12 CULTURE
The influence of Russian immigrants in Hong Kong Reported by Rachel Yeo, Samuel Lim, Elaine Soh and Tomiris Urstembayeva Edited by Amy Ho and Vimvam Tong Of the two million immigrants in Hong Kong, only 2,000 are from Russia. The Orthodox Church offers Russian immigrants the opportunity to catch up with one another in Hong Kong. At the Saint Apostle’s Peter and Paul Orthodox Church in Sheung Wan, Russian immigrants gather every Sunday to worship. The church is not just a place to practice their faith in Orthodox Christianity, but gives Russian immigrants the opportunity to connect with their community. Alexis Selezneff, a 59-year-old wine company owner, said that Russians share the same soul and they are connected as a family, especially when living abroad. “When two Russians meet outside our country, they share something,” he said. “So the church is also a point where we can meet people who feel like us and every child in the church is our children.” While only a small number of Russians have made Hong Kong their permanent home,
Russian influence is evident around the city. Russian immigrants have help spread Orthodox Christianity to Hong Kong. Some of them say they’ve brought “the Russian soul” and they welcome people of all background to join their church. According to Arena: Atlas of Religions and Nationalities, 42.5% of Russians identify as Orthodox Christian as of 2012.
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We are here to celebrate for people of Hong Kong, no matter which nationality or ethnicity they are. Denis Pozdnyaev
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Father of Orthodox Church
They have also brought to Hong Kong Russian culinary specialties, such as borscht soup, a quintessential item on the menu of many local Hong Kong restaurants today.
This humble soup, complete with beef and beetroot, was introduced to Hong Kong by Russian migrants who have been coming here since the World War II. Polina S, 28, a community manager of a co-working space company, believes that the Orthodox Church is a meaningful place to stay connected to her Russian roots. “I come here mainly to talk to people, so it is more community based. It is a way to get connected with my culture because Hong Kong is such a hectic place and when I come to church, it offers me a calm environment,” she said. Father Denis Pozdnyaev, who is in charge of the church, said that people of all races and background are welcome to join the church. He moved to Hong Kong 16 years ago, and has been a priest for nearly 25 years. Originally from Moscow, Father Denis’ experience of living in this cosmopolitan city has been generally positive so far.