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The Finnish Orthodox Church is the national jurisdiction of the Eastern Orthodox Church in Finland. Image File history File links Broom_icon. ... Topics in Christianity Movements · Denominations Ecumenism · Preaching · Prayer Music · Liturgy · Calendar Symbols · Art · Criticism Important figures Apostle Paul · Church Fathers Constantine · Athanasius · Augustine Anselm · Aquinas · Palamas · Luther Calvin · Wesley Arius · Marcion of Sinope Pope · Archbishop of Canterbury Patriarch of Constantinople Christianity Portal This box:      The Eastern Orthodox Church (including Bulgarian...

Beside the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland it is one of the two official national churches in Finland. It has about 60,000 members, or ca. 1.1% of Finland's population (est. 2003). The Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland is the Lutheran national church of Finland (The Finnish Orthodox Church is also recognized as a state church). ... The term national church is usually a reference to a church organization in Christianity that claims pastoral jurisdiction over a nation. ...

Eastern Christianity in Finland and in adjacent territories

It has been suggested that this section be split into a new article entitled History of Orthodox Christianity in Finland and Karelia. (Discuss)

Early Christian art in a territory inhabited by Karelians: frescoes painted in 1167 in St. George's church in Staraja Ladoga

Around 1000 Finland was an almost uninhabited country. Historians have estimated that there were just 50.000 - 80.000 inhabitants in the whole country. The settled regions were the southwestern coast region, whose centre became some 200 years later the small town of Turku (Swedish: Åbo, Latin: Aboa) A second settled region was the southeastern region of Karelia, the area populated by the most Eastern tribe of Finnish speaking peole, the Karelians, Karjalaiset. There grew up the the town of Viborg, who was to become the second important town in Mediaeval Finland. The Sami (Lappish) people were pushed by the Finns into the forests of Central Finland. Image File history File links Splitsection. ... St. ... St. ... The Karelians is a name used to denote two related, yet different ethnic groups of Finnic-language speakers. ... St. ... Staraya Ladoga (Russian: Старая Ладога) is a village near Lake Ladoga. ... Turku (IPA:  , Swedish:  ), founded in the 13th century, is the oldest and fifth largest city in Finland, with a population of 174,868 (as of 2005). ... Latin is an ancient Indo-European language originally spoken in Latium, the region immediately surrounding Rome. ... A view of Vyborg from the castle tower Vyborg (Russian: ; Finnish: ; Swedish: ; German: ) is a town in Leningrad Oblast, Russia, situated on the Karelian Isthmus near the head of the Bay of Vyborg, 130 km to the northwest of St. ... Released in 1998, SAMI (Synchronized Accessible Media Interchange) is a Microsoft accessibility initiative. ...

