CULTURE
Evangelical Lutheran Church or Church of the Saviour in Baku – an iconic building demonstrating Azerbaijan’s religious tolerance
Baku, March 15, AZERTAC
As a multicultural and multi-religious country, Azerbaijan has always been home to representatives of all nations and religions, who have co-existed and worked together peacefully for centuries, and the Evangelical Lutheran Church or Church of the Saviour in Baku is a vivid manifestation of this tolerant environment.
The large Christian community in the country is an integral and active part of its society, and their monuments and places of worship, churches are fully protected by the Azerbaijani state and are regularly restored.
Construction of the German Lutheran Church in Baku which is known as a the Church of the Saviour was carried out between 1896 and 1899.
The architect of the Church was German named Eikhler who based the design on the Gothic style.
The groundbreaking ceremony for the building was held on March 21, 1896 with the participation of Baku Governor Pavel Lileyev and head of municipality Iretsky. The church was built with donations from believers, including the Nobel brothers.
In February 1899, the church hosted its first organ concert.
On March 14, 1899, a blessing ceremony of the Savior Lutheran Church of the German-Swedish congregation took place. More than one thousand people, including Governor Vladimir Rogge, attended the ceremony.
On April 23, 1900, the church housed its first religious organ concert, where Johann Sebastian Bach's works were performed. Later, such concerts became traditional and continued until 1928.
On March 15, 2010, President Ilham Aliyev signed a decree on the restoration of the building, taking into account its importance as a historical and architectural monument and cultural center.
President Ilham Aliyev and First Lady Mehriban Aliyeva attended the opening of the building after restoration in 2010.
Special attention was paid to the acoustics of the building, which is one of the most beautiful examples of traditional German gothic architecture.