Orthodox Churches - Havana, Cuba.

[Nick1000]

Not something I expected to see in Cuba, but live and learn I guess. - Havana churches in general at link. Two pictures- Orthodox specific- below link.

Holy Havana! Cuba’s places of worship – in pictures

From majestic churches to Yoruba shrines, Simon Roberts’s new book captures the Cuban capital’s rich and diverse religious history

www.theguardian.com

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St Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church (2004), Havana, 2019​

In 2004, Cuba built its first church in 43 years, the St Nikolaos Greek Orthodox Church in Old Havana. It serves Havana’s estimated 8,000 Orthodox Christians, around 50 of whom are Greek. Cuba’s first Greek Orthodox church, Saints Constantine and Helen, was built in 1950 but was never used for church services and operated instead as the home of a children’s theatre company

Our Lady of Kazan Orthodox Cathedral (2008), Havana, 2019​

The idea to build Our Lady of Kazan Orthodox Cathedral in Havana belonged to the late Cuban leader Fidel Castro, who, according to his memoirs, offered to build it as a monument to Russian-Cuban friendship. It was consecrated by the Patriarch of Moscow in 2008

 

[ArmyMatt]

praise God!

 

[abacabb3]

You can tell the first one is Greek by its chairs.

 

[notRusskiyMir]

This link give photographs of the consecration of Saint Nicholas Church by Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew in 2004. Note that this a newly constructed church. It is not the "return" of the 1950 St Constantine and Helen Church, which is still secular (a theater?). As far as I can determine, Fidel Castro promised the return of the older church to the former King Constantine II of Greece, but his foreign minister said that the Russian Church also wanted it. Apparently, the solution was construction of a new church.
The Consecration of St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church in Havana, Cuba The photos have descriptions.
Discussion of background of the new church: Spotlight on Greek Orthodoxy in Cuba

 

[ArmyMatt]

interesting

 

[Platina]

I prefer the Greek iconostasis, but I prefer the Russian icons - the way Christ is shown only from the waist up rather than full-body, cause then He's larger and easier to see.

 

[Phronema]

I prefer the Greek iconostasis, but I prefer the Russian icons - the way Christ is shown only from the waist up rather than full-body, cause then He's larger and easier to see.

Slight necro here.

I just wanted to say that in these cases the style of icon was likely chosen by the parishioners. I attend a GOARCH parish which has a Greek style iconostasis very similar to the one depicted in the first picture, but an icon of Christ on the iconostasis which is similar to the icon in the second picture.

 

[ArmyMatt]

I always liked the zoomed in icons as well. it’s a good visual in my opinion of the importance of Christ and His Mother, and the text on His scroll or book is usually easier to read.