Photo-exhibition of Russian Orthodox Church, dedicated to the 10th anniversary of the revival of Baku Caspian Eparchy

Art Gallery
Organizers: Russian Orthodox Church

The opening of photo exhibition, dedicated to the 10th anniversary of Baku-Caspian diocese was held on 9 October 2009 in the Art Gallery of the Museum Center and was organized by the Baku Diocese Management with support of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism of Azerbaijan Republic. Azerbaijan and Dagestan are multinational republics with an ancient and rich culture. Throughout ages, the representatives of different peoples and followers of different religions lived here. The seeds of Christianity were first sown in ancient Azerbaijan in the 1st century by one of the 12 Apostles of Jesus, saint apostle Bartholomew, who died as a martyr in the town of Albanopolis (modern Baku), at the foot of the Maiden Tower. His work was continued by his follower, saint apostle Thaddeus and saint Eliseus, the first bishop of Caucasian Albania. It is known that Christianity was wide-spread on the territory of modern Azerbaijan during all Dark Ages. However Christianity survived amid difficult and tense political history of South Caucasus, which had to live the people of that time in Azerbaijan. From the 19th century the Christianity on the territory of Azerbaijan got a new development impulse. The Russian Orthodox temples were built in Ganja, Shemakha and Baku. Amid oil boom there was a rapid economic growth in the country, in the result of which Baku for the short period evolved from a comparatively small city into a large economic center. The amount of parishioners grew with the growth of the city. So, already in the first decade of the 20th century there were 17 Orthodox temples in Baku, and in Azerbaijan more than seventy. In 1919 the Baku-Caspian Diocese, active until 1934, was created by the decision of Sacred Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church for normalization of spiritual life on the territory of Azerbaijan and Dagestan. With the death of Mitrofan (Polikarpov), the Bishop of Baku and Caspia, the new office was not substituted. From 1944 on the territory of Azerbaijani Republic and Republic Dagestan the Orthodox revival has lead to the opening of the Stavropol-Baku Diocese of Russian Orthodox Church. After the restoration of national independence and sovereignty of Azerbaijan Republic there was a necessity of organization of religious life. According to this on December 28, 1998 by the decision of the most Sainted Patriarch of Moscow Aleksey II and the Sacred Synod of Russian Orthodox Church and due to support of national leader of Azerbaijan people Heydar Aliev, the Baku-Caspian Diocese, which became the 128th diocese of Russian Orthodox Church, was recovered. Archimandrite Alexander became the Bishop of Baku and Caspia. The complement of the born-again diocese symbolized the Orthodox revival on the territories of Azerbaijan Republic and Republic Dagestan. At present there are 23 parishes in the Baku-Caspian Diocese, of which the city ones – 14 and rural – 9. On the territory of diocese there are 22 operating temples, 1 nunnery, 5 chapels, 1 meeting house and 2 prayer rooms, on the territory of community-service establishments.

At present, as of October 1, 2009 58 confessors carry pastor obedience in a diocese, of them 43 priests and 15 deacons.

The photo-exhibition featured pictures, reflecting the life of the diocese at the beginning of the 20th century till 1934 and after revival at the end of 20th – beginning of the 21st centuries. On the opening of photo-exhibition ceremony spoke His Eminence Alexander with a short welcoming speech, the Bishop of Baku and Caspia. In the opening of photo-exhibition ceremony took part: chairman of the Board of Moslems of Caucasus Sheykh-Ul-Islam Haji Allakhshukyur Pashazade, chairman of the State Committee of Azerbaijan On Cooperation with Religious Organizations Mr. Orujev and also the ambassadors and employees, public and cultural figures.