The first representatives of the Protestant currents appeared on the territory of Russia almost simultaneously with the beginning of this movement in Europe, namely in the 16th century. Over time, many foreign guests took root in Russia, and with them a new religious movement. The word "Protestantism" was coined by Martin Luther. It stands for "publicly proving."
What is the difference between Protestant churches?
The Protestant church in Moscow was spread mainly after the collapse of the Soviet Union. Protestantism itself is a rather unusual religion for Russia. After all, her supporters do not recognize the cult of the Virgin, do not pray to saints and angels. Protestant churches differ from the Orthodox in the absence of magnificent decoration. In this direction of Christianity there are only two sacraments - this is communion and baptism. The Protestants consider the Bible to be the main and only source for dogma.
Protestant Church in Moscow: Baptists
One of the most common branches of Protestantism is Baptism. The Protestant Church in Moscow is also represented by these communities. Their largest association is called the Moscow Central Church of the Evangelical Christian Baptists. In the capital, it was founded in 1882. In 1881-1882, Stepan Vasiliev and his companion-in-arms Ivan Bocharov, who were booksellers, began to conduct gospel readings in Moscow.
The book-killers began to do this because they came across a strange fact: those people who considered themselves Christians, in fact, did not know the Bible at all. Many are now wondering where in Moscow the Baptist Protestant Church is. The current church is located at 3, Maly Trekhsvyatitelny Lane.
Seventh-day Adventists
Also in the capital there is a representative office of another branch of Protestantism - this is the Seventh Day Adventist Church. The main difference between this movement is the veneration of the Sabbath as a holy day. Catholics, for example, canceled the Sabbath. To replace this day of the week, they introduced the celebration of Sunday. And also one of the main points in the doctrine of Adventists is the expectation of the imminent coming of Christ to earth. Therefore, they have such a name (in Latin, the word adventus means "coming").
In 1994, an Adventist Protestant church was founded in Moscow. Community locations are Nagatinskaya Street, 9 p. 3., and Krasnoyarskaya Street, building 3. The founder of Adventists is William Miller, an American preacher who lived in North America in the 19th century. When Adventism entered Europe, there this creed found a very fertile ground for itself, organically combining with the ideas of the Protestants.
Peter and Paul Cathedral - the main representative office of the Protestant movement in Russia
To date, the most influential Protestant church in Moscow is the Lutheran Cathedral of Peter and Paul. Now the cathedral is located at: Starosadsky lane, 7/10. This is one of the oldest parishes of this religious movement in Russia. A Protestant community appeared in Moscow in 1626 and was constantly moving from one monastery to another.
In 1649, the Council Code prohibited the acquisition of real estate in the capital by foreigners. But soon, General Bauman and the artist Inglis acquired a small amount of land in the German settlement, and built a wooden church. In 1667, there was already a full-fledged church, which included the house of the pastor and the school building. Three times it burned, and was completely destroyed in 1812.
But in 1817, the religious community of Peter and Paul acquired the Lopukhins estate in the German settlement. The house was renamed the church and consecrated as a temple in 1819. And in the 19th century, the number of Protestant parishioners was already about 6 thousand. Therefore, I had to build a new building. The Protestant Church in Moscow was built in the Neo-Gothic style in 1905. In 1892, the parish of the Cathedral of Peter and Paul Church acquired an organ from Germany. This musical instrument, purchased in the city of Ludwigsburg, has become one of the best in all of Russia.
Evangelical Christians in Moscow
Another famous Protestant church in Moscow is the Tushino Evangelical Church. Its building in Soviet times was used as a palace of culture. But in December 1992, services began to be held here. In April 1993, the church was officially registered. For a long time the room was not heated, it needed repair and restoration. The building was brought into proper shape by the community. The church is located at 29 Vasily Petushkova Street.