Estonian Orthodox monastery opens in farmhouse, first in decades

Bishop Damaskinos leads Kirikla monastery in secular Baltic nation

TALLINN, Estonia — The ancient words of the Divine Liturgy echo in Estonian as Bishop Damaskinos, clad in flowing white and gold vestments, intones prayers in a small, dark chapel separated only by curtains from the daily life of a new monastery nestled within a farmhouse.

Founded last year in one of Europe’s most secular societies, the Kirikla Orthodox Monastery is the first monastery the Estonian Apostolic Orthodox Church has established in decades, according to the Associated Press.

Since the collapse of the Soviet Union, the Estonian Apostolic Orthodox Church has coexisted alongside a separate Orthodox church affiliated with the Moscow Patriarchate, which has a larger membership in the Baltic country, AP reported. The Estonian church has long sought to rebuild its own male monastic community within its own borders, according to the report.

Bishop Damaskinos spoke with the Associated Press in the chapel of the newly founded Kirikla Orthodox Monastery in Pihali village on July 4, 2026.