ANNENKIRCHE

Annenkirche is the first Lutheran church in St. Petersburg of the 18th century. Outside, the church was restored, event posters hang at the entrance, and inside there is a gloomy space with smoked walls after a fire. Here, an active parish with Sunday services and a cultural space with concerts and exhibitions are adjacent. Kirche survived many trials, in 1935 the building was converted into the Spartak cinema. In the 90s of the XX century there was a bar, a casino, a rock club. In 2002, the church building was returned to the church and in the same year there was a fire that destroyed almost everything. The building was destroyed for 6 years under the open sky, the city authorities restored the facade and the roof, but the church still needs restoration inside the church. Now here is the parish of the Church of Ingria. Divine services are held in a small chapel on the second floor, and film screenings are given in the evening, and lectures are given on philosophy and art. Social events are held on the ground floor in a large hall with a stage: concerts, performances, fairs, exhibitions. Holding events does not contradict the ideology of Lutheranism. Divine services are held in the same hall on major Christian holidays. To do this, the altar from the chapel is transferred to the first floor and often the service takes place among the fair flags or scenery of the concert, which took place the day before. On October 27, 2018, Annenkirche turned 239 years old. On this day, a cross was erected on the dome of the church, which had been absent for 80 years. Money for the cross was collected in a month using the crowdfunding program.