Dedication of Prayer House in Volchansk (Ural Deanery)

On June 17th in Volchansk (Northern Urals, Sverlodvsk oblast ) the dedication of the prayer house of the congregation took place. For a long time the congregation, which has more than 40 members, waited for this event. Now they have their own property - a space which, before becoming a grocery story, had been a regular apartment in a 5-story residential building.

Bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of the Urals, Siberia and Far East, Alexander Scheiermann presided at the dedication; the sermon was given by the Dean of the Urals Woldemar Jesse (Chelyabinsk). Dean Vladimir Vinogradov (Omsk) and Pastor Matias Schindler (Nizhny Tagil) also took part.

The administrator of the ELCUSFE Tatyana Muramtseva also addressed congregation with congratulations. Church Council President Andrey Gubashov and head of the Sunday School Svetlana Janzer, speaking for the whole congregation, thanked everyone who helped with their prayers, with their work and their finances.

One of the most memorable moments from the celebration was the reading of the poem for the occasion by Elvira Schmidt. She was the one who began the work of rebirth of the congregation and for many years served in it; she was called away to the Lord a week before the dedication took place.

We wish the congregation and their new space to be light and salt for those around them.

Pastor Evgeny Lukinov

Dedication of St. Mary's Church in Saratov

Archbishop Dietrich Brauer spoke about the church's dedication on May 13th and the events that took place preceding it in the following interview:

“The dedication of St. Mary's in Saratov is a long-awaited and happy event. 225 years have passed since the dedication of the first St. Mary's, which was located in the center of the city and was barbarically destroyed when it was blown up in 1971. The history of Lutherans in Saratov was interrupted for quite some time. Later the congregation was organized and began to meet in various places. On Sundays congregational members met in basements, and for big holidays they rented halls in order to fit in all those who wanted to attend.

Then the congregation began to build a new church; 25 years have passed since the congregation was reborn, and for more than 10 years now the new church has been under construction. The work was done only by fellow believers, both Russian Germans and others who show their care and concern. Both individuals and church groups have taken part in this good deed. The process of construction stretched out throughout the years, and even now the work isn't done, but the main work has been completed.

At the end of this stage we decided to dedicate the building in order that the congregation could feel that it was already in a fully-functioning church building. It can hold up to 200 people. Worship services are already held in the sanctuary, and there are many spaces for use by the Sunday school, for other ministries and even a small fireside room which creates a special atmosphere for meetings and discussions.

It was quite impressive that the Ambassador of the Federal Republic of Germany, Rüdiger von Fritsch, came to Saratov for the dedication of the building. Every year he visits one of the Russian regions, and he came to Saratov specially for the the dedication of the church and the celebratory worship.  What is more, he came not strictly as a government official, but as a preacher. Rüdiger von Fritsch is not only an ambassador, he is a theologian and is blessed as a preacher in the Lutheran Church. He has preached, for example, in the Bavarian Lutheran church when he was the ambassador in Poland and was happy to agree to give the sermon at the celebratory worship service in St. Mary's church. 

In his sermon the ambassador spoke about the New Covenant of God with man, the covenant based on the blood of Jesus Christ, His grace, His mercy. The preacher placed this imagine in the context of the event, in the context of Russian Lutherans and the Saratov congregation, which lost its building, lost hoped, but did not lose faith. This faith and the faithfulness of God, His faithfulness to the covenant that He once made with his people, saved and strengthened people during all times. “Today, during the dedication of the new St. Mary's church, the faithfulness of God to his covenant has been fully shown;” with these words the German ambassador brought his sermon to a close.

The participation of the ambassador of Germany in the events in Saratov drew attention not only to his person, but also to the problems of Russian Lutherans, to the needs of congregations. We are very thankful to Ambassador Rüdiger von Fritsch, for his attentiveness  to and interest in Russian Lutherans, for his active participation in the finding solutions to many important problems. In our days people frequently speak in the language of confrontation, of sanctions and threats. And the fact that a person can speak in a different language, heart to heart, the language of spirituality, the language of faith – it is very inspiring!

