Spiritual Foundation of Murmansk churches

When and how the church was formed in Murmansk is unknown. There are documents in the state archive showing the first mention of "sectarians" date back to 1916, when the railroad to Murmansk was being built.

As for the church, we know that it existed in the twenties, but only a few names of the ministering brothers of that time were known. We did not have any written evidence and documents about those times ... And now the interrogation report. People come to life, as if you hear their voices, although strongly distorted, since the investigator writes from the words of the accused, but not word for word, and only what is needed for the protocol.

Ivan and other Christian brothers, among whom was my wife's grandfather, Dmitry Kosolapov, were arrested for the first time and held for two months in 1934. They found out where he was and what he was doing at the time when the British ruled the city. For us, this is such a long history - and suddenly it comes to life: "Where have you been and for whom did you work?" Interrogating the Baptists. About their attitude to military service, to the Soviet state ... any illegal actions of Ivan and other brothers were not found, and they were released. But as it turned out - not for long. Then in 1937  ... The same composition of brothers and some others appear in the new report of the interrogation of Ivan. The same questions, the same accusations in relation to military service, in illegal meetings, in the recruitment of new people into the "counter-revolutionary sect." All religious activity is called counter-revolutionary.

Reading these documents, it is personally difficult to imagine what “our” Christian brothers were going through. (I wanted to write "these", but I write "ours", because as I read these reports, they became closer and dearer, removed from the category of distant strangers to the category of living and dear people). Ivan had four children, the youngest was only three years old. Dmitry had three, the youngest was one year old. Do fathers worry about their children, and pray for them? Yes! A thousand times - yes! And when fathers face death, they worry even more. What accompanied these interrogations, what they experienced, what pressure, what physical influences - we can’t really know. We only know from the stories of relatives that after another call to the police, Dmitry returned with a torn up, bloodied mouth ...

Faith in Christ has always had and will always have a price. Our predecessors paid the highest price for Christ, for their faithfulness to Him and His Word.

Reading this report, I know how it will end, but nevertheless, as we approach the verdict of guilt, adrenalin increases, my heart beats faster, empathizing with the brothers who hear in their address: "Capital punishment by shooting." These words are horrifying, as they conjure up the sound of the rifle, crackle of bullets, fired into the back of the head. I read to this word, and realized that for them, everything is over, cut short: family, wife, children, church, work, life!!! Ivan was 49 years old, Dmitry Ivanovich - 45, Peter Sineok - 45, Alexander Ganchenko - only 30 years old. These four men were shot on the same day - September 21, 1937. Whether they were together at the moment of death, able to support and encourage each other, or whether they shot them one at a time, separately from each other - we also do not know. But we can say for sure: the Lord was next to each of them, He carried them in His arms to the Kingdom of Heaven.

The foundation of the Murmansk churches was laid deeply and thoroughly. The Lord gave his builders not only a firm and unshakable faith, but also honored them with the crown of martyrdom for Christ! Praise the Lord for our predecessors, and may the Lord bless us to imitate their faith!

Grigory Berg.