Tashkent
On March 5-12, almost a year after the first visit of the vice chair of Gustov-Adolph-Werk (GAW) in Hessen-Nassau, Pastor Gerhard Hechler, to Uzbekistan in 2016, he returned to the country to visit the congregation in Tashkent. The reason for this visit was to help organize the process of restoration of the historic church building, built in 1896 according to the design of Alexander Benois. Partners from GAW and Martin Luther Bund have offered their help in this restoration project and have put the project in their catalog for 2017.
Pastor Hechler spent two Sunday services in the congregation in Tashkent. During the week there were many meetings and discussions about the upcoming restoration work. The German Embassy in the country and the Society of International Cooperation emphasized that the church is an important also as a place for ethnic Germans to come together. There are regular worship services, concerts, readings, exhibitions and other popular events that take place in the kirche.
Speaking about the possibility of expanding the musical ministry of the congregation, Pastor Hechler referred to Petrikirche in St. Petersburg where at present a new organ is being assembled. For Tashkent such a project could be bring new opportunities. However, the first order of business is to fix the roof and to replace the church windows. The roof leaks and the windows no longer protect from the cold, heat or rain; some of them are simply covered with plastic sheets.
Gerhard Hechler told congregation members that partners in Hessen have gathered the main sum of money for the windows. In Tashkent there is an ethnic German living there who is a window expert and who even before Pastor Hechler had left the country made the first commercial bid to do the work. The other good news is the restoration of the interior of the kirche has been taken on by a German company in the city that will organize the work for free or as a means of giving practice to future restorers.
On March 12 the main theme of the worship service was the projects of GAW in Lutheran churches of Central Asia – in Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan. Preacher Ludmilla Schmidt preached in Russian and Pastor Hechler – in German. There were two baptisms on that day, the confirmation of three congregational members, and also Holy Communion with Schmidt and Hechler as co-presiders. At the conclusion of the worship service students of the local music institute gave a concert.
In the days of his visit Pastor Hechler learned about the founding of a preaching point in Buchara; they get their literature from the congregation in Tashkent.
Pastor Hechler was satisfied with his visit to Uzbekistan and is sure that he will come again soon - “We are on a good path, both with restoration of the church and with the church's ministry.”
Gerhard Hechler
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