Description of the attraction
The Lutheran Church of St. John is the only functioning church in Grodno. In 1779, a group of German craftsmen arrived in Grodno at the invitation of the headman Count Anthony Tizengauz to establish production at the city's royal manufactories.
For hard work and brilliant success, King Stanislav August Poniatowski presented the German community with the building of a three-story tavern "Tavern on Gorodnitsa". Here the first Lutheran church in Grodno was built. The pastor was entitled to the maintenance from the treasury, which was accurately paid first by the rulers of the Commonwealth, and then the Russian Empire.
In 1807, a German cemetery appeared near the church, where Grodno residents of the Lutheran religion were buried. Among other things, soldiers who died during the First and Second World Wars were buried here. During the years of Soviet power, the cemetery was destroyed, in its place were built houses and a kindergarten.
At the beginning of the 19th century, the rich and expanding German community settled an entire street, which was named Kirkhovaya. It was decided to rebuild the church and by 1843 a stone church with a clock tower was built. In 1912, another reconstruction of the building was carried out. A large pastor's house was added to it, and a Lutheran school was also built.
With the outbreak of the First World War, most of the Germans from Grodno were deported. During World War II, the remainder of the German community left the city. During the Soviet period, the church, like many other churches, was used for economic purposes. It housed the state archive, the interiors were plundered and rebuilt, the organ was confiscated for the needs of the city philharmonic society.
In 1993, the Lutheran community began to revive in Grodno. In 1995, the church building was handed over to the believers. Although now the church has not yet been completely put in order, and instead of an organ there is an ordinary piano, the community lives, services are held in the church and we can hope that soon the old church will appear before us in all its glory.
