Consecration of St. Anna Chapel at Russian Chapel Hills Vineyard

Published 10:00 pm Sunday, September 28, 2014

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The Chapel of St. Anna, the first Russian Orthodox Church Abroad (ROCA) in Polk County, was consecrated at 6 p.m. on Sept. 3. Metropolitan Hillarion, who is the first hierarch of all of ROCA, presided over this service other clergy present were Fr. Vasily from a ROCA in Canada as well as the priests from the local ROCA St. Nicolas.
The owner of Russian Chapel Hills Winery and Vineyards, Andrey Medvedev, considers the construction and ultimate consecration of St. Anna Chapel the biggest event in his life, which has even greater meaning considering his many accomplishments.
At the conclusion of the service, George Obolensky, a member of the Russian royal family, presented Andrey with an icon from the 17th century. His parents brought this priceless gift with them to Paris when they emigrated from Russia after the revolution.
Mr. Obolensky brought it to the United States. It is particularly symbolic, because it is the icon of St. Anna, the name of the chapel.
Andrey is a very spiritual man and claims that he owes his life to his devotion to the Church. He was soldier in a Special Forces Unit of Russian army and many of his fellow soldiers and friends did not make it back to Russia. Andrey feels that he owes the establishment of St. Anna Chapel to those brave soldiers.
The view of the chapel, located in the midst of Andrey’s beautiful vineyard, is a sight to behold. The lower part of the chapel was constructed by local craftsmen without the use of nails, a tradition in building Russian Orthodox Churches in the 17th century.
The cypress logs weighing up to 450 pounds each were notched to fit together. This type of structure, although quite difficult to build, will last for many years. Andrey envisions the chapel outlasting his lifetime for many generations.
The shingles, which were also installed by local craftsmen were made in Russia. The cupola, the familiar Russian “onion dome,” was constructed in Russia of hand carved aspen. It contains a bell tower and the newly installed bells called the congregation to the consecration service.
Andrey had a very difficult time importing the dome. The United States Customs Service found it very hard to believe that anyone would import such a structure.
He bought several vineyards in the county and the winery construction was completed in 2013. He and his wife Mai harvested their first grapes in the fall of that year.
These grapes are now made into several varieties of wine: Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Muscadine, Rosé, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Cabernet Franc.
After the consecration service, the congregation was invited to the almost completed tasting room for a dinner prepared by Mai’s Restaurant, Umi in Hendersonville. The tasting room was inviting and the Japanese food was outstanding.
Mai and Andrey plan to serve food from Umi in the tasting room. Wine tasters are invited to find the best food and wine tastings. It should also be mentioned that the view of the Chapel from the tasting room porch is quite impressive.
The tasting room will be open for business in the very near future. An announcement to that effect will be placed in the Tryon Daily Bulletin. The winery, vineyards and tasting room are a great addition to Polk County and all are urged to come and sample their wonderful wines and excellent Japanese cuisine.

– article submitted
by J. G. Adams, III

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