Maria Bebudelses Orthodox Church, Oslo

Maria Bebudelses Kirke, or Saint Mary of the Annunciation Church, is a small, unusual place of worship found on Akersbakken, close to the Stortinget in central Oslo. It is built in the traditional Scandinavian style, seen across the world as migrants from the Nordic countries set up their own churches in distant cities. Maria Bebudelses Kirke was built in 1892 to serve a growing Catholic Apostolic congregation. Sadly, whilst Norwegian congregations have survived in far flung places like Spain, the USA and the UK, the church struggled to survive, and was abandoned by the dwindling congregation in 1960.

The quirky nature of the church’s design, and the sudden, surprising collapse of its congregation, led locals to attach a mythical status to the building. Nicknamed the ‘day of judgment’ church, it was prophesised that the re-inauguration of Maria Bebudelses Kirke would herald the end of the world. Thankfully, this fanciful myth was proved untrue when a Greek Orthodox congregation moved into the church in 1986. They still hold regular services in the building, and have grown to number at least 500 worshippers. The church is also used by migrant Orthodox worshippers from other nations in south-eastern Europe, including Bulgaria and Serbia.