ABSTRACT
The first Orthodox church in China was built in Albazin (Northeast China) in 1671, while a Russian Orthodox Mission in Beijing dates back to 1715. In the nineteenth century the Mission served diplomatic functions for European powers. The Orthodox community was dominated by ethnic Russian and the first native Orthodox priest, Mitrophan Tsi, was ordained in 1881.1
After the 1917 Revolution, China witnessed a significant increase in Russian migration. The Orthodox community dramatically increased reaching around 300,000 believers in 1939 under the leadership of five bishops.2