The Finns' native religion was the shamanism that continued among the Sami (Lappish) people until the 18th century and flourishes still among some of the aboriginal peoples of Siberia. St Francis Xavier converting the Paravas: a 19th-century image of the docile heathen The historical phenomenon of Christianization, the conversion of individuals to Christianity or the conversion of entire peoples at once, also includes the practice of converting pagan practices, pagan religious imagery, pagan sites and the pagan calendar... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Diocese of Finland was the predecessor of the Catholic diocese of Turku. ... Thomas is the first known Bishop of Finland. ... Saint Henry (pyhä Henrik or piispa Henrik in Finnish, Biskop Henrik or Sankt Henrik in Swedish, Henricus etc in Latin; died allegedly 20 January c. ... Bishop Rodulff (Rodulf) is claimed by a 15th century chronicle Chronicon episcoporum Finlandensium to have worked as a missionary bishop in Finland after Bishop Henry had died in the 1150s. ... Bishop Fulco was the first known missionary Bishop of Estonia. ... Bishop Bero (Björn) was the first quite certainly Swedish Bishop of Finland in the mid-13th century. ... Topics in Christianity Movements · Denominations Ecumenism · Preaching · Prayer Music · Liturgy · Calendar Symbols · Art · Criticism Important figures Apostle Paul · Church Fathers Constantine · Athanasius · Augustine Anselm · Aquinas · Palamas · Wycliffe Tyndale · Luther · Calvin · Wesley Arius · Marcion of Sinope Pope · Archbishop of Canterbury Patriarch of Constantinople Christianity Portal This box:      The Pope (from Latin... Alexander III, né Orlando Bandinelli (c. ... Pope Innocent III (c. ... Pope Gregory IX, born Ugolino dei Conti, was pope from 1227 to August 22, 1241. ... In Christianity, an archbishop is an elevated bishop. ... Anders Sunesen in the Battle of Lyndanisse 1219 Anders Sunesen (also Andreas, Suneson, Sunesøn, Latin: Andreas Sunonis) (c. ... Valerius was the Swedish Archbishop 1207-1219. ... This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... Sergius and Herman of Valaam on a 19th century icon Saint Sergius of Valaam (b. ... Lalli is a character in Finnish history. ... This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... Kokemäki (Kumo in Swedish) is a municipality of Finland. ... Köyliö (Kjulo in Swedish) is a municipality of Finland. ... Province Western Finland Region Finland Proper District Turku City manager Hannu Rämö Official languages Finnish Area  - total  - land ranked 331st 198. ... Koroinen on a map of Turku. ... The Cathedral of Turku The Turku Cathedral is a Evangelical Lutheran cathedral in Turku, Finland. ... Finnish-Novgorodian wars were a series of badly documented conflicts that took place between the Finnish tribes and the Republic of Novgorod in the 12th and early 13th centuries. ... The First Swedish Crusade is a legendary military expedition presumably in the 1150s that has traditionally been seen as the conquest of Finland by Sweden, with pagan Finns converted into Christianity. ... Second Swedish Crusade was a semi-historical Swedish military expedition to Finland by Birger jarl in the 13th century. ... Released in 1998, SAMI (Synchronized Accessible Media Interchange) is a Microsoft accessibility initiative. ...

In the Viking Age, Europe's central trade routes, the Volga trade route and the trade route from the Varangians to the Greeks, extending from the British Isles in the West to Bagdhad and Constantinople in the East, passed along Finnish coasts, through the Gulf of Finland and Lake Ladoga. The Swedes, also known as Varangians or Vikings, in their long ships started their journey from central Sweden, or from the island of Gotland, to Holmgard (Novgorod) and from there on to Miklagard ("The great town") i.e. Constantinople. Some restless Finns may have joined these traders and raiders, and certainly the Finns have been their customers^[1] and so, slowly the influence of Christianity started to disseminate among the Eastern Finns, the tribe of Karelians. Staraya Ladoga the first capital of the of the Rus',( commonly considered as a ruling class of the Scandinavians) was located in territory inhabited by Karelian Finnish tribes. The Viking Age is the name of the age in Northern Europe, following the Germanic Iron Age. ... A trade route is the sequence of pathways and stopping places used for the commercial transport of cargo. ... In the Middle Ages, the Volga trade route connected Northern Europe and Northwestern Russia with the Caspian Sea. ... The Trade Route from the Varangians to the Greeks (Путь «из варяг в греки» in Russian) was a trade route, which connected Scandinavia, Kievan Rus and the Byzantine Empire. ... The British Isles in relation to mainland Europe The British Isles (French: , Irish: [1] or Oileáin Iarthair Eorpa,[2] Manx: Ellanyn Goaldagh, Scottish Gaelic: , Welsh: ), are a group of islands off the northwest coast of continental Europe comprising Great Britain, Ireland and a number of smaller islands. ... For other uses, see Baghdad (disambiguation). ... Map of Constantinople. ... The Baltic Sea The Gulf of Finland is an arm of the Baltic Sea that extends between Finland (to the north) and Estonia (to the south) all the way to the city of Saint Petersburg in Russia, where the river Neva drains into it. ... Map of lake Ladoga Towpath Bridge between Lake Ladoga and Lake Onega (from a photograph taken ca. ... Varangian Guardsmen, an illumination from the 11th century chronicle of John Skylitzes. ... The name Viking is a loan from the native Scandinavian term for the Norse seafaring warriors who raided the coasts of Scandinavia, Europe and the British Isles from the late 8th century to the 11th century, the period of European history referred to as the Viking Age. ... For other cities named Novgorod see Novgorod (disambiguation). ... This article needs cleanup. ... The fortress of Ladoga was built in stone in the 12th century and rebuilt 400 years later. ...

