|
On the 31st of July members of the bike Expedition were checked for endurance and limits of strength of human bodies. There is over 300 km between Baikalsk and Ulan-Ude. That is why there was a plan to divide this part of the road into two parts. |
|
|
A new day of the bike Expedition we will remember by local many-kilometers climbs and difficult slopes with sharp turns. It was the hardest test for many of us as it was the first day for many bikers and they were not yet ready for such hard physical endeavor. |
|
|
|
Irkutsk is one of the largest towns in the East of Russia. It was founded in 1661 and is located in the valley of the Angara River, in the place of the fall of two of its feeders – Irkut and Ushakovka, in 55 km from the unique natural complex, the object of the World Inheritance – the Baikal Lake. |
|
|
|
Angarsk town is 56-years-old. This is a young, modern and clean town with 281,2 thousand people. It is located in 40 km from Irkutsk town, the regional centre. Irkutsk is our next stop. |
|
|
|
The church of Evangelical Christians-Baptists in Cheremkhovo town, where our Expedition arrived, was founded in the far 1920. A small group consisting of 20 members did not have a church house and had meetings at home. In 1937 the church was officially registered by the local state power. But the same year powers arrested all church members. |
|
|
|
Zima (winter) amongst summer. No, nothing extraordinary happened! We just arrived at Zima (Winter) town (which means “pit” in Bashkirian). The town is located on the left bank of the Oka River, in 230 km to the north-west from Irkutsk. |
|
|
|
Kuitun is a small village in Irkutsk region. We arrived there at 10 sharp. We were not afraid of the lack of roads. It became usual for us. But today we encountered rather new fact for us - «high» dust. |
|
|
|
We are in Nizhneudinsk town, Irkutsk region. 200 km of the highway Ì53 are behind us. 40 km of them went along «gravel» road. Some parts of the «road» demanded great efforts from our side. |
|
|
|
Our bike expedition has never met such tests as yet. We can not agree that we move along a federal highway M53. There is no road. We move toward Irkutsk town. We see a lot of road signs along the “highway”. Speed limit here is 40 km/h. |
|
|
|
A prison-fortress appeared in 1636 on the bank of the Kana River to protect Russia from invaders from the south. Later, in the 18th century the highway to Moscow crossed the town. |
|
|
|
We have heard a lot about blessed ministry of Krasnoyarsk churches and heard about Siberian strong health. We never doubted Siberian hospitality. A day of rest was planned for us in Krasnoyarsk. |
|
|
|
The history of Achinsk goes back to the epoch of feudalism, when in 1683 the first prison-fortress was built on the bank of the Chulym River among the taiga forests. It kept Russian borders from Turkic invaders. |
|
|
|
Mariinsk town is the town called after the name of the wife of the Russian tsar Alexander the II. His wife Mary had never been to this place. Once Alexander the II visited the village located on the bank of the Kiya River. |
|
|
|
Leaving Novosibirsk region our Missionary Expedition crossed the border with Kemerovo region. Two road inspection cars and Rev. Pavel N. Bak, regional Senior Pastor met us at the road inspection post. |
|
|
|
Pastor Alexander in the ECB church in Bolotnoye did not have much time to make all preparations for our visit. Though Alexander had only a few hours before our arrival he succeeded to cope with the task – to meet, feed and accommodate the Expedition. |
|
|
|
The Baptist Oleg Askalenok (Moscow), President of the „Christian Soldiers’ Union of Russia“, reported on 12 July that an article in „Red Star“, the periodical of the Russian Ministry of Defense, has caused signficant damage. Entitled “Mission not Accomplished?” the article reported in drastic terms about the Soldiers’ Union |
|
|
|
Gennadi Konstantinovich Kryuchkov, President since 1965 of the church now known as the “International Council of Evangelical Christians-Baptists”, died in Tula on 15 July 2008. |
|
|
|
We see a long line of vehicles behind us. We see that cars stop by the waysides. We are “full owners” of the highway. Accompanied by road inspection cars we enter Novosibirsk town. We ignore traffic lights and traffic rules and continue our way. |
|
|
|
In an interview with the Moscow Internet portal „The Other News“ on 12 July, Pastor Yuri Sipko (Moscow), President of the Russian Union of Evangelical Christians-Baptists, noted that it is not only the government and the Russian Orthodox Church which are blocking large evangelistic campaigns. |
|
|
|
The Transcontinental bike Expedition arrived at Kargat town. The town is located by the Kargat River, in 180 km from Novosibirsk town. Its population is 11 thousand people. |
|
|
|
Barabinsk is the town with 30 thousand inhabitants. It is an administrative centre of Barabinsk district in Novosibirsk region. The town is located in the south-East of West-Siberian plain, on the left bank of the Om’ River, in 300 km to the West from Novosibirsk. |
|
|
|
We got up in Omsk town at 05.30 a.m., had breakfast at 06.00, and departed at 07.00. The order in our team is like in the army. So said – so done (dictum-factum). |
|
|
|
We are in Omsk. Covering 340 km during two days we arrived at the town, which struck us by its beauty and clean streets. The church amazed us by its love and hospitality. |
|
|
|
The Russian Union of Evangelical Christians-Baptists’ cycle “expedition” from Germany to Vladivostok on the Pacific is proceeding as planned. On 6 July the 3rd team of cyclers took over as scheduled in the West Siberian town of Tiumen. |
|
|
|
Here it is a Siberian summer. The temperature is + 28C*. But the level of humidity here is very high because of swamps and natural evaporation. |
|
|
|
Russia is a big country with vast territories. We, citizens of Russia, obtain lots of earthy riches. Yes, we are rich, but in most cases we are poor and poverty-stricken. |
|
|
|
Church ministers from the church «Spiritual Revival» met us in 10 km from the town, as well as two crews of the road inspection. |
|
|
|
Huge gad-flies accompanied us all our way to Kurgan town. We were told that later, when we come closer to Krasnoyarsk, gnat will substitute gad-flies. |
|
|
|
We got up at 07:30 in the morning. We read the Bible, prayed on our knees for our relatives, for the forthcoming missionary ministries. We spoke about Peter who fished in the sea. |
|
|
|
International Conference in Prague brings together participants from 13 countries |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
We have crossed the border between Europe and Asia. The first town on our way was Yekaterinburg. We were accommodated in a Christian centre where we had an evening fellowship with youth. |
|
|
|
Russian seminaries merge, appoint new president
Peter Miskevich is the new president of the Moscow Theological Seminary |
