Changes

In 1949, several Russians arrived from China (e.g. Shanghai, Harbin, Xinjiang) in the wake of the Chinese Civil War, and began gathering in Taipei's Cafe Astoria. Mention is made of a Korean War-era funeral led by Bishop (later Archbishop) [http://www.svots.edu/content/archbishop-john-shahovskoy John (Shahovskoy)] of San Francisco, then a U.S. army chaplain en route from Korea to the USA. Archbishop [[Ireney (Bekish)]] of Tokyo (later New York) made annual visits to Taipei between 1957 and 1959, celebrating divine liturgy in a private home at No. 18, Lane 132, N. Jianguo Road, called the Church of the Forerunner. In 1960 he ceded these duties to an American military chaplain, Fr. Nikolay Kirilyuk. 1965 saw a visit by Metropolitan [http://orthodoxwiki.org/Vladimir_%28Nagosky%29_of_San_Francisco Vladimir (Sagosky)] of Japan (later San Francisco), American military chaplain Archpriest Peter Zurnovich, and Fr. Kirill Arihara. The number of Orthodox faithful in Taiwan has been variously estimated at 50 (in 1960), 100 (in 1958), and 200 (in 1965).<ref> http://www.orthodox.cn/localchurch/taiwan/1958-1959ireney_en.htm http://orthodox.cn/localchurch/taiwan/glebrar_en.htm http://www.orthodox.cn/localchurch/taiwan/19650120vladimir_en.htm </ref> The Russian community's most famous member, Pres. Chiang Ching-kuo's Belarussian-born wife Chiang Fang-liang (née Faina Ipat'evna Vakhreva), did not attend services (and may have nominally affiliated with her husband's Methodism). By the 1970's the church had again dwindled into inactivity.