The earliest traces of Christianity in what is today mainland Finland are representative of an Orthodox Christian tradition. In grave finds one can see that Christianity started to spread its influence in the East in the Orthodox form. Many of the earliest excavated crosses in Finland, dating from the 11th century onward, are similar to a type found in Novgorod and Kiev.^[2] Orthodox parishes are believed to have existed as far west as Tavastia. Some core concepts of the Christian vocabulary in the Finnish language appear to be loans from an early East Slavic language, which in turn has borrowed them from Mediaeval Greek. These include words for priest (pappi), cross (risti) and bible (raamattu). Christianity percentage by country, purple is highest, orange is lowest Topics in Christianity Movements · Denominations Ecumenism · Preaching · Prayer Music · Liturgy · Calendar Symbols · Art · Criticism Important figures Apostle Paul · Church Fathers Constantine · Athanasius · Augustine Anselm · Aquinas · Palamas · Wycliffe Tyndale · Luther · Calvin · Wesley Arius · Marcion of Sinope Pope · Archbishop of Canterbury Patriarch... Velikiy Novgorod (Russian: ) is the foremost historic city of North-Western Russia, situated on the M10(E95) federal highway connecting Moscow and St. ... Map of Ukraine with Kiev highlighted Coordinates: , Country Ukraine Oblast Kiev City Municipality Raion Municipality Government  - Mayor Leonid Chernovetskyi Elevation 179 m (587 ft) Population (2006)  - City 4,450,968  - Density 3,299/km² (8,544. ... Tavastia, Tavastland or Häme, is a historical province in the south of Finland. ... Finnish ( , or suomen kieli) is the language spoken by the majority of the population in Finland (91. ...

Clash between Catholicism and Orthodoxy

Western Finland, which was called by the Swedes Österlandet (the Eastern Land, not to be confused with Estonia) in mediaeval Swedish language, was of political interest to Sweden. The Swedes sent priests and monks and made also crusades to convert the Finnish tribes of Varsinais-suomalaiset and Hämäläiset to the Catholic faith^[3]. Most famous of them was an English bishop Henricus (Henry), who was murdered during his mission in Finland, and became the Patron Saint of Finland.^[4] In the long run the Swedes incorporated the greater part of Finland to their country, and the Novgorodians and later Russians could annex a much smaller part of Finland to their territory. Österland, or Österlanden, is a historical land of Sweden. ...

As Novgorod grew in size, it took a firmer grip on Karelia. There were taxing military patrolling and also missionary activity. The Russians had in 988 been converted to Christianity by the firm order of the ruler of Kiev, prince Vladimir I the Great. He organized missionary activity in every part of Russia.^[5] According to a Novgorodian cronicle, prince Yaroslav son of Vsevovold ordered in 1227 that all Karelians should be baptized.^[6]. The Orthodox Church took a much milder stance to the pagan religion of Eastern Finns than the Roman Catholic Church who converted the Western Finns. Less resistance from the converted, one can surmise. Remnants of old pagan rituals are still extant among the rural Orthodox population both in Estonia and Karelia (at present especially those areas of Karelia, which are now a part of Russia). Map of Ukraine with Kiev highlighted Coordinates: , Country Ukraine Oblast Kiev City Municipality Raion Municipality Government  - Mayor Leonid Chernovetskyi Elevation 179 m (587 ft) Population (2006)  - City 4,450,968  - Density 3,299/km² (8,544. ... Detail of the Millenium of Russia monument in Novgorod (1862) representing St Vladimir and his family. ...

