To underline importance of St John’s Church, St Petersburg at birthing Republic of Estonia, celebrations of the centenary of it in 2018 might symbolically commence in this very church, suggest head of congregation Külli Sulg.
St John’s eager to kick «Estonia 100» into gear
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«The festivities might start in this very St John’s, with a memorial plaque fastened unto the church wall for remembrance of the Estonians’ demonstration demanding autonomy, laying the foundation for Estonia’s independence,» proposes Ms Sulg.
Officially, Ms Sulg has forwarded the suggestion to Jorma Sarv, programme manager for Republic of Estonia 100 celebrations.
By today, the former might of the St John’s and its congregation has faded, of course, while it still has its place as serving to maintain Estonianhood and spreading Estonian culture.
While tens of thousands of Estonians lived in St Petersburg during the Tsarist Russia at the beginning of 20th century, a whopping 22,000 members of St John’s, the current congregation only holds 52 in its fold says Külli Sulg.
An important detail, at that: the Estonian congregation of St John’s, in St Petersburg, is no part of Estonian Evangelical Lutheran Church (EELK) but of the Ingerian Lutheran Church. The reason being, EELK is not registered in Russia as a church organisation, but the Russian law prescribes that all church congregations be under some central organisation.
In order for EELK to get registered in Russia, Ms Sulg says it would have to find a minimum of six congregations willing to be «under» them.