St. Andrew's Anglican Church, Moscow
| St Andrew's Church, Moscow | |
|---|---|
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| Basic information | |
| Location | Moscow, Russia |
| Geographic coordinates | 55°45′30″N 37°36′17″E / 55.7582°N 37.6048°ECoordinates: 55°45′30″N 37°36′17″E / 55.7582°N 37.6048°E |
| Affiliation | Anglican |
| District | Diocese in Europe |
| Year consecrated | 1885 |
| Website | St Andrew's Anglican Church, Moscow |
| Architectural description | |
| Architect(s) | Richard Knill Freeman |
| Architectural type | Church |
| Architectural style | Victorian Gothic |
| Completed | 1884 |
| Materials | Brick |
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 St Andrews Overview, 6:31, St. Andrews Anglican Church Moscow |
St Andrew's Anglican Church in Moscow is the sole Anglican church in Moscow, and one of only three in Russia. It continues the tradition of Anglican worship in Moscow that started in 1553 when Tsar Ivan the Terrible first allowed the English merchants of the Russia Company permission to worship according to their own beliefs. The Russia Company, now operating mainly for charitable purposes, continues to financially support the Anglican Church in Moscow through the congregation of St Andrew's.
The current church building dates from 1883 and the parsonage from 1894. During the October Revolution in 1917 the church tower was used as a machine gun post by the Bolsheviks. The church was confiscated in 1920 and the chaplain expelled from Russia. During Soviet rule the church and parsonage were used as a hostel for girls and to house diplomats from Finland and Estonia. Starting in 1964 the state record company Melodiya used the church as a recording studio. Services returned on July 15, 1991, and during the visit of Queen Elizabeth II on October 19, 1994, the Russian government agreed to return the building to religious use. Melodiya vacated the premises in 2001.
Some early records are available through the Russia Company archives in London's Guildhall, and from records sent to the Bishop of London.
The first Anglican worship in Moscow may have been held in the Old English Yard, now on Varvarka Street, the center of the Russia Company in Moscow. The first English church building in Russia was probably built in Arkhangelsk in the 17th century, with its chaplain serving both Arkhangelsk and Moscow from 1705. In 1754, with most foreigners in Russia residing in the new capital, St. Petersburg, the Moscow congregation was served by the chaplain from St. Petersburg. Services were probably held in the Reformed Church in Moscow's German Quarter.
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