In the middle of the 13th century the inevitable clash between the two expanding countries, Sweden and Novgorod, and the two forms of Christianity they represented, took place. The Swedes wanted to annex the territory of Novgorod, and so did the Teutonic Knights, who ruled the Baltic countries. In 1240 the armies of Novgorod led by Alexander Nevsky (later proclaimed Holy due to his achievements) conquered the Swedish army on the river Neva. Two years later Alexander Nevsky fought against the Teutonic Knights who attacked Novgorod from Estonia, and was victorious again. This meant the end of Western expansion, and the stabilization of the border between Catholicism and Orthodoxy. Smaller raids and skirmishes continued nevertheless. The final border between western and eastern rulership was drawn in the Peace Treaty of Nöteborg, in 1323. Karelia was definitely ceded to Novgorod and Orthodoxy.^[7] For the historical novel, see The Teutonic Knights (novel). ... Saint Alexander Nevsky   (Алекса́ндр Яросла́вич Не́вский in Russian; transliteration: Aleksandr Yaroslavich Nevskiy) (May 30, 1220? – November 14, 1263) was the Grand Prince of Novgorod and Vladimir during some of the most trying times in the countrys history. ... The River Neva (Russian: Нева́) is a 74 km-long Russian river flowing from Lake Ladoga (Ладожское Озеро, Ladožskoe Ozero) through the Karelian Isthmus (Карельский Перешеек, Karelskij PereÅ¡eek) and the city of Saint Petersburg (Санкт-Петербург, Sankt-Peterburg) to the Gulf of Finland (Финский Залив, Finskij Zaliv). ... The Treaty of Nöteborg, also known as Treaty of Orekhovo signed at Orechovets (Pähkinäsaari) on August 12, 1323, was a treaty between Sweden and Novgorod regulating their border. ...

Karelian Monasteries

Icon from the 19th century depicting St. Sergius and St. Herman and the old cathedral of Valaam Monastery

In the later Middle Ages Novgorod appointed a bishop of Karelia, but he was stationed in Novgorod, and had very little influence on his territory. All in all, Novgorodian authorities were more interested in the taxation of the Karelians than in their spiritual wellfare. Image File history File links Size of this preview: 507 × 599 pixelsFull resolution (1431 × 1692 pixel, file size: 6. ... Image File history File links Size of this preview: 507 × 599 pixelsFull resolution (1431 × 1692 pixel, file size: 6. ... Detail of a 7th century icon of Saints Sergius and Bacchus Saint Sergius redirects here. ... Saint Herman may refer to: Saint Herman of Valaam, 11th century, the founder of the Valaam Monastery in Karelia, together with Saint Sergius of Valaam Saint Herman of Alaska ( 1756? – 1837) Saint Hermans Orthodox Theological Seminary in Kodiak, Alaska Saint Herman of Alaska Church in Espoo, Finland [1] By... Valaam in winter The Valaam Monastery, or Valamo Monastery is the Orthodox monastery in Karelia, which used to be a part of territory contended between Soviet Union and Finland. ... Velikiy Novgorod (Russian: ) is the foremost historic city of North-Western Russia, situated on the M10(E95) federal highway connecting Moscow and St. ...

The main missionary work fell to the monasteries that cropped up in the wilderness of Karelia. Two monasteries were founded on islands in Lake Ladoga, which became some centuries later famous: the monasteries of Valaam (Finnish: Valamo) and Konevsky Monastery (Finnish: Konevitsa). Map of lake Ladoga Towpath Bridge between Lake Ladoga and Lake Onega (from a photograph taken ca. ... Valaam is an archipelago in the northern portion of Lake Ladoga, lying within the Russian Federations Republic of Karelia. ... Konevsky Monastery (Russian: , Finnish: ) is a Russian Orthodox monastery that occupies Konevets Island in the north-western part of the Lake Ladoga, Leningrad Oblast, Russian Federation. ...

