28 August 2006, 14:03
Well-known Orthodox Missionary opens rock club at church
http://www.interfax-religion.com/?act=news&div=1906
Moscow, August 28, Interfax - Monk-priest Sergiy Rybko, rector of St. Sergius’s at Bibirevo in Moscow, who has been awarded by Patriarch Alexy for his successful missionary work among the rockers, has opened a rock club.
The priest conceived the idea to found such a club in 2002 when he began to preach at rock concerts. At that time, some musicians asked him to find a new facility for their club called Green Branch, the Trud daily writes.
Father Sergiy gave them a facility in a Sunday school at Bibirevo and helped them to buy instruments. ‘And when the church began to be frequented by other musicians, we decided to open a real rock club’, the priest, who himself used to be a hippy, related.
Now many rockers in Moscow come to the club. In its court there is a plaster model of the monument to Victor Tsoy that was to be installed in Arbat Street. The walls in a small room for rehearsals and concerts are covered with icons.
Now it is a rehearsal place for dozens of groups. They play in turn on fixed days.