Russian Orthodox Church in Finland

The Russian Orthodox Church in Finland (Venäjän ortodoksinen kirkko Suomessa, Русская православная церковь в Финляндии) is a semi-autonomous part of the Russian Orthodox Church formed in 1926. An official headquarters of the Moscow Patriarchate, led by Father Viktor Lyutik, was opened in Helsinki in 1999.

The Russian Orthodox Church in Finland is organized in two parishes, St. Nikolaos Orthodox Parish in Helsinki and the Intercession Orthodox Parish. They are maintaining six churches in Helsinki, Turku, Pori and Sastamala. The total number of registered members in the early 2000s was 3,000, most of them held Finnish citizenship. The largest community was the St. Nikolaos Orthodox Parish with more than 2,400 members. The Spaso-Preobrazenskaja community in Tampere is under the jurisdiction of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia.

History
The Finnish Orthodox Church disengaged from the Russian Orthodox Church in 1923 as a result of the Russian Revolution of 1917 and the Independence of Finland. Some of the Orthodox in Finland wanted to retain the traditional Russian ways, like the use of Church Slavonic in liturgy and the Julian calendar, so they formed their own congregation. The first parish, Private Orthodox Society, was established in Vyborg. From 1931 to 1945 Russian Orthodox Church in Finland was under the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople.

Churches

 * Church of the Protection of the Theotokos, Munkkiniemi, Helsinki
 * Saint Nicholas Church, Hietaniemi, Helsinki
 * Church of Xenia of Saint Petersburg, Mellunmäki, Helsinki
 * Church of the Dormition, Turku
 * Church of Our Lady of Kazan, Pori
 * Church of St. Serafim of Sarov, Sastamala