One of the forms of distribution of the Orthodox mission among the Russian-speaking population in Thailand is a Sunday school. By 2013 the Sunday schools had operated with branches in Pattaya, the island Phuket, and on the island Samui. Sunday schools are focused primarily on Russian-speaking children, who are in fact, “in the cultural isolation”.
It is interesting how the teachers of the Sunday school of St. Sergiy at the Ascension Church on the island of Samui determine the value of these institutions.
Anna Trufanova, teacher of art and design activities, formulated her view on the problem like so: “The opening an Orthodox Sunday school far from Russia in the country with another, alien religion was of course very good news. The lessons at the school will open new spiritual horizons not only to children but to adults. Being far from home, we meet with great difficulties, and the most important thing in such moments is not to lose oneself, faith in God, not to forget a man in oneself trying to live according to the commandments. I don’t know how it is in other countries, but in Thailand, where the children are, unfortunately, very limited in the study of the native language, literature, the history of their country, its traditions, religion a Sunday school has a great responsibility not only for the spiritual but also for the intellectual education of the future generation”.4
4 The Sunday schools // Orthodox Thailand.2013. November. №5.
The vision of Anna Garavini, a teacher of the history of Russia and the Church is largely similar: “A Sunday school is designed to be the bearer of Russian culture, the best of its traditions. It must be not just an educational center, but first of all it must be a moral rod for the whole family. I think the Sunday schools in Thailand and Russia differ primarily in the fact that a Sunday school abroad solves not only the educational problems and it is not only a center of spiritual and moral development, but primarily it is a joining center for people of one culture, helping to keep by children the competent speech in their native language, to instill love for Russian literature, to develop national consciousness”.5
5 The same source.
The Abbot of the temple on the island Samui, the priest Alexey Golovin, did not even know several years ago that Providence would send him to this distant place: he served as a deacon in a town in the Tomsk region.
