Church of the Savior
Church of the Savior in Baku. The ceremonial laying of the first stone of the church took place on March 21, 1896. Well-known oilman and engineer Emmanuel Ludwig Nobel also officially arrived to participate in the event.
The author of the church project was the German architect Adolf Wilhelm Eichler (08.10.1869 – 05.02.1911). The construction was carried out under the direction of engineer Albert Loter. The temple was built exclusively on donations from parishioners.
On June 24, 1898, an elegant gilded cross weighing 213 kg was hoisted onto the spire of the church. In early 1899, church bells and an organ were installed.
The consecration ceremony of the Church of the Savior took place on March 14, 1899.
The first concert of organ music, where the works of Johann Sebastian Bach were performed in Baku, took place in the church in 1900. Subsequently, church concerts became traditional and continued until 1928.
In the 1930s, the Church of the Savior had to be demolished by the communist government in the USSR. However, it was saved due to the large size of the main hall and turned into a workshop of the sculptor Pinkhos Sabsay.
In the last years of the existence of the USSR, they wanted to arrange a cinema in the Church of the Savior.
After the restoration of Azerbaijan's independence, with the help of the German Embassy in Azerbaijan and the largest German gas and oil company «Wintershall Holding GmbH», the Church of the Savior was thoroughly restored.