Church with an ominous atmosphere, a special smell of fear and anxiety

annenkirche

1775
the history of the appearance of the church
Peter I wanted to make St. Petersburg the capital of a European state, so he attracted specialists from various countries
There were many Germans among the specialists. They needed a Lutheran church. At first, parishioners attended wooden churches, but at the beginning of the last quarter of the 18th century, it was decided to build a stone church

Felten, a well-known architect in the city, worked on the project, he also designed Palace Square, the lattice of the Summer Garden, the Small and Large Hermitage, the interiors of the Winter Palace

The temple was built in 5 years, and the street was named Kirochnaya from the word «kirkha»
Gobert's engraving with A. M. Gornostaev's drawing, 1834
At the beginning of the 20th century, the parish of the church numbered about 12 thousand people. In addition to worship, the church operated a school, care for the poor, an almshouse, an orphanage, a hospital, a shelter "for fallen women"
1917
1937
October Revolution. liquidation
All churches were liquidated, the priests suffered a terrible fate, some were shot, others were exiled to camps
After the revolution, everything changed. The church still held on, because its rector was the chief bishop of the Lutheran Church of Russia — Arthur Leopold Malmgren. In the 1920s, he was even able to open Christian courses for pastors
The temple was closed, and Arthur Malmgren was one of the few who managed to escape abroad. The rest were shot or sent to camps. A small museum in the basement of the church is dedicated to the repressions of Lutherans in St. Petersburg
Anennkirche Snapshot
St. Petersburg, Kirochnaya street, 8B
Афиша концерта «Король и Шут»
1939
1994
THE ERA OF CINEMA AND CONCERT HALL
The famous Soviet architect Alexander Gegello rebuilt the church into the Spartak cinema, where foreign films were shown
The cinema "Spartak" was the only Gosfilmofond cinema in Leningrad, here you could see films from the capitalist countries

The cinema shared the building with the faithful - the Lutheran community of St. Anne resumed Sunday services

The niche for the altar was rebuilt for a flat screen, the lower level of the balconies was removed, leaving only the upper gallery, the organ was taken to the Radio House
Snapshot of the cinema "Spartak" Leningrad, 1939
At concerts in Annenkirche, the groups "Korol i Shut", "Grazhdanskaya Oborona", "Leningrad", "NOM" were performed. And once a quiet prayer hall became a dance floor for discos

On the 1st floor of the building there was a tattoo parlor, records of your favorite rock bands were sold, here you could also buy cocaine or even harder drugs relatively cheaply
Concert poster "NOM"
Concert poster "Pilot"
Concert poster "Korol i Shut"
Poster of the club "Spartak"
Concert poster "Grazhdanskaya Oborona"
a wave of discos in the "dashing 90s"
In the 90s, the country was swept by a wave of discos, which were held in the most unexpected places. Annenkirche was no exception. The church has become a popular hangout spot for young people, which is reflected in the cult film Brother. The temple appears in the first part of the picture, where Danila Bagrov meets the girl Kat. The music store in the courtyard, where Bodrov’s hero went down in search of the Nautilus disc, is still working. Even the sign hasn’t changed

When divine services resumed in the church in 1992, the site worked in a specific format: believers came there in the morning, film screenings were arranged in the afternoon, and concerts and discos in the evening
In 1998, the first rock concert took place. The cinema was reformatted into the Spartak rock club, a bar was located in the chapel (in Soviet times there was a buffet), slot machines were located on the second floor
return of the church to the Lutherans
The Lutheran community of St. Petersburg achieved the return of the temple to believers by court, but did not manage to become a full-fledged owner — a strong fire happened
The burnt church stood for 7 years without a roof. In 2010, its restoration began, which affected only the external appearance of the temple. The roof, facades and cellars were restored. There was not enough money for interiors and communication

In 2018, the cross removed by the Bolsheviks was returned to the dome of the temple. Funds for this event were raised with the help of SMS. The parish inherited a building with a facade, but practically without communications and with traces of destruction and fire inside
Central staircase of the Annenkirche,
2021
The interior decoration in the Annenkirche acquired an ominous atmosphere from the underworld. It feels like the devil himself has been here and burned everything to the ground
REVIVAL. NEW HISTORY OF KIRKHA
Today Annenkirche is not empty, up to 30 permanent events take place here: lessons, courses, film screenings
The atmosphere of the Annenkirche attracts artists and musicians. Parishioners with artistic education organized a small committee. Now they help to choose what is valuable from the point of view of art and appropriate for showing in the church. And these are not necessarily events on purely Christian topics. The main thing is that the exhibition or concert does not contradict moral standards, does not call for hatred or xenophobia
MORE THAN 5 thousand people per month
Fragment of the exhibition in the Annenkirche, 2020
The burnt interior of the Annenkirche, 2020
2nd floorof the Annenkirche, 2020
Main staircase of the Annenkirche,
2021
The current Annenkirche concert hall,
2022
Today, courses are held in the chapel, and concerts are held in the prayer hall. Even the abandoned staircase leading to the balconies and the attic was used for exhibitions and chamber concerts.

"Twenty years ago, many churches were in the same condition, and no one was attracted to it. And now we are in vogue for abandoned buildings. But it will pass, and we do not want to stay with such a church," - pastor Evgeny
3 CENTURIES OF INTERFACED HISTORY
annenkirche
author: YANA FISHER