Divine services were held for the faithful of the Russian Orthodox Church in eight cities of Turkey and at the Akkuyu nuclear power plant on the occasion of the feast of the Nativity of our Lord God and Savior Jesus Christ.
On the night of January 6-7, 2026, the Divine Liturgy was celebrated in the church of Equal-to-the-Apostles Constantine and Elena at the summer residence of the Russian Consulate General in Istanbul. The service was led by Priest Georgy Sergeev, who is responsible for the organization of the care of the flock of the Russian Orthodox Church in the territory of the Republic of Turkey. The service was attended by the Consul General of the Russian Federation in Istanbul, A.A. Kalachev.
A Christmas service was also held at the Rossotrudnichestvo building in Ankara. It was headed by the cleric of the Kolomna diocese, Priest Evgeny Dolya. The divine service was attended by Anatoly Glaze, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Belarus to Turkey, Dragana Andelic, Counselor-Envoy of the Embassy of Bosnia and Herzegovina in Turkey, and Alexey Ivanov, Charge d'affaires of Russia to Turkey.
On the feast of the Nativity of Christ, a divine service for believers living in the Turkish province of Antalya was conducted by Archpriest Maxim Prikhodko, responsible for the care of the Russian-speaking flock in the Antalya region.
In Alanya, the Divine Liturgy on the night of January 7 was led by Priest Dimitri Bogatyr, who is responsible for the care of the Russian-speaking faithful.
On January 6 and 7, Christmas services were held for employees of the Akkuyu nuclear power plant under construction. The statutory divine services of the feast were performed by Hieromonk Palladius (Bystrov), a resident of the Holy Trinity Sergius Lavra, who nurtures the community.
On January 7, the Liturgy was celebrated in the city of Izmir, and Hieromonk Pamphilus (Osokin), a monk of the Trinity-Sergius Lavra, who arrived with the blessing of the Hierarchy.
On January 9, a Christmas service was held in the city of Eskisehir, 250 kilometers west of Ankara. The Liturgy was celebrated by Priest Evgeny Dolya.
On the same day, believers gathered for Christmas worship in the city of Samsun, located on the Black Sea coast of Turkey. The Liturgy was celebrated by Priest Georgy Sergeyev.
On January 10, Hieromonk Palladius (Bystrov) celebrated the Christmas service in the city of Mersin, located on the southeastern coast of the Mediterranean Sea.