The Myanmar regime has allocated space in the commercial capital, Yangon, for its key arms supplier Russia to build a Russian Orthodox church, in a sign that the growing cooperation between the two pariah nations has reached a new level.
His Eminence Sergiy, a senior Russian Orthodox cleric who holds the title of Metropolitan of Singapore and South-East Asia, met with junta-appointed Yangon Mayor Bo Htay at Yangon City Hall on Thursday, and the pair discussed building a church in North Dagon Township, according to junta media.
The church will stand on 1.25 acres (0.5 hectare) of land, and the regime will provide the necessary assistance to start construction as early as possible, junta media said, adding that Yangon municipality will also supply water and electricity to the project.
The proposed church is the result of a meeting between Sergiy and junta boss min Aung Hlaing some five months ago at which they discussed the construction of a Russian Orthodox church in Myanmar. They also discussed the establishment in Russia of a Buddhist Center and a recently constructed replica of Myanmar’s Shwezigon temple there, according to junta media.
Min Aung Hlaing consecrated the replica of Bagan’s Shwezigon in the Russian capital Moscow in July 2022. Orthodox Christians make up the religious majority in Russia. High-profile Buddhist monk Sitagu Sayadaw Ashin Nyanissara, who accompanied Min Aung Hlaing in consecrating the replica, has expressed support for the 2021 military coup. Likewise, Patriarch Kirill of Moscow supports Russian President Vladimir Putin in his invasion of Ukraine.
During his visit to Myanmar in May, Metropolitan Sergiy met Myanmar-Russia Friendship Association chairman former Major-General Aung Thaw, who also chairs the junta’s Union Civil Services Board and was a classmate of Min Aung Hlaing in the 19th intake of the Defense Services Academy. At the meeting, Sergiy said Russian travelers tend to visit Orthodox churches in the countries they travel to, and a church in Myanmar would attract Russian tourists.
Myanmar’s tourism industry has been in steep decline. When a group of Chinese travelers recently visited Myanmar, Hotels and Tourism Minister Thet Thet Khine—who apparently has quite a bit of time on her hands—was on hand to welcome the rare international visitors at Yangon International Airport.
Since its establishment after the military coup of 2021, the regime has developed close ties with Russia. Myanmar opened its first nuclear information center earlier this year with support from Moscow.