As he noted in his conversation with local journalists, the Ambassador’s main goal of this visit was to be present at the dedication and worship service, but many other events were also organized for him. He enjoyed visiting the city and oblast very much and spoke of his intention to visit again on a personal trip together with his wife.

It is a joy that three church buildings  in the region are being restored at once: the new St. Mary's, and two historical buildings in Zorkino and in Marx. In the former local businessman Karl Loor has led the efforts, while in Marx it is brothers Alexander and Viktor Schmidt.

Marx

During this visit we visited the wonderful, old church in Marx. It was a nice to see that the city itself is being transformed around the restored church – the embankment has been done, the territory was groomed – the city is awakening together with the church! The same thing happened in Zorkino. When from ruins a beautiful church was raised, everything around started to change, too. A new school and a hospital have appeared. People try to meet the standard of beauty that now surrounds them. I think that when the construction of St. Mary's in Saratov is finished, the industrial neighborhood where it is located will also begin to be transformed.”

Julia Vinogradova

A New Home for the Congregation in Bishkek

In the capital of Kyrgyzstan on April 8th a long-awaited event took place – the dedication of a new house of prayer – the main cathedral of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in the Republic of Kyrgyzstan (ELCRK). The Archbishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Kazakhstan, Yuri Novgorodov, was present at the dedication, as were all the pastors and preachers of the ELCRK and many congregational members from the local and nearby (Vinogradnoe, Tomoka, Nizhne-Chuisk, Belovodskoe, Kant, Kirovskoe) congregations, the German ambassador, as well as guests from Germany and Kazakhstan.
The previous prayer house was partially destroyed in a fire on January 27, 2015. While that day was a tragedy for church members, now the new building has opened up its doors and it a wonderful reason to celebrate. The words of greeting that could be heard all around - “Christ is risen!” took on a special meaning this year.
During the celebratory worship service ELCRK bishop Alfred Eicholtz recalled with tears in his eyes what horror he felt as he heard watched the church burn and heard the bell as it crashed to the ground together with the bell tower. He remembered the questions that were asked to which he had no answer at the time - “Why didn't your God help you?” He shared his thoughts about how it is especially important to trust God especially when you don't see how His Providence is leading, when you can't find any answers. Time has shown, said the bishop, why God allowed the fire to happen and how He has been glorified in its restoration.
All who gathered for the celebration met in the church's courtyard. In front of the entrance and then during the worship service there was music by the Chyusky chamber orchestra. The bishop greeted those who were gathered and introduced the architect Sergei Karchin and Pastor Valentin Limanovich, who was responsible for the detail work on the building. During worship the mixed choir of the ELCRK (more than 50 people!) sang.

Choir, ministers and congregation

It is worth noting that despite the fact that the congregations are spread out, people in the congregations know each other relatively well thanks to regular church-wide events; they were particularly happy to meet this time. No one was a “guest,” but felt that this building would be their common home; after all, each in his or her own way contributed – whether it was through finances, through donating food, or by working on the cleanup after the fire. Everyone was praying constantly for God to bless the Bishkek congregation and all were thankful to the Lord for His work to make the building happen.The lack of a church building didn't get in the way of congregational ministry. Even on the day of the fire, despite the tragic event, the scheduled Bible study took place all the same. People who came to Bible study that day didn’t know what to expect, and saw before them the sad picture of burnt church. That Bible study, which was held in the nearby building of the seminary, was very memorable. The ministers who smelled of burning and smoke, dejected by what had happen, called on everyone to humbly accept God's will and to trust Him in this difficult situation.


From that time until April 8th of this year, meetings of the Lutheran congregation in Bishkek took place according to their regular schedule in the building of the seminary, and congregational life didn't stop even for a minute. This confirms the Biblical teaching that the Church is not a building, but Christians gathered in the name of the Triune God.

