The Lutheran church building in Novorossiysk was built in 1902 with the funds of the Evangelical Lutheran congregation on the land gifted to that congregation by General Leonid Adamovich (1832—1911), a hero of the Russo-Turkish War (1877-1878). The church was closed down from 1924 to the early 1990’s. A religious group was established in 1989. The church was under renovation from 1991 to 2003. Regular worship services have been celebrated since 2008. The church building is state-owned by the federal subject Krasnodar Krai. Currently, the Administration of Krasnodar Krai is offering to transfer ownership of the church building to the congregation if the ELCIR accepts the transfer. All of the expenses for the upkeep and renovation of the church building have been borne exclusively by the Congregation whose only sponsor is Azovo-Chernomorskaya Ekspertnaya Kompania (“Azov-Black Sea Expert Company”), a limited liability company (director and founder: Rev. Pavel Tkachenko).
The Congregation has 40 people. Regular attendance of worship is 25-30 people. The Congregation regularly hosts charity music recitals. The Congregation has been providing charitable aid to the needy since 2008 through Bely Angel (“The White Angel”) Charity Foundation. The congregation’s clergy are the pastor and a deacon from Donetsk. The church has provided shelter and jobs to Lutherans from Makeyevka and Donetsk.
The Congregation is involved in efforts to formalize an ethnic-cultural autonomy of Estonians in Krasnodar Krai (the community of Esto-Sadok, Sochi).
Next summer, the Congregation plans to organize a Luther Festival or a seminar with a recreational program in Anapa or Blagoveshchenskaya, famous health resorts.
Four members of the Congregation will be students of the Theological Institute of The Church of Ingria (two in the Master’s program and two in the Initial Theological Course).
Information provided by Rev. Pavel Tkachenko. Photo credits: Rt. Rev. Ivan Laptev