According to tradition, Valaam Monastery was founded by a 10th century Greek monk, Sergius, and his companion, Herman. Some historians, among them Heikki Kirkinen, have placed the founding of the monastery in the middle of the 12th century.^[8] Modern historians consider even this date too early. According to the newest source, found in Russia and published by Natalia Ohtina, Valaam Monastery was founded in 1389 by a monk, Efrem, later canonized as Efrem of Perekomy.^[9] Sergius and Herman of Valaam on a 19th century icon Saint Sergius of Valaam (b. ... View on Valaam Monastery The Valaam Monastery, or Valamo Monastery is a stauropegic Orthodox monastery in Karelia, located on Valaam, the largest island in Lake Ladoga, the largest lake in Europe. ...

Valaam monastery had for many centuries an intermittent existence, due to raids and wars between Sweden (Western Finland was by then a part of Sweden) and Russians. It was destroyed and sacked in 1580 and a second time in 1610-11. In 1611 the monastery closed down for a whole century, and its activity got a real upswing only in the period when igumen Nazari became the head of the monastery in 1781.

The history of Konevsky Monastery (Finnish: Konevitsa) is clearer and stands on more reliable sources than that of Valaam. It was founded in 1393 by a Russian monk, Arseny, who had stayed for three years in the monasteries of Mount Athos, Greece. There he was influenced by the hesychastic tradition, the constant repetition of a short prayer: "Lord Jesus Christ, have mercy on me, a sinner."This prayer was to be repeated so long that it became autonomous, not depending on the will, and continuing in the heart day and night.^[10] Konevsky Monastery (Russian: , Finnish: ) is a Russian Orthodox monastery that occupies Konevets Island in the north-western part of the Lake Ladoga, Leningrad Oblast, Russian Federation. ...

But back to Arseny. After he left Mount Athos with an Icon of the Theotokos (Virgin Mary) with him, he returned to northern Russia (he was, according to tradition, born in Novgorod), and settled down on the island of Konevsky in Lake Ladoga. This island was to the Karelians a holy place, where every year a horse was sacrificed. Now there grew up a monastery, which got many pilgrims, as the icon of the Theotokos (Virgin Mary) was said to work wonders. Both monasteries received many land grants and became very rich, - which was in contradiction with the monks' ideals. Konevsky monastery faced the same hazards as Valaam. It was destroyed in the wars of 1577 and 1610-11, and the monks fled to other Russian monasteries taking with them the icon of the Mother of God of Konevsky.^[11]

The monks in the orthodox monasteries often started to feel, after several years in the kinobitic monasteries, a need to live a more solitary life in which it would be easier to live in constant communion with God. They built themselves a solitary hut in some peaceful place outside of the monastery, or built together whit two or three other monks a skete ( a filial monastery), where they lived under stricter rules than in the kinobitic mother-monastery. When their spiritual growth deepened, people started to visit them to get their blessing and their advice, they became "starets", elders. This way the Karelian and Finnish forests were populated by spiritually advanced hermits. Often around the hermit's hut or skete, there settled other fighters of the good fight of faith, and so a new monastery was founded. One of the most important example of this process was St. Alexander of Svir (Finnish: Aleksanteri Syväriläinen) 1449 - 1533. He was a Karelian who fought the fight of faith for 13 years in Valaam monastery, but finally left it, and and founded a monastery at the river of Svir.^[12]

The Eastern Orthodox Christianity in Karelia came under attack when Sweden conquered large parts of it, Ingermanland and Estonia in the 17th century. The Lutheran state church tried to convert the Orthodox population especially in the Karelian Isthmus. When Lutheran Finns moved into the area, many of the locals fled to Russia, forming the population of Tver Karelia. However, in the more remote areas of Eastern Finland and Karelia, the Eastern Orthodox Christianity survived better. Ingria, or Ingermanland, was a dominion of Sweden from 1580 to 1595 and then again from 1617 to 1719, when it was ceded to Russia in the Treaty of Nystad. ... The Lutheran movement is a group of denominations of Protestant Christianity by the original definition. ... The Karelian Isthmus is the narrow stretch of land between the Gulf of Finland and Lake Ladoga in northwestern Russia. ... Tver Oblast (Russian: , Tverskaya oblast) is a federal subject of Russia (an oblast). ...