Bishop Alfred Eicholtz thanked everyone for their contributions to the restoration of the cathedral. He spoke about the importance of the words of support he received at the time from various parts of the world. It wasn't just members of the ELCRK who gave offerings for the church, but many others who sympathized with them and gave what they had. Bishop Eicholtz spoke about the coins gathered by children in the congregation in Astana as a symbolic offering that was passed on at the time by Bishop Novgorodov.


The latter in his sermon said that all the participants of the restoration had received “a kiss from God” insofar as they became builders of His house. “You can build many houses, but building God's house comes around once in a lifetime.” He emphasized that the pain that brothers and sisters underwent in Bishkek was felt by the church in the whole post-Soviet territory. He gave them an altar Bible and passed on congratulations from all the Lutheran Churches that are part of the Union of Evangelical Lutheran Churches.
The celebratory events lasted from 9 in the morning to 6 in the evening with a lunch break. The congregation in Bishkek as the hosts invited the guests – more than 300 – to lunch. Hot pilaf, prepared outside over an open flame, and hot and sweet tea were ideal for the cold weather on this spring day. All the guests wished that sounds of praise and thankfulness to God would never go quiet in this building and that it become a real home for many who have found salvation there .
Former congregational members who have moved to Germany were also present at the event; among them were Woldemar Schal and the former president of the Synod Alexander Schantz. In their words of greeting they emphasized how important it is that the Lord's house be filled with people.
Eduard Penner led a group of guests from the German “Society of Evangelical Lutheran Germans from Russia.” He said that their society closely follows the developments of the church in Kyrgyzstan, and in their quarterly newsletter there is a block of news about their church. When Christians in Germany, especially those in “brother congregations,” heard about the 2015 fire, they were filled with sympathy and a desire to help. While they knew that God can certainly work in places without any walls, prayer houses are something that we people need, since they help us to come together around God's Word. Eduard Penner addressed the congregation with the wish that their building would become a place of meeting between God and man so that people could see Him there, hear Him and praise Him, and that through the Lord's Supper come into communion with the Church. He noted that the new church in Bishkek is one more piece of evidence of God's love which calls us to learn to trust God during all the stages of our lives.
Maria Lyanguzova

Restoration of the Facade at Petrikirche to be Completed by Reformation Day

St. Petersburg

Restoration work on the facade of Sts Peter and Paul Cathedral has begun! The state-financed work is scheduled to be completed by October 30, 2018. The “Arkada” company put in the winning bid for the work and began to prepare the site on April 2nd. In the first three weeks the church's two towers were “clothed” in scaffolding, and the statues of St. Peter and St. Paul were enclosed in special protective boxes.

The project preparation was completed using church funds and includes the full restoration of all the entry doors, windows, towers, walls and exterior decorations.

“The Ninth Hour”

Yaroslavl

On March 15 Pastor Agris Pilsums, who serves the Lutheran congregations in Ilukste, Subate and Lasi (Latvia), drove his car to Yaroslavl and brought with him the diptych “The Ninth Hour” („Devītā stunda"), painted by his wife, Art History specialist Daiga Pilsuma.
The diptych will become the altar picture in Sts. Peter and Paul Church in Yaroslavl. Christ's Passion as portrayed in the paint fits in well with the rough, once-destroyed-and-now-being restored interior of the church. It reminds us both of death and God's victory over death.
Church council President Igor Fedder, lay preacher Artis Petersons, congregational Pastor Ivan Shirokov and Area Dean Elena Bondarenko were there to receive the painting. A celebration is being planned for this summer for the dedication of the painting.

A New Bell Rings Out in Ufa

Just before the beginning of Lent, on February 13, a bell was installed in the belltower of the Lutheran church of Ufa. As congregational pastor, Heinrich Minich, reported, the bell was custom ordered at the Shuvalov Brothers' Yaroslavl Bell Factory.

