{"id":3467,"date":"2023-09-25T11:51:01","date_gmt":"2023-09-25T10:51:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/edinburgh-future.com\/?p=3467"},"modified":"2025-06-12T12:21:20","modified_gmt":"2025-06-12T11:21:20","slug":"a-historic-edinburgh-shrine-the-story-of-st-andrews-church","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/edinburgh-future.com\/en\/eternal-3467-a-historic-edinburgh-shrine-the-story-of-st-andrews-church","title":{"rendered":"A Historic Edinburgh Shrine: The Story of St Andrew&#8217;s Church"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>Ancient buildings are often silent witnesses to history, and in a city like Edinburgh, every effort is made to preserve these architectural treasures for future generations. Religious buildings hold a special place, often possessing unique designs and fascinating stories. St Andrew&#8217;s Orthodox Church is a prime example, rightly considered one of Edinburgh&#8217;s most important shrines. Interestingly, its story begins not with its current community, but with the founding of St Cuthbert&#8217;s Chapel in 1756. Let&#8217;s delve into its remarkable history. Learn more at\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/edinburgh-future.com\/en\">edinburgh-future<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_68_1 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-custom ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<label for=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a139242313fc\" class=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-label\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/label><input type=\"checkbox\"  id=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a139242313fc\"  aria-label=\"Toggle\" \/><nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/edinburgh-future.com\/en\/eternal-3467-a-historic-edinburgh-shrine-the-story-of-st-andrews-church\/#The_Shrines_Early_History\" title=\"The Shrine&#8217;s Early History\">The Shrine&#8217;s Early History<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/edinburgh-future.com\/en\/eternal-3467-a-historic-edinburgh-shrine-the-story-of-st-andrews-church\/#The_Birth_of_a_New_Church\" title=\"The Birth of a New Church\">The Birth of a New Church<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/edinburgh-future.com\/en\/eternal-3467-a-historic-edinburgh-shrine-the-story-of-st-andrews-church\/#Parishioners_and_Rector\" title=\"Parishioners and Rector\">Parishioners and Rector<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/edinburgh-future.com\/en\/eternal-3467-a-historic-edinburgh-shrine-the-story-of-st-andrews-church\/#A_New_Chapter\" title=\"A New Chapter\">A New Chapter<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/edinburgh-future.com\/en\/eternal-3467-a-historic-edinburgh-shrine-the-story-of-st-andrews-church\/#Architecture_and_Interior\" title=\"Architecture and Interior\">Architecture and Interior<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"The_Shrines_Early_History\"><\/span>The Shrine&#8217;s Early History<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>In the 18th century, St Cuthbert&#8217;s Chapel occupied a large site during a period of active growth for Edinburgh&#8217;s population. The chapel was later elevated to a parish church, and a parish school was subsequently established on its grounds. Over time, however, the congregation sadly began to dwindle. Eventually, the church building was acquired by the University of Edinburgh.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"The_Birth_of_a_New_Church\"><\/span>The Birth of a New Church<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The year 1948 marked the founding of the St Andrew&#8217;s Orthodox community. This new community eventually took over the former chapel building. The new church became known for its simple, cross-shaped (cruciform) layout.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Parishioners_and_Rector\"><\/span>Parishioners and Rector<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>It is worth noting that the new church&#8217;s initial parishioners were predominantly former Polish servicemen, and the liturgical language at the time was Church Slavonic. In 1984, Archimandrite John Maitland Moir was appointed rector of the church. A Scot who had converted to Orthodoxy from the Episcopal Church, <strong>he was instrumental in changing the language of the services<\/strong> to English.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"A_New_Chapter\"><\/span>A New Chapter<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>In 2003, the community became the owner of the buildings that once belonged to the old parish school. By 2012, the church had seen a significant increase in attendance, with the site visited by about 250 people on average daily. Interestingly, in addition to English-language services, parishioners can now also attend liturgies in Greek, Romanian, and Church Slavonic.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Architecture_and_Interior\"><\/span>Architecture and Interior<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"800\" height=\"1200\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.edinburgh-future.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/62\/2025\/06\/image-35.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-3468\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.edinburgh-future.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/62\/2025\/06\/image-35.png 800w, https:\/\/cdn.edinburgh-future.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/62\/2025\/06\/image-35-200x300.png 200w, https:\/\/cdn.edinburgh-future.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/62\/2025\/06\/image-35-768x1152.png 768w, https:\/\/cdn.edinburgh-future.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/62\/2025\/06\/image-35-696x1044.png 696w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Architecturally, the building is one of the oldest surviving religious structures in Edinburgh. The north-east corner of the shrine is adorned with a low tower topped by a small spire, and its exterior is constructed from rubble stonework. The facade is symmetrical and features a small porch. The interior is arranged over two floors and retains a great number of its original features and details. These include the pulpit, the organ loft, a gallery, and a partially glazed narthex.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Ancient buildings are often silent witnesses to history, and in a city like Edinburgh, every effort is made to preserve these architectural treasures for future generations. Religious buildings hold a special place, often possessing unique designs and fascinating stories. St Andrew&#8217;s Orthodox Church is a prime example, rightly considered one of Edinburgh&#8217;s most important shrines. [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":499,"featured_media":1984,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1118],"tags":[2209,2207,2039,2036,2213,2211,2202,2204,2203,2210,2208,2212,2205,2206,2163],"motype":[1121],"moformat":[18],"moimportance":[30,33],"class_list":{"0":"post-3467","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-architecture","8":"tag-18th-century-architecture","9":"tag-churches-in-edinburgh","10":"tag-edinburgh-architecture","11":"tag-edinburgh-history","12":"tag-edinburgh-shrines","13":"tag-greek-orthodox-edinburgh","14":"tag-historic-churches-edinburgh","15":"tag-john-maitland-moir","16":"tag-orthodox-church-edinburgh","17":"tag-polish-history-scotland","18":"tag-religious-history-scotland","19":"tag-romanian-orthodox-church","20":"tag-st-andrews-orthodox-church","21":"tag-st-cuthberts-chapel","22":"tag-things-to-see-in-edinburgh","23":"motype-eternal","24":"moformat-vlasna","25":"moimportance-golovna-novyna","26":"moimportance-retranslyacziya-v-agregatory"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/edinburgh-future.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3467","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/edinburgh-future.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/edinburgh-future.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/edinburgh-future.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/499"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/edinburgh-future.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3467"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/edinburgh-future.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3467\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3471,"href":"https:\/\/edinburgh-future.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3467\/revisions\/3471"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/edinburgh-future.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1984"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/edinburgh-future.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3467"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/edinburgh-future.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3467"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/edinburgh-future.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3467"},{"taxonomy":"motype","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/edinburgh-future.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/motype?post=3467"},{"taxonomy":"moformat","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/edinburgh-future.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/moformat?post=3467"},{"taxonomy":"moimportance","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/edinburgh-future.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/moimportance?post=3467"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}