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Photograph by George Sakkestad

The Rev. Basil Rhodes and the others involved with the Saint Nicholas Orthodox Church in Saratoga are looking forward to celebrating the church's 55th anniversary. It comes in the same year that the city of Saratoga turns 50.

St. Nicholas has been around longer than the city

Orthodox Church will be turning 55

By Jennifer M. van der Kleut

Mired in a daily routine, it's not uncommon for people to leave entire areas of their hometown unexplored, even decades after settling there.

There are certain places in Saratoga that go unnoticed every day, away from the hustle and bustle of the downtown Village.

One such place is St. Nicholas Orthodox Church on Elva Avenue. Set back blocks behind Big Basin Way, the church is virtually invisible to all but its parishioners and the family of deer and quail that live across the street.

Few know Saratoga has a strong, historical connection to Russian culture and religion. It's a quiet connection, except for the one time a year the parishioners throw open their doors, turn up the music and let their presence be known. These days, as Saratoga celebrates its 50th anniversary as a city, St. Nicholas is preparing for a special celebration of its own--the church's 55th anniversary.

St. Nicholas was founded by the Rev. Michael Zelneronok, who was born in Latvia and ordained as a priest there in 1936. He served in Riga, Latvia, until 1940, when the Soviet Army overran his home. Zelneronok remained in Latvia as a teacher under the Soviets.

Later, under the invading Germans, Zelneronok ministered to Christians in detention camps throughout Germany. Eventually interned himself, he immigrated to America after the war.

He came to Saratoga and found work at Montalvo as a gardener. As he became acquainted with the immigrant community in the area, he found a handful of families who wished to build a church. They looked to him to be their pastor.

The first service they celebrated was on Saint Nicholas' feast; hence the saint was named the patron of the fledgling parish. Those early meetings took place in the rear of the Harless Moser Real Estate Agency that once stood on Saratoga-Los Gatos Road.

In 1952, St. Nicholas' present site was purchased, and the women of the church held a tea for the Saratoga community. Two years later, a daylong benefit was held at Montalvo to help raise funds to build a church on the land. The benefit was a picnic featuring traditional Russian food and a bazaar displaying the handcrafts of the women of the parish. Guests were entertained with classical Russian music and ballet. Princess Natasha Romanov, a relative of the last tsar of Russia, planned and coordinated the event. The benefit became an annual event to celebrate the church.

More than 50 years later, that tradition is still alive in the church's annual Russian Festival. These days, the members are busy preparing for this year's event Sept. 30, which will also mark the church's 55th anniversary of that very first service. Members such as Brooks Szolyga say they are especially excited the event will coincide with the 50th anniversary of the city.

The Rev. Basil Rhodes, who has been at St. Nicholas for more than 20 years, says there are many things to love about his church.

"There's a nice mix of old and young, immigrants and [American-born]," he says. "We have members from the Ukraine, Russia, Greece, Romania, Bulgaria, Belgium, Palestine. It's very diverse, but then, that's Orthodox. It encompasses the whole eastern Mediterranean."

Rhodes says the church is still much the same as it was when he first came.

"It hasn't actually changed all that much, except that it's just a transient area; people move in and out all the time, " he says. "I like that our church has a pretty even balance of born-and-raised Orthodox and converts from other faiths."

Rhodes says the church's peaceful location on Elva Avenue off Fourth Street can be both a blessing and a detriment.

"I love living here. It's almost like living on a nature preserve," he says, describing the beauty of the street and the surrounding trees, as well as the wildlife. However, he adds, the tranquil spot and the church's outward appearance--other than the bells in the front yard it might look like a house--keeps them somewhat hidden from and unknown in their community. For that same reason, however, the church enjoys a friendly relationship with its residential neighbors.

"People [in the surrounding neighborhood] approach me all the time to say how much they enjoy having the church here," he says. "They say they especially enjoy hearing the bells before the service. It reminds them of living in a European village."

Most of all, though, Rhodes says he would like to spread the word to the rest of Saratoga that St. Nicholas, and the connection to Russian culture and history that it offers, are here.

"We're the best-kept secret in Saratoga, but we don't want to be," he says with a laugh.

The Russian Festival takes place on Sept. 30, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., at St. Nicholas, 14220 Elva Ave. in Saratoga. Admission is free and the public is welcome. For more information, call 408.867.0628 or visit www.stnicholassaratoga.org.