Half a Percent
by Aleksei Kavasin
portfolio shortlisted call 'Urbanautica Institute Awards 2024', 2024
Category: Memories and Traditions
According to various estimates, Orthodox Christians make up about 0.5% of the U.S. population. This small number includes Russian, Greek, Serbian, Bulgarian, Georgian, Ukrainian, and other Orthodox jurisdictions. Despite more than a century of history, Orthodoxy in the United States is still considered a so-called “immigrant faith.”
Because of this immigrant nature, religion for many parishioners also becomes a means of preserving cultural identity, a sort of preservative that slows down assimilation. Through church rituals, traditions, and honoring Orthodox holidays, they maintain a connection with their historical homeland. In this endless and often unconscious process of preserving oneself in the dominant cultural environment while simultaneously adapting to its practices, interesting metamorphoses arise. Even the church buildings themselves often appear different, standing out both from those in their homelands and from the typical development of American cities.
The "Half a Percent" series explores the presence of Orthodox churches within the landscapes of New York and New Jersey, capturing their essence and place in the local environment.
also from Urbanautica Institute Awards 2024