Christianity in Azerbaijan
Encyclopedia
Christianity in Azerbaijan
is a minority religion.
communities. The Molokans are a Christian minority which, much like Protestants in Western Europe, is centered on the Bible and who reject church hierarchy. 3.8% of the population (1998) belong to the Russian Orthodox Church
(1998). The Russian Orthodox Church has the Eparchy of Baku and the Caspian region with a seat in Azerbaijan. Among the famous landmark Russian churches are Church of Michael Archangel
, Holy Myrrhbearers Cathedral
and Alexander Nevsky Cathedral
destroyed by the communists at the beginning of the 20th century.
There is only one Roman Catholic congregation. A Roman Catholic church in Baku
has opened in 2007.
The Albanian-Udi Church is of the Udi people
minority in Azerbaijan.
There is a German Lutheran community. There likely are less than 7,000 Protestants. There is also a Georgian Orthodox community and churches.
The Armenian Apostolic Church
currently has no community outside Nagorno-Karabakh Republic
. Before the outbreak of the war, Armenians formed the largest Christian population. The Armenian churches in Azerbaijan remain closed, because of the large outmigration of Armenians and fear of Azeri attacks. During the Nagorno-Karabakh War
, despite the constitutional guarantees against religious discrimination, numerous acts of vandalism against the Armenian Apostolic Church have been reported throughout Azerbaijan. At the height of atrocities against the Armenian minorities in Baku
in 1990, the Armenian Church of St. Gregory Illuminator
in Baku was set on fire, but was restored in 2004 and is not used anymore. The Church of St. Gregory Illuminator is the only remaining Armenian church in Baku, all other Armenian churches have been demolished in the 1990's.
Azerbaijan
Azerbaijan , officially the Republic of Azerbaijan is the largest country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia. Located at the crossroads of Western Asia and Eastern Europe, it is bounded by the Caspian Sea to the east, Russia to the north, Georgia to the northwest, Armenia to the west, and Iran to...
is a minority religion.
Denominations
There are eleven MolokanMolokan
Molokans are sectarian Christians who evolved from "Spiritual Christian" Russian peasants that refused to obey the Russian Orthodox Church, beginning in the 17th century...
communities. The Molokans are a Christian minority which, much like Protestants in Western Europe, is centered on the Bible and who reject church hierarchy. 3.8% of the population (1998) belong to the Russian Orthodox Church
Russian Orthodox Church
The Russian Orthodox Church or, alternatively, the Moscow Patriarchate The ROC is often said to be the largest of the Eastern Orthodox churches in the world; including all the autocephalous churches under its umbrella, its adherents number over 150 million worldwide—about half of the 300 million...
(1998). The Russian Orthodox Church has the Eparchy of Baku and the Caspian region with a seat in Azerbaijan. Among the famous landmark Russian churches are Church of Michael Archangel
Church of Michael Archangel, Baku
Church of Michael Archangel or Flotskaya is a Russian Orthodox church in central Baku, Azerbaijan, on Zargarpalan street. The church is dedicated to St. Michael...
, Holy Myrrhbearers Cathedral
Holy Myrrhbearers Cathedral
Holy Myrrhbearers Cathedral is a Russian Orthodox cathedral in Baku, Azerbaijan. The church is dedicated to the Holy Myrrhbearers, who are commemorated on the second Sunday after Pascha .-History:...
and Alexander Nevsky Cathedral
Alexander Nevsky Cathedral, Baku
The Alexander Nevsky Cathedral was the main Russian Orthodox cathedral in Baku, Azerbaijan from 1898, when it was built until its destruction in 1936 during the Joseph Stalin era...
destroyed by the communists at the beginning of the 20th century.
There is only one Roman Catholic congregation. A Roman Catholic church in Baku
Baku
Baku , sometimes spelled as Baki or Bakou, is the capital and largest city of Azerbaijan, as well as the largest city on the Caspian Sea and of the Caucasus region. It is located on the southern shore of the Absheron Peninsula, which projects into the Caspian Sea. The city consists of two principal...
has opened in 2007.
