The Catholic Church in Tashkent is a remarkable symbol of the Christian faith’s resilience and growth in Central Asia, a region historically enriched by the intermingling of diverse cultures and religions. The roots of Christianity in this area can be traced back to the earliest centuries AD, a time when the legendary Silk Road was not just a bustling network of trade but also a conduit for the spread of religious beliefs. It was along this ancient route that missionaries, alongside traders, ventured into foreign lands, sowing the seeds of their faith.
The formal establishment of Catholic metropolitan cities and archdioceses along the Silk Road occurred much later, around the 12th and 13th centuries. This development coincided with the establishment of diplomatic relations between the Vatican and China, signaling a new era of religious exchange and influence.
The significant surge in the propagation of Catholicism across the Central Asian region, however, took place in the latter half of the 19th century and continued into the early 20th century. This period was marked by the Russian Empire’s eastward expansion. By the year 1917, the region of Turkestan was home to a substantial Catholic population of 11,000, with a notable 7,000 residing in Tashkent. This community was composed of a diverse group of individuals, including Poles, Lithuanians, Germans, French, and Letts. Many were military personnel from the tsarist army, stationed far from their native lands in remote regions such as the Far East, Turkestan, and the Caucasus. The community also included exiles, prisoners of war from Western Europe, and those seeking refuge.
The first official Catholic clergyman to serve in Turkistan was Father Ferdinand Senczikowsky, who, from 1883 to 1885, dedicated himself to the construction of a Catholic chapel in Tashkent. This chapel would serve as a sacred space for the celebration of Mass and other religious rites.
Following Father Senczikowsky’s tenure, the stewardship of the Catholic community fell to Iustin Benaventura Pranaytis, who served as the Curator of the Turkestan region from 1902 to 1917. Under his guidance, the Catholic presence in the region was significantly bolstered by the construction of churches in Ashkhabad, Kyzyl-Arvat (now in Turkmenistan), Fergana, Samarkand, and a temporary church-chapel in Tashkent. The ambitious project of building the Tashkent Big Catholic Church commenced in 1912, near the existing Catholic chapel. The construction drew upon the skills of soldier-craftsmen, many of whom were Catholics and possessed the necessary expertise to contribute to the church’s creation.
The progress of the church’s construction was slow and faced numerous challenges. The outbreak of the 1917 revolution further complicated matters, and Father Boleslaw Rutenis, Pranaytis’s successor, struggled to bring the project to completion. The changing political landscape, the pressure from the Bolsheviks, and financial constraints proved insurmountable. Eventually, Father Rutenis, overwhelmed by these difficulties, relinquished his position as Senior Priest. His departure was followed by a period of clandestine worship led by Father Joseph Sowinski, who, in 1937, was arrested on charges of anti-Soviet propaganda and subsequently executed.
The fate of the unfinished church during this tumultuous period was one of nationalization in 1925. Throughout the Soviet era, the building served various secular purposes, including housing hostels for the Electrical Cable Plant and the Republican Obstetric School, as well as serving as administrative offices and a storehouse for Medtekhnika. The building underwent several reconstructions and was eventually abandoned, leading to the loss of its original sculptures and valuables.
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