Russian Orthodox Church, Buenos Aires

The Russian Orthodox Church of the Holy Trinity was the first place of worship for the Orthodox Christian faith in Latin America. It is located in the San Telmo region of Buenos Aires in the green and serene Lezama Park.

During the 19th Century, waves of immigrants from Russia, Greece, the Baltic nations and Syria arrived to make Argentina their home. They required a place of worship and persuaded Emperor Alexander II to pass a decree to establish a church for the Orthodox Christian faith in Buenos Aires that would serve immigrants and the Russian delegation to South America.

The Russian Orthodox Church was designed in Saint Petersburg and the ornamentation was supervised by the Argentine architect, Christophersen. It has five turquoise onion shaped domes. The stained glass, icons and venetian mosaics were sent by Czar Nicholas II and Czarina Alexandra from Saint Petersburg to adorn the interiors and the windows. It was consecrated in 1904 and has served the orthodox Christians of Buenos Aires since. The interiors are covered with paintings and mosaics. The church is seldom open on weekdays. Services are held on Saturdays and Sundays and choirs perform orthodox liturgical hymns with or without the accompaniment of musical instruments on Saturday and Sunday mornings.