As the number of Russian immigrants living in East New York plummeted over the latter half of the 20th century, this church fell on hard times. It has experienced a revival in recent years, however, thanks to the tireless efforts of its current priest, Father Vladimir Alexeev.
The church was locked today, but once, a few years ago, I was lucky enough to pass by on a Sunday with a group of friends. We were just standing on the sidewalk, admiring the architecture, when someone popped out and invited us in. The interior of the church is stunning, bright and airy, flooded with natural light from the massive clear-glass windows. In accordance with Orthodox tradition, there are no pews — the worshipers stand, scattered about, for the duration of the service — which imbues the space with a boundaryless sense of openness and communality that I had never before experienced in a church. We only hung around for a few minutes, but it's one of my most vivid memories of New York so far.
Day 419
Holy Trinity Russian Orthodox Church
February 21st, 2013
Thanks for the link, more photos of the beautiful interior at the church’s website .. http://www.holytrinityyonkers.org/photos.html
I used to live in this neighborhood, in the 1950s-1970s. On Easter at midnight we would sometimes go to this church and watch the ceremony as the priest and congregation marched around with a cross outside. I am Jewish but had a friend who was Russian Orthodox and this was his church.