August 17, 2018, during the first visit of the Primate of the Russian Orthodox Church, on the Novaya Zemlya archipelago, Patriarch of Moscow and all Russia Kirill visited the Church of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker in the village of Belushya Lip, the administrative center of the archipelago, according to patriarhiei. A wooden Church, which is the most Northern in Russia, was built in 2006 on donations of Novoseltsev.
His Holiness Patriarch Kirill at the Church were welcomed by the Dean of the Arctic district, Naryan-Mar diocese, the rector, hieromonk Gabriel (Bogdanov).
On the steps of the Church, his Holiness Patriarch Kirill celebrated a prayer service.
Concelebrating were: operating Affairs of the Moscow Patriarchate, Metropolitan of St. Petersburg and Ladoga Varsonofy; head of Administrative Secretariat of the Moscow Patriarchate, Archbishop Sergius of Solnechnogorsk; Bishop Naryan-Mar and Mezensky James; hieromonk Gabriel (Bogdanov).
At the prayer service was attended by Plenipotentiary representative of RF President in the northwestern Federal district Alexander Beglov, Governor of the Arkhangelsk region I. A. Orlov, the Chairman of Committee of the State Duma on international Affairs Leonid E. Slutsky, Deputy Minister of defense of the Russian Federation — chief military-political control of the Armed forces, Colonel-General A. V. Kartapolov, head of the 12th Main Directorate of the Ministry of defense of Russia major-General I. A. Kolesnikov, the head of the Central site of the Russian Federation Colonel A. A. Sinitsyn, head of the municipal formation city district a New Earth J. K. Musin, the commanders and soldiers of the parts, stationed in the archipelago, the inhabitants of the village with the children.
Sang liturgical hymns choir of the Moscow Church of the new Martyrs and Confessors of Russia in Strogino (Regent O. A. Guskov).
From the steps of the temple, his Holiness Patriarch Kirill addressed the congregation with a primatial homily.
Patriarch Kirill presented Church awards. Jubilee medal “In commemoration of the 100th anniversary of the restoration of the Patriarchate in the Russian Orthodox Church” was awarded the assistant chief of the 12th Main Directorate of the Ministry of defence on work with staff Colonel K. S. Shurkalin and head of the Central polygon of the Russian Federation Colonel A. A. Sinitsyn.
Then his Holiness spoke to the children living on the New Earth, who gave to His Holiness ceramic figurine polar bear and flowers Novaya Zemlya tundra.
Next, his Holiness Patriarch Kirill visited the Museum of the Central range of the Russian Federation in the House of officers of the village Belushya Lip. About the history of Orthodoxy in the New Earth, the past and future of the archipelago to His Holiness told the Deputy head of the landfill work with the staff captain first rank A. V. Davydenko.
Before the revolution in a New Land were the two churches of St. Nicholas in settlement Malye Karmakuly (built in 1888), and the Holy Martyr Alexandra in Outpost Belushya Lip, carrying out also the functions of the school, and pharmacy (built in 1913). In places Olginskaya and Matochkin Ball was in the chapel. In Soviet times the Church life in the archipelago was interrupted.