Christian Community (Odessa)

 

The independent movement for renovation of the christian life in Odessa began       in 1990.

Two women ,who studied anthroposophy, had arrived to Moscow (Zagorsk) at  the meeting of a Christian Community, where the priest from Stuttgart G.Delbruger took part.

At this meeting they first time touched to the main spiritual positions of the Christian Community, to its cult and Credo .When they returned from Moscow, one of these women organized group on learning Christology, using works of R.Steiner, E.Bock , F.Rittelmeyer,E.Lenz, J. Johansson and others.

In 1991was the first visit of the priest of the Christian Community ( G.Delbruger) to Odessa. He met the friends of the Christian Community , gave some lectures and took part in group studies.

From this time members of this group began visiting to Moscow and Leningrad to participate celebratory meetings, conferences and seminars of the Christian Community.

In 1992 two friends of the Community decided to study at the free Higher School of the Christian Community, but unfortunately, because of language problems, after one semester studing they returned to Odessa.

In 1994 , by the invitation of the friends of the Community, Dieter Hornemann the priest from Stuttgart visited to Odessa .It was the first time of Sacrament of Consecration of the Man in Ukraine. Since then international Easter Meetings are conducted in Odessa in territory of the school “Stupeny” annually. Except foreign visitors , the friends of the Community from various cities of Ukraine and Russia take part in these meetings: Kiev, Dnepropetrovsk, Krivoy Rog , Kharkov, Donetsk, Gorodenko,Ivano-Frankovsk , Moscow , Leningrad .

In 1996 and 1997, in August, the international meetings of a Christian Community were organized as summer camps in Western Ukraine (Pokuttia), in geographical center of Europe. The organizers of these meetings were the friends from Gorodenko. The similar meeting is planned in August of 1998.

Nowadays four young people from Ukraine (three of them are from Odessa) study in a free Higher School of a Christian Community : Andrew Zhiltsov is on the 5-th semester;Yaroslava Terletska, Tania Maidanjuk, Ira Mudriak are on the 3-th semester.

The Christian Community of Odessa was registered in Ukraine in September 25, 1995. There are 30 members of the Community and about 45 friends of the Community .

Now the Community has the premise in a building of school “Stupeny” .A further, during 5 years, we are going to build the chapel for 150-200 people in territory of the school “Stupeny.

The Christian Community is the sponsor and promoter of the magazine “Theatre of a Wind”, in which the articles and sketches are printed on various themes, including the Christian Community, anthroposophy, waldorf pedagogics.