Lutheran bells have somewhat different characteristics than Orthodox bells. The weight of this bell is 150 kgs and was installed by congregational members with the help of special equipment. The bell will be on an automatic ringer and manual ringing will be unnecessary. The following words are etched on the outside of the bell: “the Lord is with us until the end of the age.”
The bell was purchased with the help of the “Ural” charitable foundation headed by the former president of Bashkortostan, Murtaza Gubaidullovich Rakhimov.
Sergey Rusakov

Congregational Anniversary Year Starts With Book Presentation

Saratov
On January 28th St. Mary's Evangelical Lutheran church in Saratov hosted a book presentation. O.Litsenberger, A. Deryugin and N. Kolomitsev co-authored a book about the Saratov congregation on its 250th anniversary... which will officially take place only in 2020; since historical documents give no exact date of the foundation of the congregation, this date is calculated based on the first time the congregation is referenced in external sources.
The book is entitled “St. Mary's Evangelical Lutheran Church in Saratov at the 250th Anniversary of its Founding.” This publication acts as a follow up to the first book about St. Mary's Lutheran, published 22 years ago, in 1995. It is targeted at historians and others for whom it is interesting to know about the Lutheran church in the city and its influence there throughout the years. The book covers the life of the congregation, its relationship with the government authorities, the difficult fate of those who ministered in the congregation in the 20th century, and the development of the congregation in our days.
The book presentation started the process of celebrating two other anniversaries related to the history of Saratov Lutherans. On October 6, 2018, 225 years will have passed since the dedication of the first St. Mary's church in the city, and on November 22 it will be 25 years since the congregation's rebirth. Unfortunately the first building lasted only 83 years
(1793-1876) and was seriously damaged in a fire. The second St Mary's arose 3 years later (1879-1970), but was destroyed during the time of state atheism. It was located on the central city street – German Street (now Kirov) and was built according to the plans of the world-famous architect from Berlin, Johann-Eduard Jakob Stahl.
The logo of the anniversary shows three crosses: the first is black-purple and symbolizes the tragic fate of the first building; the second is red and is a reminder of the sufferings of the period of repression, and the third is a white cross which is a symbol of the contemporary church building which is already 11 years old and the hope for long years of the the triumph of love, goodness and spiritual peace in Saratov and in the country as a whole. The appendixes to the book are also of great value – archival materials and rare photographs.

The President of the ELCR General Synod and Dean of the Saratov area Andrey Dzhamgarov, led the event. Elena Heydt, the representative of the publisher, the regional coordinator of the International Union of German Culture and the chair of the “National-Cultural Group of Russian Germans of the Marx region, personally congratulated those in attendance on the occasion of the anniversary and also read a congratulatory letter from the First Deputy President of the International Union of German Culture, Olga Martens.
Then the congregation and guests heard the letter from the main author of the two books, Professor Olga Litzenberger, Ph.D. “On this significant day I personally and all the authors of the book want to express to you, dear pastors, members of church councils and congregational members, our gratitude for your many years of irreproachable work. I congratulate all of you with the publication of this new book about the Saratov congregation.”

After this the co-authors of the book – church council member Alexander Deryugin and church council member, journalist and linguist Nikolai Kolomiytsev, spoke about how this publication was put together, and in particular drew the attention of readers to three very interesting chapters filled with abundant historical facts.
After this there was a ceremony thanking those who cooperated with the authors - each of the former of which were given a copy of the book and a certificate of thanks. Also a copy of the book was given to each of the two largest regional libraries.
Representatives of the government also were present at this event. Dmitry Konusov, the vice minister of internal affairs and civil society for the Saratov oblast, was in attendance. Elena Poznyakova, the head of the department of relations with cultural institutions for the Saratov oblast, also greeted the congregation and guests of the event.
Representatives of other Christian denominations in the region were also invited to the book presentation. The head priest of St. Clement Roman Catholic Church in Saratov, Andrey Slavik, gave a heartfelt congratulations to all in attendance on the occasion of the publication of the book and the double anniversary of the congregation.
After this those in attendance could ask questions of the authors and also receive signed copies. The day ended with a reception.