History as part of the Russian Orthodox Church

What was later to be called Old Finland, was ceded by Sweden to Russia after the Great Northern War and the Hat's War. The Valaam Monastery was re-established on Lake Ladoga. In 1809, all of Finland was annexed by Russia, a country professing the Orthodox faith. Finland, however, became autonomous with an established Lutheran church. Eastern Orthodox Christianity gained, nonetheless, a recognised status in Finland during Russian rule in the 19th century. Most importantly, all persons confessing Orthodox faith were bound by the Orthodox family law. In areas where Orthodox faith was not indigenous, Helsinki, Viipuri and the Karelian Isthmus, Orthodoxy was associated with Russians, the bulk of whom was made up of Russian troops permanently stationed in Finland. In the cities of Helsinki, Turku and Viipuri, there were also a number of Russian emigrants, most of whom were merchants or craftsmen. Most ecclestialistical activity outside Karelia centered around garrison churches. In the rural countryside of Karelia, the local form of Orthodox faith remained somewhat primitive, incorporating many features of older religious practices well into 1930's. Old Finland (Vanha Suomi in Finnish) is a name used for the areas that Sweden lost to Russia in the Great Northern War and in the Hats Russian War. ... Combatants Sweden Ottoman Empire (1710–1714) Ukrainian Cossacks Russia Denmark-Norway Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth Saxony after 1718 Prussia Hanover Commanders Charles XII of Sweden Ahmed III Ivan Mazepa Peter the Great Frederick IV of Denmark Augustus II the Strong Strength 77,000 in the beginning of the war. ... The Russo-Swedish War of 1741–1743, known as the Hats Russian War in Sweden and the Lesser Wrath (Finnish: Pikkuviha, Swedish: Lilla ofreden) in Finland, was instigated by the Hats, a Swedish political party which aspired to regain the territories lost to Russia during the Great Northern War, and... Valaam in winter The Valaam Monastery, or Valamo Monastery is the Orthodox monastery in Karelia, which used to be a part of territory contended between Soviet Union and Finland. ... Alternative meaning: Nineteenth Century (periodical) (18th century — 19th century — 20th century — more centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 19th century was that century which lasted from 1801-1900 in the sense of the Gregorian calendar. ... Location of Helsinki in Northern Europe Coordinates: , Country Finland Province Southern Finland Region Uusimaa Sub-region Helsinki Charter 1550 Capital city 1812 Government  - City manager Jussi Pajunen Area  - City 187. ... Not to be confused with the Danish town and county of Viborg in Jutland Viapori, a Finnish transcription of Sveaborg, better known as Suomenlinna castle Vyborg from the tower of the castle Vyborg (transcription of Russian Выборг) is a town with 70,000 inhabitants at... The Karelian Isthmus is the narrow stretch of land between the Gulf of Finland and Lake Ladoga in northwestern Russia. ... Location of Helsinki in Northern Europe Coordinates: , Country Finland Province Southern Finland Region Uusimaa Sub-region Helsinki Charter 1550 Capital city 1812 Government  - City manager Jussi Pajunen Area  - City 187. ... Turku (IPA:  , Swedish:  ), founded in the 13th century, is the oldest and fifth largest city in Finland, with a population of 174,868 (as of 2005). ... Not to be confused with the Danish town and county of Viborg in Jutland Viapori, a Finnish transcription of Sveaborg, better known as Suomenlinna castle Vyborg from the tower of the castle Vyborg (transcription of Russian Выборг) is a town with 70,000 inhabitants at...

