On May 2, 2026, a festive Divine Liturgy was celebrated in the house church of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker at the Akkuyu nuclear power plant under construction in the Turkish province of Mersin, dedicated to the fifth anniversary of the beginning of regular divine services.
The service was led by Priest Georgy Sergeyev, responsible for the organization of the care of the flock of the Moscow Patriarchate in the territory of the Republic of Turkey, co-served by Hieromonk Palladius (Bystrov), who feeds the community in Akkuyu, as well as Archpriest Maxim Prikhodko and Priest Dimitri Bogatyr, who feed the faithful in Antalya and Alanya.
The service was also attended by Archpriest Spyridon Koshkun, representative of the Antiochian Patriarchate, rector of the Church of the Archangels Gabriel and Michael in Mersin, and members of the parish council of the community.
At the end of the Liturgy, Priest Georgy Sergeyev addressed the faithful with a welcoming speech, in which, in particular, he thanked the management of the Akkuyu nuclear power plant for the opportunity to perform divine services. Special words of gratitude were addressed to the head of JSC NEPT, N.D. Kostyuchkov, whose efforts had built and decorated the house church.
Priest Georgy Sergeyev donated to the church an icon of the Blessed Virgin Mary, which was painted by Svetlana Derin, a parishioner of the Church of Equal-to-the-Apostles Constantine and Elena in Istanbul.
Archpriest Spyridon Koshkun addressed the faithful with congratulations, who conveyed greetings from Patriarch John of Antioch and All the East and Bishop Pavel of Tartus, and also presented memorable gifts to the parish.
The celebrations ended with a festive concert prepared by the labors of Hieromonk Palladius (Bystrov) and members of the parish choir, the official telegram channel of the communities of the Russian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate in the Republic of Turkey reports.