The Russian Orthodox Church is marking the 140 years since it began conducting services in Central Asia. The celebration is mainly held in Uzbekistan, since it is in the Uzbek capital Tashkent that the Central Asian Metropolitan District of the Russian Orthodox Church was set up in 1872.
The Centre comprises the recently formed Dushanbe Diocese of six Orthodox parishes in Tajikistan. Father Sergiy has told the Voice of Russia correspondent about the way the Orthodox believers live in Tajikistan.
He said specifically that the Russian Orthodox Church has parishes in the Tajik cities of Kurgan Tyube, Tursunzade, Khudzhand, Chkalovsk. An diocesan cathedral is due to be built in the capital city Dushanbe.
The priest called attention to the fact that Orthodox believers in Tajikistan live in the almost 100% Islamic environment. But there have been no conflicts on religious grounds in the republic.