It is apparently a tradition, to make an altar in Filipino homes. Our apartment now has one too, although for some unknown reason it is placed near bathroom. Perhaps, altars are supposwed to be placed where the biggest traffic is? :)

A couple weeks ago we all visited the Fisherman Wharf. There was a store that sold traditional Russian tsatskes: matreshkass, Palech boxes etc. There I found a couple of beautiful thingies: an icon and a skladen. I am not religious, but I liked their colors: bright red and gold. So I bought them and placed on our altar.

Now, Filipinos are Catholics, Russians belong to the Orthodox Church. As far as I know, the Russian Orthodox Church isn't particularly eager to participate in the ecumenical movement, for it believes its mission is to carry into the world the light of one true religion, which is the Orthodox Christianity, of course. I thought that adding the Orthodox attributes to the Catholic altar would make a nice postmodernist gesture. Take this, the Orthodox Church. ;)