celebrate Mass for the workers on the Russian Bellinghausen base, which number between 15 and 30 people at a time. AP
KING GEORGE ISLAND, Antarctica — Sophrony Kirilov pulls hard on the strings of the heavy Russian bells from inside the world’s southernmost Eastern Orthodox church, calling to anybody who wants to pray on this remote Antarctic island.
The 38-year-old Russian priest is clad in a loose black robe and a vest dotted with patches of penguins and seals, marking his four years of service at the bottom of the world.
Kirilov says there’s no place he feels closer to God than in this frigid land.
Russian Orthodox priest Sophrony Kirilov looks out a window from his home towards the Holy Trinity church on King George Island, Antarctica. It’s a long way from this Antarctic island to Kirilov’s monastery of Trinity Lavra of St. Sergius, the seat of the Russian Orthodox faith located outside of Moscow. Although he often misses his family and the dark winters are hard, Kirilov says there is no place he feels closer to God than in this frigid land. AP
“In the world, there’s no tranquility and silence. But here, it’s quiet enough,” Kirilov says at the Holy Trinity Church.
The small wooden building is perched precariously on a rocky hill above a smattering of prefabricated houses for scientists and service workers who call this frozen continent home, at least part of the year.
Article continues after this advertisementShipped to Antarctica
Article continues after this advertisementThe grayish clapboard church was first built in Russia from Siberian cedar planks treated to withstand the frosts and harsh wind. In 2004, it was disassembled and shipped log-by-log to Antarctica.
In the summer, tourists and the staff of the international stations leave their snowy, muddy boots at the entrance and pray in silence. During Sunday service, Kirilov reads from the scriptures in Russian and sings in an angelic voice.
In this Feb. 1, 2015 photo, the Holy Trinity Church located on top of a rocky hill is illuminated on King George Island, Antarctica. The clapboard church was first built in Russia, then disassembled and shipped log-by-log, “like Lego blocks,” to Antarctica, said Alejo Contreras, a Chilean Antarctic explorer who witnessed the construction and consecration in 2004. AP
“Here, you can calmly pray to God in peace and quiet,” says the priest. “Sure, you can do it anywhere in Russia, but here, it’s special.”
In this Feb. 1, 2015 photo, wooden arrows with names of cities and their respective distances point north outside the Russian Orthodox faith-based Holy Trinity Church located on top of a rocky hill on King George Island, Antarctica. It’s a long way – nearly 10,000 miles (16,000 kilometers) – from this Antarctic island to Trinity Lavra of St. Sergius, the seat of the Russian Orthodox faith located outside of Moscow. AP
Russian Orthodox priest Sophrony Kirilov, 38, pets a Skua outside his home in King George Island, Antarctica. Penguins are his favorite animals, but Kirilov says he has also made friends with three large brown Skuas, Antarctic scavenging birds often seen hovering outside his doorstep in search of fresh fish caught by the priest. AP
Russian Orthodox priest Sophrony Kirilov, 38, pulls on the strings of the heavy Russian bells inside the Holy Trinity Church on King George Island, Antarctica. The sound of bells inside the world’s southernmost Eastern Orthodox church pierce the silence of the snow with a cacophonous and hypnotic sound similar to a railroad crossing. AP
Russian Orthodox priest Sophrony Kirilov, 38, checks his digital Russian-Spanish dictionary in the boxy, red bunker-like building that is now his home on King George Island, Antarctica. Kirilov likes practicing Spanish with the scientists, mechanics and maintenance crew working at the Chilean and Uruguayan bases nearby. During his time off, Kirilov hikes, rides snowmobiles and follows Russian news online using a desktop computer that gets spotty Wi-Fi from the base. AP
In this Jan. 29, 2015 photo, 38-year-old Russian Orthodox priest Sophrony Kirilov poses for a picture inside the Holy Trinity Church, on King George Island, Antarctica. In the chilly Antarctic summer months, tourists and the staff of the international stations brave strong winds and hike here. While some pray in silence, others simply marvel at the gold-leaf iconostasis panels painted with bearded saints and winged angels. AP
In this Jan. 29, 2015 photo, Russian Orthodox priest Sophrony Kirilov poses for a photo in front of the Holy Trinity Church, on top of a rocky hill on King George Island, Antarctica. Clad in a loose black robe and a vest dotted with patches of penguins and seals, marking his four years of service at the bottom of the world, Kirilov says there is no place he feels closer to God. AP
In this Jan. 20, 2015 photo, wooden arrows show the distances to various cities near Chile’s Escudero station on King George Island, Antarctica. Thousands of scientists come to Antarctica for research. There are also non-scientists, chefs, divers, mechanics, janitors and the priest of the world’s southernmost Eastern Orthodox Church on top of a rocky hill at the Russian Bellinghausen station. AP
