Saint Michael church, Russian Orthodox church in Altea Hills, Spain.
Saint Michael church is a church building in Altea with five golden domes and an octagonal bell tower constructed from wood. The structure displays traditional Russian Orthodox designs and serves as a visible place of worship within the town.
The first stone was laid on 21 November 2002 by Bishop Michael (Storogenko), not the building's opening. The wooden frame was assembled by workers from Kirov in 2003, and the domes and crosses were made in Volgodonsk in 2004. The church was consecrated on 11 November 2007 by Metropolitan Kirill.
The parish was registered in 1999 with the Exarchate of Russian-tradition parishes under the Patriarchate of Constantinople, and the first service, led by priest Alexy Struve, was held on 7 January 2000 in rented premises. The community drew Russians, Ukrainians, Belarusians and Moldovans. Services now take place on Sundays and major feasts: Divine Liturgy in the morning, and an all-night vigil the evening before.
The building sits on a hilltop with limited parking nearby, so arriving early in the day works best. The steps leading to the entrance require some effort to climb, and comfortable shoes are recommended.
The log frame was ordered in 2003 and assembled by carpenters invited from Kirov, while the domes and crosses were made in 2004 in Volgodonsk, Rostov Oblast. The parish that built it began in 1996 with the Botsko family from Rostov-on-Don, who bought land in Altea and commissioned a stone church project that same year.
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