KIRCH

KIRCH (kirk), a Lutheran church. In Ufa, the K. was built in 1910 (rebuilt in 1989). It was a one‑story brick building covered with iron. In the K. there were 3 icons, wooden and nickel silver utensils, and a physharmonica. By 1911, the clergy of the K.’s parish consisted of one Pastor. The worshipers were immigrants, including 95 Germans, 26 Latvians, 12 Estonians, and a 1 Russian. The K. building was nationalized at the beginning of 1920s. In 1927, under a contract with the NKVD BASSR Administrative Department, the K. building was transferred to the Ufa Evangelical Lutheran Society for unlimited and public access. In 1930, after the dissolution of the above‑mentioned contract, the building was transferred to the Ufa Steam Engine Repair Plant. In the 1980— 90s the building was used as a food warehouse. In 2000, the building was returned to its worshippers. By 2012, its historical appearance was restored and since then, the K. has become a religious and cultural centre of the Ufa Lutherans. The K.’s building is a historical and architectural monument.