Pictures From Orthodox Abkhazia

16/9/2011 Paint chips away from most of the frescoes inside the cathedral of St. Pantaleon, within the center of Novy Afon Novy Afon Monastery north of Sukhumi was completed in the late 1800s A monk carries brooms through the courtyard of Novy Afon, much of which is still under renovation with Russian money Frescoes in the dome and the rest of the main cathedral at Novy Afon were painted from 1911 to 1914 A bridal party enters the courtyard of the monastery, which overlooks the Black Sea During the Soviet era, monks were forced out of Novy Afon, which served for many years as a hostel A man prays alone and in silence inside the main cathedral at Novy Afon In recent years the Novy Afon sewage system was repaired and two new cupolas were added to the cathedral A cow grazes outside Novy Afon, which is regularly visited by Russian tour groups The Georgian Orthodox Church considers the Church of St