Church Construction in Saratov

“Great are the works of the Lord, studied by all who delight in them“ (Ps. 111:2)

Dear brothers and sisters, as of April I am no longer Deanfor the Saratov region. But I am happy to to bring an update to those who care about our church building, who are praying for us and helping with the current progress.

Since the end of 2016 work has been done on the church hall: the cry room, the balcony and the church walls. The plastering has been be done as far as possible in the large church hall. With two to four people, a few dozen bags of plaster mortar, a compressed air-driven plastering machine and mobile scaffolding, etc., quite a few things could be done.During and after Easter the work in the church hall went on “pause.” Since then the work joyfully continues. It is hoped that the plastering will be completed in the near future, and then the ground tiles will be done.

Further, after Easter, the room for the planned diaconal clothing store in the lower floor was equipped with wooden shelves so that Sister Maren can soon begin this important work. Thanks for all the help!

Alexander Scheiermann, Michael Weise

News about Church Construction Process in Saratov

“Great are the works of the Lord, studied by all who delight in them“ (Ps. 111:2)

Dear brothers and sisters, as of April I am no longer Deanfor the Saratov region. But I am happy to to bring an update to those who care about our church building, who are praying for us and helping with the current progress.

Since the end of 2016 work has been done on the church hall: the mother-child room, the balcony and the church walls. The plastering has been be done as far as possible in the large church hall. With two to four people, a few dozen bags of plaster mortar, a compressed air-driven plastering machine and mobile scaffolding, etc., quite a few things could be done.During and after Easter the work in the church hall went on “pause.” Since then the work joyfully continues. It is hoped that the plastering will be completed in the near future, and then the ground tiles will be done.

Furthermore, after Easter, the room for the planned diaconal clothing store in the lower floor was equipped with wooden shelves so that Sister Maren can soon begin this important work. Thanks for all the help!

Alexander Scheiermann, Michael Weise

The Only Kirche in Uzbekistan Awaits Restoration

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

The Long-Awaited Organ Arrives!

St. Petersburg

The Walker organ of the Cathedral of Sts Peter and Paul was lost at the end of the 1930s; now it has been replaced with a Willi Peter organ that had previously been in use from 1973 to 2016 in St. Gertrude's church in Stockholm.

The parts for the new organ were brought on April 21 and 22, and on April 25 experts from the Becker Company in Hamburg began their work on installation. The plan was that the organ installation should be finished by June 8 with the first concert planned for July 1.

Gerhart Reutter

Dedication of Congregational Space in Magnitigorsk

On November 6, 2016, the new worship space of the Evangelical Lutheran Congregation in Magnitogorsk (Ural Deanery) was dedicated.
We thank God for this opportunity to double the space that we have for our use. In particular our thanks goes out to Alexander Sergeenko who led the process and to Vladimir Yakovlich who financed the renovation of the space. May this gift stimulate the congregation's growth and maturation for God's glory!

A New Home for the Congregation in Tolyatti

On the morning of October 16, 2016, congregants of St. George Lutheran Church in Samara happily boarded a large bus to Tolyatti. They were going there for the first worship service of the local congregation in their new building.

Just a week earlier the hall of the church was still under construction; by the dedication ceremony it was ready for use and can fit up to 50 people. If one thinks about how much patience, energy and work was put into this, you realize that it is just amazing. In contrast to the previous space used by the congregation – the “Club for the Disabled of Tolyatti” - this new building has a sanctuary, a well-equipped kitchen, a multiple-use space, two bathrooms and an apartment. There is also another room that is still under construction.

Pastor Friedhelm Brockmann from Berlin together with Dean Olga Temirbulatova and Pastor Tatyana Zhivodyorova led worship on this Harvest Festival Day; the choir from the Samara congregation accompanied them.

Pastor Brockmann together with deaconess Lora Engelkes began the renewal of the congregation in Tolyatti in 2002. Unfortunately Lora was unable to share this joyful event with the congregation insofar as she departed this earth in 2008.