A separate Finnish episcopate with a leading archbishop was established in 1892 under the Russian Orthodox Church. Episcopalian government in the church is rule by a hierarchy of bishops (Greek: episcopoi). ... The Russian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate (Russian: ), also known as the Orthodox Christian Church of Russia, is that body of Christians who are united under the Patriarch of Moscow, who in turn is in communion with the other patriarchs and primates of the Eastern Orthodox Church. ...

History in independent Finland and as an autonomous church

Dioceses and parishes of the Finnish Orthodox Church

Shortly after Finland declared independence from Russia in 1917, the Finnish Orthodox Church declared its autonomy from the Russian Church. Finland's first constitution (1918) granted the Orthodox Church an equal status with the (Lutheran) Church of Finland.^[13] Image File history File links Size of this preview: 342 × 599 pixelsFull resolution (1957 × 3429 pixel, file size: 529 KB, MIME type: image/png) Regions of Orthodox church in Finland. ... Image File history File links Size of this preview: 342 × 599 pixelsFull resolution (1957 × 3429 pixel, file size: 529 KB, MIME type: image/png) Regions of Orthodox church in Finland. ... 1917 (MCMXVII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar (see link for calendar) or a common year starting on Tuesday of the 13-day slower Julian calendar (see: 1917 Julian calendar). ...

In 1923, the Finnish Church completely separated from the Russian Church, becoming an autonomous church under the rule of the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople. At the same time the Gregorian Calendar was adopted. Other reforms introduced after independence include changing the language of the liturgy from Church Slavonic to Finnish and the transfer of the Archiepiscopal seat from Viipuri to Sortavala. Year 1923 (MCMXXIII) was a common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... The Patriarch of Constantinople is the Ecumenical Patriarch, the first among equals in the Eastern Orthodox communion. ... The Gregorian calendar is the most widely used calendar in the world. ... Page from the Spiridon Psalter in Church Slavonic. ... A view of Vyborg from the castle tower Vyborg (Russian: ; Finnish: ; Swedish: ; German: ) is a town in Leningrad Oblast, Russia, situated on the Karelian Isthmus near the head of the Bay of Vyborg, 130 km to the northwest of St. ... Sortavala (Russian: ) is a town in the Republic of Karelia, Russia, located at the northern tip of Lake Ladoga. ...

Until World War II, the majority of the Orthodox Christians in Finland were located in Karelia. As a consequence of the war, residents of the areas ceded to the Soviet Union were evacuated to other parts of the country. The monastery of Valamo was evacuated in 1940 and the monastery of New Valamo was founded in 1941 at Heinävesi, on the Finnish side of the new border. Later, the monks from Konevitsa and Petsamo monasteries also joined the New Valamo monastery. The nunnery of Lintula at Kivennapa (Karelian Isthmus) was also evacuated, and re-established at Heinävesi in 1946. Combatants Allied powers: China France Great Britain Soviet Union United States and others Axis powers: Germany Italy Japan and others Commanders Chiang Kai-shek Charles de Gaulle Winston Churchill Joseph Stalin Franklin Roosevelt Adolf Hitler Benito Mussolini Hideki Tōjō Casualties Military dead: 17,000,000 Civilian dead: 33,000... Map showing the parts Karelia is traditionally divided into. ... Monastery of St. ... The Valaam Monastery, or Valamo Monastery is the Orthodox monastery in Karelia, which has been a part of territory contended between Soviet Union and Finland. ... This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ... For the movie, see 1941 (film). ... Heinävesi is a municipality of Finland. ... Konevets (Finnish: ; Russian: ) is an approximately 8. ... The area of Petsamo (Pechenga in Russian) in northern Lapland, indigenously inhabited by Samis, came to Finland in 1920 and to the Soviet Union in 1944. ... Pervomayskoye (Russian: ; Finnish: ) is a settlement in Vyborgsky District of Leningrad Oblast, Russia, on the Karelian Isthmus. ... Year 1946 (MCMXLVI) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full 1946 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ...

