Russian Orthodox Church builds temple in Madagascar

Construction has begun on the first Russian Orthodox church in Madagascar, alongside housing for a women’s monastic community and children in its care, a priest overseeing the project has said.

The complex is being developed in the capital, Antananarivo, Archpriest Dimitry Matienko, rector of the Transfiguration Church in Port Louis, Mauritius, told RIA Novosti on Friday. Matienko has also been appointed rector of the newly established Russian Orthodox parish in Madagascar.

The project has received the blessing of Metropolitan Konstantin, the Patriarchal Exarch of Africa, who oversees the Russian Orthodox Church’s activities on the continent. Foundation work is currently underway, and construction materials are being purchased, the priest said.

The development will also include accommodation for children taken into the community’s care, a small farm, and workshops where they can learn practical skills, including sewing and candle-making. The women and children currently live together in a rented house while construction proceeds, according to Matienko.

The project comes as the Russian Orthodox Church expands its presence across Africa through its Patriarchal Exarchate, established by the Church’s Holy Synod in December 2021. As of 2026, it operates in 36 African countries, with around 370 communities and parishes served by over 270 clergy, according to RIA Novosti.

The church has launched construction projects and opened new places of worship in several African countries. In January 2026, it consecrated its first church in Mauritius, followed by its first temple in Tanzania in July, according to the Patriarchal Exarchate of Africa.

In the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DR Congo), the church laid the foundation stone for a new temple dedicated to St. Nicholas in the village of Tenke, this past January. The parish has around 50 members who previously held services in a temporary structure.

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