At the beginning of his sermon Pastor Brockmann remembered all the difficulties of the beginning of his ministry and about how the ministry continued under Pastor Zhivodyorova. He tried to make plane to everyone present that it was in no way a “given” that this building would appear, and it is a reason for the congregation to be proud. There is a lot of room in the building for, among other things, work with people with special needs, some of whom were in attendance. Pastor Zhivodyorova was very moved by the service, and she fought back her tears, as did many others present. These were tears of joy and pride and also, perhaps, a bit of recognition that the day which they had dreamed and prayed about had finally arrived. All the efforts weren't in vain! And it was particularly for these fruits of the harvest that we thanked God on that day.

Lena Gebert, Emanuela Yanson

The Sun's Energy for the Church

Grodono, Belarus

In October of 2016 four solar panels with a capacity of 1 kW were installed on the roof of the congregation's building. With this system running, Grodno Lutherans will receive around half of the energy that they use from the sun. A company from Minsk that installs solar panels all over Belarus was entrusted with the installation.

«The main part of the work has been done and the system can function; we'll put it to full use once we have finished the renovations in the space under it. This will probably be before the beginning of the new year. Even in poor weather energy will be made thanks to ultraviolet light. We hope that the system will pay for itself in two to three years. And in the future, if all goes well, we will expand the panels so that we won't have to pay for any additional electricity at all. This is important, insofar as just the organ alone uses a huge amount of energy,” said Pastor Vladimir Tatarnikov.

New Space for the Chernogorsk Congregation

On July 31, 2016, the new congregational space in Chernogorsk (Khakasia) was dedicated – the conclusion of 4 year's worth of effort. They were supported along the way by the Evangelical Lutheran Mission in Lower Saxony (Hermannsburg), and Gustav-Adolf-Werk (GAW). The Evangelical Lutheran Church in the Urals, Siberia and Far East (ELCUSFE) also contributed to this project through offerings gathered throughout all the congregations of the church on Harvest Day celebrations.

The space that the congregation was using earlier was not large enough, and rent costs were high. “Your new space is a sign of hope for you, for us and for many others beyond the congregation's walls,” said Enno Haaks, the General Secretary of GAW.

Resurrecting Memory

Shamkir, Azerbaijan

On July 23, 2016, the congregation of the Savior in Baku experienced a touching moment of solidarity with their ancestors. I as a pastor had the opportunity to lead a Lutheran worship service in the building of the Annenfeld church and to return to this historical monument, even if for just a few hours, living prayers to the Lord.

Having resolved all the formalities with government structures and having received permission from the Azerbaijan State Committee on Religious Affairs, 16 people from the congregation went to this historical place, the city of Shakmir.

As early as the V century Shakmir was established as a large craft and trading city in Persia. This medieval town also had close historical ties with German settlers. In 1818, 67 families from Wurtemburg established the Annenfeld village and found in Azerbaijan a new homeland.

In 1826 the German village was destroyed by Persians, and its residents were made to leave their homes to find a place in another colony. For the next decade they suffered from a lack of land and from disease, but in 1836 they were able to return to Shakmir and restore their homes and their land.

In 1909 the colonists built a new church in the Neo-Gothic style; worship services were held there until 1941, when the Germans were deported. In the postwar years the building was first used as a “house of culture,” and then the regional historical museum. Thanks to help from Germany and the support of the state, the building was restored.

And now in 2016 the congregation had the unique opportunity to hold a Lutheran worship service in this historical place. We were overjoyed! The residents of the city and the local government met us in a friendly way and a few of them joined us for worship. The “kirche” has an organ in it, and we sang and prayed in the space where wonderful acoustics strengthened the sound of our voices. It was as if we were transported into the past, resurrecting the history of Swabian settlers.

After worship we were shown the city. We think that this day might be our congregation's small contribution to the program of the planed celebration of the 200^th anniversary of Germany settlers coming to the Southern Caucasus. If God grants it we will be able in those days of celebration to all pray together in the church in Annenfeld.

