On October 29, 2022, the Lutheran Church of Murmansk held a German Culture Evening in connection with Day of Reformation. In his greeting and introductory comments, Rev. Aleksandr Volchok, senior pastor of Holy Cross Lutheran Church, said, “This event tonight is meant to help foster a tolerant attitude to people even if they have a different culture and traditions. We’re not all the same as we differ from one another, but if we are in unity with one another and accept one another, we become spiritually enriched.”

 

The church conducted the German Culture Evening in collaboration with the Local Ethno-Cultural Autonomy of Germans in Murmansk. The event was one in a series as part a project called “Eternal Values.”

 

The program included presentations about the history of Russia Germans, the life and work of German composers Haydn and Bach, a performance of classical and contemporary German music, a sharing about the life and work of Martin Luther and the German tradition of Spruchdichtung.

 

The event is part of a grant-winning project supported by the Murmansk Oblast Ministry of Domestic Policy for nongovernmental organizations, religious associations, and regional ethnic communities.