The Albanian-Udi Church is of the Udi people
Udi people
The Udis are one of the most ancient native peoples of the Caucasus.Currently they live in Azerbaijan, Russia, Georgia, Armenia, Kazakhstan, Ukraine and many other countries. The total number is about 10,000 people. They speak the Udi language. Among them are distributed also Azeri, Russian,...
minority in Azerbaijan.
There is a German Lutheran community. There likely are less than 7,000 Protestants. There is also a Georgian Orthodox community and churches.
The Armenian Apostolic Church
Armenian Apostolic Church
The Armenian Apostolic Church is the world's oldest National Church, is part of Oriental Orthodoxy, and is one of the most ancient Christian communities. Armenia was the first country to adopt Christianity as its official religion in 301 AD, in establishing this church...
currently has no community outside Nagorno-Karabakh Republic
Nagorno-Karabakh Republic
The Nagorno-Karabakh Republic , or Artsakh Republic is a de facto independent republic located in the South Caucasus region of Eurasia...
. Before the outbreak of the war, Armenians formed the largest Christian population. The Armenian churches in Azerbaijan remain closed, because of the large outmigration of Armenians and fear of Azeri attacks. During the Nagorno-Karabakh War
Nagorno-Karabakh War
The Nagorno-Karabakh War was an armed conflict that took place from February 1988 to May 1994, in the small enclave of Nagorno-Karabakh in southwestern Azerbaijan, between the majority ethnic Armenians of Nagorno-Karabakh backed by the Republic of Armenia, and the Republic of Azerbaijan...
, despite the constitutional guarantees against religious discrimination, numerous acts of vandalism against the Armenian Apostolic Church have been reported throughout Azerbaijan. At the height of atrocities against the Armenian minorities in Baku
Pogrom of Armenians in Baku
The Pogrom of Armenians in Baku was an anti-Armenian pogrom directed against the Armenian inhabitants of Baku, Azerbaijani SSR.From January 13, 1990, a seven-day pogrom broke out against Armenians in Baku. Most of the deaths were caused by beatings and knife wounds; there were no gunshot wounds....
in 1990, the Armenian Church of St. Gregory Illuminator
St. Gregory the Illuminator's Church, Baku
St. Gregory the Illuminator's Church is a former Armenian Apostolic church in downtown Baku, Azerbaijan. It was built in 1887 and survived through the radical atheist age of Sovietization, and the conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan over Nagorno-Karabakh in the late 1980s and early 1990s...
in Baku was set on fire, but was restored in 2004 and is not used anymore. The Church of St. Gregory Illuminator is the only remaining Armenian church in Baku, all other Armenian churches have been demolished in the 1990's.
See also
- Church of Caucasian AlbaniaChurch of Caucasian AlbaniaThe Albanian Apostolic Church or the Church of Caucasian Albania was an ancient autocephalous church under the religious jurisdiction of the Armenian Apostolic Church that existed from the fifth century to 1830 and was centered in Caucasian Albania, a region mostly located in present day Azerbaijan...
- Orthodox Christianity in AzerbaijanOrthodox Christianity in AzerbaijanOrthodox Christianity is a minority in Azerbaijan, a country with a Shia Muslim majority. The Russian Orthodox Church in Azerbaijan is a large part of Orthodox Christianity Azerbaijan. The Georgian Orthodox Church is present in Azerbaijan, too...
- Roman Catholicism in AzerbaijanRoman Catholicism in AzerbaijanThe Roman Catholic Church in Azerbaijan is part of the worldwide Roman Catholic Church, under the spiritual leadership of the Pope and curia in Rome. The number of faithful number around 400 out of a total population of over nine million...
- MolokanMolokanMolokans are sectarian Christians who evolved from "Spiritual Christian" Russian peasants that refused to obey the Russian Orthodox Church, beginning in the 17th century...
- Religion in AzerbaijanReligion in AzerbaijanThe religions of Azerbaijan comprise different religious trends spread among the people and ethnic groups residing in the country. There are several confessions in Azerbaijan....
- Christianity by countryChristianity by countryAs of the early 21st century, Christianity has around 2.1 billion adherents. The faith represents nearly one-third of the world's population and is the largest religion in the world, with approximately 38,000 Christian denominations. Christians have composed about 33 percent of the world's...