Two American Villages in Russia (VIDEO UPDATE)
One village with me near Rostov Veliky, the other village with Tim Kirby just south of Moscow
A government official told me, “We do not think it is an accident that you live where you do.” And I had to agree with him. This was not a coincidence. This was a gift from God.
I had previously told them that we were looking for land. LOTS of land. About a year earlier, I had met with the Governor of the Yaroslavl region and several state officials, and I told them about numerous Orthodox Christian families wanting to move to Russia, not to live in a city, but to live on spacious acreages out in the country.
The first American Village is located 1/2 hour west of Rostov the Great. Here is a lovely introduction to the town of Rostov:
I told the Yaroslavl government that each family would want 10-20 acres, and that some families wanted 100 acres or more. The government officials looked and looked, but were not able to locate enough contiguous state-owned land that we could use. So they went back to the drawing board.
Then, finally, after looking for months, they called me to the capital building in Yaroslavl for a meeting. They said they had found something, and they wanted me to take a look.
They had located a large cluster of rural land plots, privately owned, and the owner was willing to sell everything for a reasonable price. It was good land, and there was enough of it that we could build an entire American Village in the Yaroslavl region, including several good sized acreages.
Then they showed me a map of the land. All the plots of land come together to form a circular pattern, something like a large donut. And the house where my family and I live is right in the center of the donut! I couldn’t believe it!
Watch this video showing where my family and I currently live:
Now people are building nearby. Fences are going up. Most of the land has already sold (for less than $1000 an acre!), and there are still some plots of land available. Slowly but surely, the land is being improved, and the future is beginning to take shape. Today, there are empty fields. Tomorrow, I look forward to seeing houses, garages, and barns . . . an American village in Russia.
Of course, Rostov is not the only place where Americans are settling in Russia. Check out the following video update from Tim Kirby, where he talks about his American Village Project just south of Moscow:
If you are interested in either of these projects, and you want to get involved, feel free to drop me a line. I can answer questions about the American Village Project near Rostov. And if you want to check out the village just south of Moscow, I can get you in touch with Tim.
Hi Father Joe. I enjoyed your article about Americans that have moved to Russia. I'm an Orthodox Christian who lives in Connecticut and I am always happy to hear any stories that promote our faith. God bless you in the work you do. I live in Connecticut and I love my church family. We are all conservatives and pray for all Orthodox Christians all over the world. I appreciate the work you do. I plan on fighting for our faith here in the USA. I and my church family hold in highest regards for the Russian priests who came to the USA who brought the early faith of Orthodoxy here. God bless you Father. 🙏☦️♥️
Fr. Joe - Thank you for this article and all of the other information you have shared with us here in America. In this article you offer to discuss the American Village Project further if we drop you a line. What is the best way to contact you?