A new parish network was established, and many new churches were built in the 1950s. After the cities of Sortavala and Viipuri were lost to the Soviet Union, the archiepiscopal seat was moved to Kuopio and the diocesan seat of Viipuri was moved to Helsinki. A third diocese was established in Oulu in 1979. This does not cite any references or sources. ... Kuopio is a Finnish city located in the province of Eastern Finland and the region of Northern Savonia. ... Location of Helsinki in Northern Europe Coordinates: , Country Finland Province Southern Finland Region Uusimaa Sub-region Helsinki Charter 1550 Capital city 1812 Government  - City manager Jussi Pajunen Area  - City 187. ... Founded 1605 Country Finland Province Oulu province Region Northern Ostrobothnia Sub-region Oulu Area - Of which land - Rank 384. ... Also: 1979 by Smashing Pumpkins. ...

After the Second World War the membership of the Orthodox Church in Finland decreased slowly, as the Karelian evacuees were settled far from their roots among the Lutheran majority of Finland. Mixed marriages became common and the children were often baptized into the religion of the majority. But quite unexpectedly a "romantical" movement arose in Finland beginning in the 70's onward glorifying Orthodoxy, its "mystical" and visually beautiful services and icons (religious paintings) and its supposedly deeper view of Christianity than that of the Lutheran Church. Conversion to the Orthodox Church became almost a fad, and its membership started to grow. The Savior Not Made By Hands (1410s, by Andrei Rublev) An icon (from Greek εικων, eikon, image) is an artistic visual representation or symbol of anything considered holy and divine, such as God, saints or deities. ...

At the same time Archbishop Paul of Karelia and All Finland (1960-1987) made liturgical changes to the services, that gave the laymen a more active role in the church services, and made the services more open (earlier the clergy stayed a part of the services behind a curtain) and intelligible. Archbishop Paul also stressed the importance of parttaking of the Eucharist as often as possible.

Today

Today, in Finland, Orthodoxy is still benefitting of the "romanticism" described above. New members to the church is also found among the immigrants of Russian and Greek origin. Besides the Karelians, the Skolt Sami population has for several centuries professed the Orthodox faith.^[14] The Orthodox Christian Church has about 60,000 members, or ca. 1.1% of Finland's population (est. 2003). In the easternmost localities more than 10 % of population may be Orthodox. In recent decades, the membership has been steadily growing.^[15][16] Skolt Sami (Sää´mÇ©iõll) is a Finno-Ugric, Sami language spoken in Finland and nearby parts of Russia. ...

The current primate of the Finnish Orthodox Church is His Eminence Leo, Archbishop of Karelia and All Finland. The church has the same legal status in Finland as does the Evangelical Lutheran Church, including a right to tax its members and corporations owned by its members. Archbishop Leo (Makkonen) of Karelia and All Finland, head of the Finnish Orthodox Church, was born in Pielavesi in eastern Finland on June 4, 1948. ...

The Finnish Orthodox Church celebrates Easter according to the Western calendar, which is uncommon among the Eastern Orthodox jurisdiction. This has met with some disapproval among the Orthodox Churches elsewhere in the world.

See also

• Uspenski Cathedral, Helsinki

Uspenski Cathedral See also Cathedral of the Assumption (disambiguation) The Uspenski Cathedral (Finnish Uspenskin katedraali) is an Eastern Orthodox cathedral in Helsinki, Finland, dedicated to the Dormition. ...

External links

• Official page of Finnish Orthodox Church

References

External links

• The Orthodox Church of Finland (Official site)
• Finnish Orthodox Church - Virtual Finland (Written for Virtual Finland by Archbishop Leo)
• Valaam Monastery in Russia
• New Valamo Monastery in Finland
• OrtoWeb (Learning Environment for R.E)
• Ortodoksi.net (English)