St. John's Church, Goygol

Saint John's Church (Azerbaijani: Müqəddəs İohann kilsəsi; German: St. Johanniskirche) — Azerbaijan's first German Lutheran church located in Göygöl.

St. John's Church German: St. Johanniskirche
Exterior of the church
Religion
Affiliation	German Lutheran Church
Region	Goygol
Year consecrated	1857
Status	Renovated
Location
Location	Goygol, Azerbaijan
Municipality	Goygol
Shown within Azerbaijan
Geographic coordinates	40°35′13″N 46°18′57″E / 40.58694°N 46.31583°E / 40.58694; 46.31583
Architecture
Style	Neogothic
Groundbreaking	1854
Completed	1857

The church was included in the list of immovable historical and cultural monuments of local importance by decision No. 132 issued by the Cabinet of Ministers of the Republic of Azerbaijan on August 2, 2001, just after the Azerbaijan Republic restored its independence.

Today "History and ethnography museum of Goygol" museum is operating in this church.

St.John's church in 1908

History

It all began when several hundred families of Swabian Lutheran pietists arrived in Russian Empire with the permission of Emperor Alexander I in 1817. Nearly 700 Swabian families were resettled in Transcaucasia, where almost 120 of them founded the colony of Helenendorf.^[1][2] After the colony was established, the community of Lutherans began to operate.^[3] However the first religious rituals were hold by the teachers at school, in 1832 the priest from the city called Hannover was invited here.^[4] Over time, a German Lutheran community appeared there along with the need for building a place of worship. First stone for the church laid next to a parish school in 24 April 1854.^[2] The church which was built in 3 years, was awarded the name "Holy Johann church"^[5] and was given to the religious people.^[1][6][7] It was the first Lutheran church in Azerbaijan.^[8][9][10] Its first pastor was Georg Heinrich Reitenbach (1832-1840).^[11] The church has an Organ (music) manufactured by a famous Ludwigsburg company “E. F. Walcker & Cie.” installed inside. The church which was built from the red stone, has one clock tower, 16 big and 2 little windows and 2 entrance doors. İn addition this church's windows are made from the wood. The width of the church is 13.3 m, the length is 36.6 m, and the height of the ceiling is 8.6 m.^[12]

During the Soviet occupation

After the Soviet occupation, in the year of 1928, the war against of the religion was formally started.^[13] In 1936 - 1938 the pastors who were operating in all of the Lutheran churches were arrested.^[14] The last priest of the church Otto Ventsel was arrested for the first time in 1931.^[15] The last confirmation ceremony with the participation of 85 teenagers took place in the church in 1934. He became free and continue operating in the church until 1936.^[15] In 1936 he was arrested by the USSR People's Commissariat of Internal Affairs. However, he became free in 1939, he was arrested in the same year.^[15] The bell in the Holy Johann church was took of just like the organ which was installed in the church. The church was closed after the deportation of the Germans from the region in 1941.^[16] At different times, the building served as a sports hall and a military hospital.^[12][16]

After independence

The church was included in the list of immovable historical and cultural monuments of local importance by decision No. 132 issued by the Cabinet of Ministers of the Republic of Azerbaijan on August 2, 2001, just after the Azerbaijan Republic restored its independence.^[17]

Since 2005 the church houses the History-ethnography Museum of Goygol.^[5][18]

In 2008, the St. John’s Church was renovated with the financial support of the German GIZ. The tower was supplied with a clock and bells thanks to fundraising efforts of the “EuroKaukAsia”, a cultural and scientific society.^[5][19]

