Now on air
08:00
Father Yevgeny — mission to the edge of the Earth
Some might dismiss the four rocky islands in the northern Pacific Ocean known as the Commander Archipelago to be a far-off land forgotten by God himself. They would be quite mistaken. There the joyful sound of church bells ringing carries on for miles and the onion dome of Russia's most eastern Orthodox church shines. On one of these islands, the country's first prayer of the day is led by a young priest by the name of Evgeniy Tsukalo, a graduate of the Moscow Seminary who chose the remote island on the edge of the country as his first place of service. Being new to the island is no easy feat — it's difficult to adapt to living in such a natural environment and to such isolation. This is a perfect place for a church as living under such conditions seems impossible without faith. Father Evgeniy was given a difficult mission: Not to simply adapt to island life, but to change it — to teac...
The rivers of the central Urals
In Ancient Rus’ rivers were referred to as “God’s roads” and along their banks settlements and cities bubbled with life. During the summer, river currents served as highways for many boats and merchant caravans while in the winter the rivers’ frozen waters provided a track for sledges. Rivers also served as a stimulant in the development of new lands. Russians travelled to both the Ural Mountains and the lands of Siberia by water as back then rivers were used as the main route of travel. Hundreds of years have passed since this time and nowadays masses of tourists follow the paths that traders and travellers took before them. On their journeys they hope to catch a glimpse of the Ural rivers, which have played witness to the magnificent geological transformations that have taken place here over time. Traces of the different periods can easily be seen on their steep banks, just like on sto...
Now on air
07:30
The rivers of the central Urals
The Kronstadt Naval Cathedral
Kronshtadt, a small island city on the Finnish Gulf, was initially built as a fortress however is now known all over Russia for its naval cathedral. It was built at the beginning of the 20th century with a wide variety of specialists from all over taking part in its construction. The tall building was meant to be a monument to fallen sailors and to serve as a landmark to those returning from sea. Evgenia Altfeld set off to check out the history of the cathedral’s construction, also learning about the life of Father John Sergiev, later canonized under the name of John of Kronshtadt. It was much due to this preacher that the cathedral was built. In the late 19th-early 20th century Kronshtadt became one of Russia’s spiritual centres.
Now on air
07:30