The Church of the Resurrection of Christ, Tunisia’s principal Orthodox church and a key center of Russian spiritual life in North Africa, marked the 70th anniversary of its consecration with celebratory events in the capital city of Tunis.

The anniversary Divine Liturgy brought together representatives of the Russian Embassy, the Russian House cultural center, members of the Orthodox community, and parishioners of various nationalities. The service was led by the church’s rector, Archpriest Dmitry Netsvetaev, concelebrating with Archimandrite Alexander (Zarkeshev), who traveled from the United Arab Emirates for the occasion.

Following the liturgy, worshippers took part in a procession around the church grounds. As part of the celebrations, the parish received an icon of St. John of Shanghai and San Francisco, the Orthodox hierarch who consecrated the church on June 10, 1956.

Speaking at the anniversary event, Archpriest Netsvetaev highlighted the parish’s deep historical ties to the Russian émigré community that settled in Tunisia during the first half of the 20th century. After the evacuation of Crimea in 1920, thousands of Russian refugees arrived in Tunisia alongside vessels of the Russian Squadron, laying the foundation for the country’s future Orthodox community.

Many relics connected to that history remain preserved in the church, including icons and liturgical items brought from ships that reached the Tunisian port of Bizerte more than a century ago.

In the early years, Orthodox services were held aboard ships and in rented premises. The community was able to build its own church in Tunis only in the 1950s, financed through donations from Russian émigrés. The building was designed by Russian architect Mikhail Kozmin and was consecrated in the summer of 1956.

The future of the parish became uncertain after Tunisia gained independence, as the Russian community dwindled significantly. By the early 1960s, only a small number of parishioners remained, and the church spent many years without a permanent priest. The buildings fell into disrepair, and financial resources were scarce, leading many to believe that Orthodox Christian life in Tunisia would gradually disappear.

A turning point came in the early 1990s, when parish members appealed to the Moscow Patriarchate for spiritual support. Among those who played a prominent role in preserving the legacy of the Russian émigré community was Anastasia Shirinskaya, a noted guardian of the history of the Russian settlement in Bizerte.

In 1992, the Church of the Resurrection came under the pastoral care of the Moscow Patriarchate. That same year, Archpriest Dmitry Netsvetaev was sent from Moscow to serve the parish. More than three decades later, he continues his ministry in Tunisia, overseeing a community that remains a symbol of the enduring presence of Orthodox Christianity and Russian heritage in North Africa.