St. Ivan Rilski Chapel

The St. Ivan Rilski Chapel (St. John of Rila Chapel, Bulgarian: Параклис Свети Иван Рилски) at the Bulgarian base St. Kliment Ohridski on Livingston Island in the South Shetland Islands is the first Eastern Orthodox edifice in Antarctica, the southernmost Eastern Orthodox building of worship in the world (cf.

During this time, the base employs a total of between 12 and 15 people, geologists, biologists, doctors, meteorologists, botanists and others.

[1] The three foundation stones of the 3.5 by 3.5 m building were laid on 9 December 2001 by deacon Lyubomir Bratoev,[1] who participated in the tenth Antarctic expedition the next year.

The chapel features an icon of Jesus Christ the Bridegroom by the Bulgarian artist Georgi Dimov, and an icon of St. Ivan Rilski donated by President Georgi Parvanov of Bulgaria, who visited and lit a candle in the chapel on 15 January 2005.

St. Ivan Rilski Chapel was provided with new premises in the 2011/12 season, situated on the northeast slopes of Pesyakov Hill nearer to the main buildings of the Bulgarian base.

Topographic map of the Bulgarian Base area featuring the chapel's old and new premises
The chapel's new building on Pesyakov Hill in 2012
St. Ivan Rilski Chapel's altar
The old St. Ivan Rilski Chapel, with Balkan Snowfield and Hemus Peak , Bowles Ridge and Burdick Ridge in the background
The interior of the old chapel in 2011