Gallery

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See also

• Germany–Azerbaijan relations

References

1. Sudaba, Zeynalova (2005-01-01). "Germans in Azerbaijan: a retrospective analysis". Central Asia and the Caucasus (6). ISSN 1404-6091. from the original on 2023-11-22. Retrieved 2023-11-22.
2. Zeynalova, Südabə (2016). Azərbaycanda alman məskənlərinin salınmasından 200 il keçir (in Azerbaijani). Bakı: Xalq qəzeti.
3. Əliyev, Elçin (2017). Deutschs Erbe Spuren in der Architektur von Aserbaidschan (PDF) (in German). Bakı: Botschaft der Bundesrepublik Deutschland Baku. p. 42. (PDF) from the original on 2021-04-28. Retrieved 2023-11-29.
4. Hacıyeva, Rima (2019). Azərbaycan tolerantlığında alman irsinin izləri və memarlığı (in Azerbaijani). Bakı: Mənəvi Dəyərlərin Təbliği Fondu. p. 156.
5. ""Lüteran kilsəsi"". irs.gov.az. from the original on 2023-11-22. Retrieved 2023-11-22.
6. Hacıyeva, Rima (2019). Azərbaycan tolerantlığında alman irsinin izləri və memarlığı (in Azerbaijani). Bakı: Mənəvi Dəyərlərin Təbliği Fondu. p. 43.
7. "Helenendorf/Göygöl/Chanlar". ome-lexikon.uni-oldenburg.de. from the original on 2023-03-28. Retrieved 2023-11-28.
8. "Göygöl şəhərində almanların izi ilə | Azerbaijan.Travel". azerbaijan.travel (in Azerbaijani). from the original on 2023-03-23. Retrieved 2023-11-28.
9. . Azerbaijan State News Agency. 2019-07-29. Archived from the original on 2019-07-31. Retrieved 2023-11-28.
10. "Deutsche in Aserbaidschan". Deutsche Volksgruppen (in German). 2020-07-05. from the original on 2023-09-25. Retrieved 2023-11-28.
11. Sudaba, Zeinalova (2007-01-01). "The Evangelical-Lutheran community in Azerbaijan: a retrospective analysis". The Caucasus & Globalization. 1 (5). ISSN 1819-7353. from the original on 2016-08-15. Retrieved 2016-06-25.
12. Köhnəqala, Murad; Göytürk, Şəlalə (2017-08-11). "Армяне разграбили немецкую церковь – РЕПОРТАЖ (часть III)". vzglyad.az (in Russian). Retrieved 2023-11-28.
13. Arif Yunusov (2004). Ислам в Азербайджане (PDF). Bakı: Zaman. p. 78. ISBN 9952-8052-0-9. (PDF) from the original on 2023-07-05. Retrieved 2022-12-30.
14. Hacıyeva, Rima (2019). Azərbaycan tolerantlığında alman irsinin izləri və memarlığı (in Azerbaijani). Bakı: Mənəvi Dəyərlərin Təbliği Fondu. p. 151. from the original on 2024-02-06. Retrieved 2024-01-08.
15. Zeynalova, Südabə (2014). Лютеране в России. Сборник докладов Международной научной конференции (Омск, 9–10 октября 2014 г.) / К истории возникновения евангелическо-лютеранской общины в Азербайджане (XIX – начало XX вв.) (in Russian). Omsk: Ииздательство ОмГТУ. p. 94. from the original on 2022-12-24. Retrieved 2023-11-28.
16. "Лютеранская кирха в азербайджанском Гёйгёле стала символом уважения к разным культурам". vestikavkaza.ru (in Russian). 2020-11-25. from the original on 2021-01-20. Retrieved 2023-11-28.
17. (PDF) (in Azerbaijani). mct.gov.az. 2001-08-02. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2021-07-07. Retrieved 2023-11-02.
18. "Göygölün tarixi rəmzi olan Lüteran kilsəsi - VİDEO". Oxu.Az (in Azerbaijani). 2022-12-08. from the original on 2022-12-14. Retrieved 2023-11-28.
19. Əliyev, Elçin (2017). Deutschs Erbe Spuren in der Architektur von Aserbaidschan (PDF) (in German). Bakı: Botschaft der Bundesrepublik Deutschland Baku. p. 45. (PDF) from the original on 2021-04-28. Retrieved 2023-11-29.