St. Nicholas is situated on the Kenai Peninsula in Nikolaevsk. Seven miles east from Anchor Point. It is a small community of mostly made up of Russian Old Ritualists and Staroveri. The church follows the Old-Rite liturgical calendar.

Vespers start at 6:00 p.m. Matins 7:30 p.m.

Liturgy is at 8 a.m. Saturdays and Sundays as well as all major feast days.

Services are held in Church Slavonic, singing is unison Znamennoe Proper and Demestev.

Behavior and Attire in a Russian OldRite Orthodox Church

When visiting a OldRite Orthodox Church, it is essential to adhere to specific guidelines regarding behavior and attire to show respect for the sacred space and its traditions.

Important Notice for All Visitors

This is sacred ground. We kindly ask that you wear appropriate clothing during your visit and refrain from touching the holy icons. For your safety, please do not go near the construction area.

Photography of the cupola and its progress is strictly prohibited. We also remind everyone that the cupola area is not a playground – please do not play or gather around it.

Thank you for your understanding and respect.

Catechumen

Only catechumen and parishoners are able to come inside the sacred space. If you wish to become a catechumen, ask the priest upon being accepted as a catechumen, only then will your be able to enter. Otherwise you must stand in narthex of the Church.

Appropriate Behavior

• Reverence and Silence: Maintain a quiet and respectful demeanor. Avoid talking, using phones, or taking photographs, as these can distract others. Put your phone in airplane mode or leave it in the car.

• Crossing and Bowing: Upon entering, traditional Orthodox entrance prayers are required. Avoid spontaneous crossing and bowing; NewRite is known for this behavoir.

• Standing During Services: It is customary to stand during services as a sign of reverence. Seating is generally reserved for the elderly or those with physical limitations. Certian portions of the service allow to be seated. Usually during the reading of the Kathisma or psalms.

• Punctuality: Arrive on time or early to prepare for the service.

• Communion Preparation: Only baptized OldRite Orthodox Christians may partake in Holy Communion, which requires prior confession, fasting at the a very minium of 3 days prior, and preparatory prayers.

• Holy Gifts and Icons: Only baptized OldRite Orthodox Christians may partake Holy gifts such as Prosphera and veneration of Icons and Relics.

Attire Guidelines

For Women

• Wear modest dresses or skirts that extend below the knee; pants are not appropriate.
• Cover your head with a scarf (hats or casual coverings are insufficient).
• Sleeveless tops, low necklines, mini-skirts, or tight clothing are not appropriate.
• Makeup such as lipstick is not appropriate.

For Men

• Wear long trousers (no shorts) and a collared shirt (button-up or dress shirt). Ties are discouraged. A kaftan or a cossak are encoraged.
• T-shirts, sportswear, or casual attire are not appropriate.
• Men must not cover their heads inside the church. No caps, tuks, benies are not appropriate

Footwear

• Both men and women should wear closed-toe shoes; sandals, flip-flops, or excessively high heels are not appropriate.

Prohobitions

• If you are for some reason under prohobition or haven't been in church for a while, it is customary to have a conversation with the priest. Currently we do not have a priest so our bishop has taken on priestly duties.

By following these guidelines, visitors demonstrate respect for the traditions of the Russian Old Rite Orthodox Church and its sacred practices.

History

During the persecution, many fled Moscow in three directions: east to Siberia, southwest to Romania and Bulgaria, and south to the Krasnodar region. This upheaval gave rise to the "priestless" heresy, rooted in the belief that all clergy were killed during the purges and that the apostolic Church had ended—contradicting Christ’s promise: “I will build my Church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it” (Matt. 16:18).

Ongoing persecution forced Old Believers (Staroobrasty) into remote, undeveloped regions, where they quietly rebuilt their communities. When threatened again, they moved deeper into the wilderness to start anew. In 1905, Tsar Nicholas II halted hostilities, ushering in the “Golden Age of the Old Faith,” a brief period of peace and rebuilding. This era ended abruptly with the Bolshevik Revolution in 1917. More at Oldrite.org.

Atheistic Soviet ideology pushed some of them out of Siberia in to China. There they lived for a generation in China, Manchuria making an oasis on the desert steppe. This was achieved through unity and firm reliance on Providence. Once the communist ideology and its violent opposition towards religion pinned them against the faithful. It set these people to seek refuge to the four corners of the world.

The refugees went to South America, North America and Australia. Under the John F. Kennedy administration the Russian nationals were able to "legally" immigrate into United States and settled in Willamette valley Oregon. During the social revolution of the late 60s a small group left Oregon in an attempt to preserve their mid-17th century core cultural values and settled in what is now Nikolaevsk. This endeavor was made possible by the Tolstoy Foundation. These Russians on the Kenai Peninsula trace their ancestry back to the people who fled east to Siberia during the mid 17th century.

An official apology from the established New-Rite church issued in 1975 along side a few meaningless gestures. However the oppression still continues. As the victors choose to erase Old Ritualism, label us schismatics and whitewash the history of Roskol.

In the early 80's a small group with in the community rediscovered the Old Rite faith. Two groups went to Romania twice visiting Belokinitskaya Hierarchy. The first trip was an investigatory trip with a small group. The second trip was a larger group, who were baptized, married, ordained clergy; relinking the community back Apostolic Church. When the newly ordained priest returned form his seminary, then began the baptizing of the rest of the parishioners.