Construction of a Russian Orthodox church will begin in Yangon in January next year, giving brick-and-mortar shape to growing ties between Myanmar’s military junta and its key arms supplier Moscow.
Metropolitan Sergiy of Singapore and South-East Asia, the regional Russian Orthodox bishop, said last week in Bangkok that registration and allocation of the land for the church were solved quicker than expected as a result of his meeting with Myanmar junta boss Min Aung Hlaing in Naypyitaw last year, Tass reported.
“Our plan is to start building the church in Yangon as early as in the first 10 days of 2025,” the cleric said.
He also noted that the number of Russians living in Southeast Asian countries on a long-term or permanent basis has been growing since the early 2000s. Orthodox Christians make up the religious majority in Russia.
“We began receiving requests to open parishes of the Russian Orthodox Church from a number of countries. And the church could not just ignore them,” he added.
At the meeting in May last year, Sergiy and Min Aung Hlaing discussed the construction of a Russian Orthodox church in Myanmar and the establishment in Russia of a Buddhist Center, according to junta media.
Sergiy said Russian travelers tend to visit Orthodox churches in countries they travel to, and a church in Myanmar would attract Russian tourists.
Min Aung Hlaing later had allocated 1.25 acres (0.5 hectare) of land in Yangon’s North Dagon Township for the church.
At the time regime said it would provide the necessary assistance to start construction as early as possible, junta media said, adding that Yangon municipality will supply water and electricity to the project.
Since its establishment after the coup of 2021, the regime has developed close ties with Russia. Apart from being a major arms supplier, Moscow stands along with China with the junta, preventing the UN Security Council from taking action against the regime. With support from Russia, Myanmar opened its first nuclear information center in early 2023.
In July 2022, Min Aung Hlaing consecrated a replica of Bagan’s Shwezigon in the Russian capital. High-profile Buddhist monk Sitagu Sayadaw Ashin Nyanissara, who accompanied him, has expressed support for the coup.
