St. John Vladimir Monastery
The St. John Vladimir Monastery of Shijon is a monastic community for men in the Orthodox Autocephalous Church of Albania. The monastery is located on the outskirts of the town of Elbasan, near Tirana, Albania. The monastery is under restoration after being virtually destroyed by the communist government of Enver Hoxha that controlled the nation from the end of World War II until early in the 1990s. Restoration of the Church of Albania began in 1992.
The restoration of St. John Vladimir Monastery began under the leadership of His Beatitude Anastasios, Archbishop of Tirana, Durres and All Albania. The restoration has included both restoration of old facilities and the construction new buildings. Service of All-Night Vigils on the feast day of St. John Vladimir have been routine for years, even with the absence of a ceiling on the chapel. The ceiling was completed in 2005.
Orthodox youth summer camps sponsored by the Archbishop have been popular for years, especially with the availability of dormitories as well as being near Tirana and Durres.
