Russian Orthodox Church in Azerbaijan

The Russian Orthodox Church is the main group of Eastern Orthodoxy in Azerbaijan. Many of its members are Russians. Azerbaijan is a mainly Shiite Muslim country which used to be part of the Russian Empire and the USSR. The Holy Myrrhbearers Cathedral, the Church of Michael Archangel and at least one further[1] Russian Orthodox church exist in Baku.

History

The first Russian Orthodox church in Baku was built in 1815,[1] two years after the Russo-Persian War (1804-1813) and the out coming Treaty of Gulistan, by which Qajar Iran ceded swaths of its Caucasian territories to Russia, which included Baku.[2] Russian Orthodox churches had been built in Ganja and Şamaxı previously.[1] In 1905, Baku Eparchy, nowadays Baku and Caspian Eparchy, was established.[1] There used to be an Alexander Nevsky Cathedral in Baku. In the Soviet area, there was persecution of Christians.[1] In 1944, a Russian Orthodox church was reopened in Baku.[1]

See also

References

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