The Russians have built an Orthodox Church overlooking the Russian Antarctic base. Father Benjamin Maltzev offers regular services at the Holy Trinity church of Antarctica to the 15 or so Russian speakers who spend winter at the base. It is large enough, however, to accomodate more than 30 visitors per service. In fact, some services are conducted in Spanish to cater to the spiritual needs of Chilean personnel at nearby stations.

Built in the 1990s using Siberian pine transported on a supply ship to Bellingshausen on King George’s island, the wooden structure has managed to defy the destructive power of polar winds.

Two Russian monks first volunteered to man the church. Since then, priests work on a rotational basis. Their duties include praying for the souls of 64 or so Russians who lost their lives in various expeditions. In the past, the church has even performed a wedding ceremony between Russian and Chilean researchers as well as the occasional baptism.

No doubt, the parish of the Holy Trinity feel closer to God surrounded by such a serene landscape…

Father Benjamin Maltzev looks out from the belltower.

Then there’s the vodka… When they’re not praying, the Russian researchers drink homemade vodka at the Bellingshausen Antarctic Base… to remember their homeland.