Orthodox Christianity

Diocese of Brussels and Belgium

The Russian Orthodox Archbishopric of Brussels and Belgium has grown out of the oldest orthodox Christian church in Belgium, the church of Saint Nicholas the Miracle-Worker, which was created in 1862 under the auspices of the Russian Imperial Mission to Brussels. On 1 August 1876 the church was installed in a house at 29 rue des Chevaliers, in the municipality of Ixelles, where it remains today. Following the 1917 revolution, the Russian emigration in Belgium founded a number of other parishes across the country.

With the installation in 1929 of Bishop Alexander Nemolovksy (1886-1960) as the first orthodox bishop in Belgium, the church of St Nicholas became a cathedral church and Brussels an orthodox episcopal seat. The Belgian state confirmed this by granting the diocese the status of a ‘public utility establishment’ and to its superior the title of ‘Russian Orthodox Archbishop of Brussels and Belgium’.

Archbp. Alexander’s successor was succeeded by the great theologian Archbishop Basil Krivoshein (1900-1985).

The current archbishop is Archbishop Simon Ichounine, who was consecrated bishop on 11 April 1987.

At the present time, the Russian Orthodox Archbishopric of Brussels and Belgium has 14 parishes (two of them monasteries) across Belgium. Celebrations take place in Slavonic (old Russian), French or Dutch, depending on the community.

The Orthodox Church was officially recognized by the Belgian state in 1985.


Address:
Rue des Chevaliers, 29
1050 Brussels, Belgium
tel/fax +32 2 513 33 74

Diocesan bishop:
Archbishop of Brussels and Belgium SIMON (Ichounin)

Diocesan secretary:
Archpriest Pavel Nedossekine.
Rue Leon Lepage 33-35
1000 Bruxelles
+32473947283
+3225135113
podvorje[at]yahoo.com

Bank account for donations:
IBAN: BE31 6300 1094 1255
BIC: BBRUBEBB

Archevêché orthodoxe russe
Rue des Chevaliers 29, 1050 Bruxelles


Archbishopric’s Council:
Archbishop Simon,
Archimandrite Thomas (Jacobs),
Protodeacon Alexandre Kurjatkin

Ecclesiastical tribunal:
president: Archimandrite Thomas (Jacobs)
secretary: Archpriest Pavel Nedossekin