The publishing house of the Sretensky Monastery has released a new book by Archbishop Theophan of Korea titled *"Russian Spiritual Mission in Korea"*. The book, which was previously published in Korean, has now been translated into Russian. It is dedicated to the history of the Russian Orthodox Church's mission in Korea, which operated from 1897 to 1949.

The author examines the main stages of the mission's activity, which unfolded amid significant historical events in both Russia and Korea, influencing the life of the mission. The book will be of interest to those who study the history of missionary work and Russian-Korean relations.

The Russian Spiritual Mission in Korea was established by a decree of the Holy Synod on July 2, 1897. Its primary goal was to support Russian Orthodox Christians living on the Korean Peninsula and spread the Orthodox faith among the Korean population. This became especially significant during the mass migration of Koreans to the Russian Empire in the late 19th century.

Over the years, the mission developed educational activities, opening schools for Korean children, translating liturgical texts into Korean, and engaging in charitable work. In the pre-war years, missionaries organized prayer houses and expanded their work beyond Seoul, covering various regions of Korea.

However, with the onset of the Russo-Japanese War in 1904, missionaries were forced to temporarily leave Korea. Some of the mission's property was entrusted to the French embassy for safekeeping. After the war, the mission resumed its activities and continued its work until the mid-20th century, despite the Japanese occupation of Korea and complex political conditions.

In 1949, the last head of the mission, Archimandrite Polikarp (Prijmak), was arrested and deported, marking the end of the official presence of the Russian Orthodox Church in Korea. During the Korean War (1950-1953), many parishes and communities ceased to exist or came under the jurisdiction of the Ecumenical Patriarchate.

The author of the book, Archbishop Theophan (Kim), is the first Korean to become an Orthodox bishop. He leads the Korean Diocese, which was established in 2018 as part of the Patriarchal Exarchate of Southeast Asia. On December 28, 2018, the Holy Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church formed the Patriarchal Exarchate of Southeast Asia due to the significant successes of the Russian Orthodox mission in the region, including the increase in the number of churches and communities, the emergence of clergy from the local population, and the growing interest in Russian Orthodoxy, as well as the increase in the Russian-speaking population residing in the region. This Exarchate includes both North and South Korea.