Orthodox monks are the first to live and pray at a monastery in Estonia for 80 years
Two monks live in a donated farmhouse and chapel, as the church says the new monastery is its first male monastic community in more than 80 years.
- Last year, the Kirikla Orthodox Monastery opened as the first monastery established by the Estonian Apostolic Orthodox Church in decades, operating from a farmhouse about 40 kilometers outside Tallinn.
- The Estonian Apostolic Orthodox Church sought to rebuild its male monastic community after more than 80 years without Orthodox monks, a gap that began when the last ones lived in Estonia during the period between the world wars.
- Bishop Damaskinos and Rev. Paisios follow rhythms learned at Mount Athos, a center of Christian Orthodox monasticism for more than 1,000 years, balancing solitary dawn prayers with daily physical work like gardening.
- Rev. Paisios said the lifestyle appeals to young visitors seeking respite from social media, noting, "It's so nice to just put the phone away and not be focused on the phone the whole day."
- While Estonia remains a secular society of about 1.3 million, founding new monastic communities is rare across Europe in 2026, yet religious scholars find the monastery's success heartening despite the cultural headwinds.
24 Articles
24 Articles
Associated Press News
Orthodox monks are the first to live and pray at a monastery in Estonia for 80 years
Estonia's Kirikla Orthodox Monastery is the first of its kind to be established by the Estonian Apostolic Orthodox Church in decades.
The ancient words of the Divine Liturgy sound in Estonian, while the Bishop Damaskinos, dressed in white and gold robes, prays in a small and dark chapel, separated only from the agitated daily life curtains of a new monastery located in a country house, reports The Associated Press.Inaugurated last year in one of the most secular societies in Europe, the Kirikla Orthodox Monastery is the first monastery that the Apostolic Orthodox Church of Est…
The ancient words of the Divine Liturgy resonate in Estonian as Bishop Damaskinos, dressed in broad white and golden robes, chants prayers in a small dark chapel, separated only by curtains from the busy day by day of a new monastery installed inside a country house.
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