Pastor Menzer Ismailova

Angel with a Cross by Reformation Day

St. Petersburg
On October 31st the sculpture of the angel with a cross that crowns the roof of Petrikirche will be reopened after restoration. That was the conclusion of the delegation from the St. Petersburg Committee for Preservation and Use of Historic Sites (KGIOP) that carried out the inspection of the building area 
The pastor of the St. Anna and St. Peter congregation, Michael Schwartzkopf, spoke about the importance of angels - “they are above us and within us. An angel is a wonderful symbol of Christian faith. Therefore for all Lutherans of Russia it was so important to restore this symbol. Congregational members throughout gathered money over two years time for the restoration. The 200000 rubles gathered were enough to do research on the sculpture.” 
The chairman of the Committee, Sergei Marakov, noted that “despite all of those things that happened to the church in the Soviet era, important and authentic church items were preserved, such as, for example, the sculptures of Peter and Paul by the sculptor Torvaldsen.” During the process of restoration highest quality materials are being used and soon the figure with the angel and the cross and the rebuilt attic will be restored to pristine condition. 9 million rubles from the city budget were spent on the restoration.
Before the evening service on Reformation Day, October 31st, Petrikirche will receive a gift – a symbol of the rebirth of Lutheranism will be opened again. 

A New Building for the Congregation in Ekaterinburg

Ekaterinburg, Russia 
  On July 10th the congregation in Ekaterinburg held its first worship service in its new building. Great joy felt by the parishioners, who finally were able to leave their relatively small, rented hall above a supermarket and instead be in their very own building.
Not long ago Ekaterinburg Lutherans thought that they would be getting a new worship space in a different place – in the old German cemetery, which has now become a park, they planned to build their own church building. Their plans were approved by the city administration in 2015, but then during the building process a gravestone more than a century old was found, and this put meant that the site now had archaeological value; this meant that building in the park was no longer possible. 
  The congregation together with the leadership of ELCUSFE and with partners made the decision to purchase a building in the city center, in the same neighborhood of the city where the historic building (destroyed in Soviet times) stood. In June this was made possible thanks to the help of many donors, including the Martin Luther Bund and Gustav Adolf Werke. Now it will be necessary to remodel the building for congregational use, in particular, it will be necessary to make a sanctuary.  
  Today Ekaterinburg has a population of 1.3 million and is Russia's fourth largest city. The congregation in the city has a weekly attendance of over 50 people.  

  Based on the article at http://www.martin-luther-bund.de/

The Restoration of the Angel Has Begun

St. Petersburg, Russia 
  After a long wait, the beginning of the restoration of the angel sculpture on the roof of Petrikirche has begun. The “Nasledie (Heritage)” company, in accordance with the government contract signed on April 26, 2016, began their work in the middle of June on the restoration of the sculpture and attic of the cathedral, which is the federal register of historic buildings.  
  At first a temporary fence was installed near the left side of the facade of the cathedral and then a lift was installed for raising building materials to the roof. In the two weeks that followed the sculpture was surrounded by scaffoldings and a net. 
  The restoration will last approximately 4 months. It is expected that by Reformation Day the scaffoldings will be taken down and the angel will have been restored to its original form. 

St. John's Church Re-opens Its Doors

Grodno, Belarus

 At the end of May the interior renovations at St. John's Lutheran in Grodno were completed. A year earlier the exterior of the kirche was restored and a 16-meter spire was installed. Now the interior of the building and the exterior are equally beautiful. 
  Since the completion of restoration work, worship services and concerts in the building have begun again. The first of this season was held on June 3, when the German organist Anna Horsch gave a concert of European composers. This concert was part of the city's annual festival of national cultures. For the first time in the long history of this festival St. John's congregation was able to take part in the official program of events. 
  Now the Grodno Lutherans plan to use historic photographs to make new copies of the stain-glass windows that were originally in the kirche and install them behind the altar. The income from organ concerts will go towards this project. The congregation is also planing to add exterior lighting on the facade of the church. The German ambassador in Belarus has promised to help with the restoration of the tower clock. It should be in working order by the time the world celebrates the 500th anniversary of the Reformation next year.