Russia’s First International Convention of Jehovah’s Witnesses
ST. PETERSBURG, Russia, is widely known for what residents there term “white nights”—a period of about three weeks in June when the sky is never completely dark. But June 26 to 28 of 1992 was special.
On those days, Jehovah’s Witnesses held a convention that called attention, not to the literal light bathing the city of St. Petersburg around the clock, but to the spiritual light that true Christians reflect. Hence the theme for the convention: “Light Bearers.”
This was the first international convention of the Witnesses in the former Soviet Union. There were delegates from about 30 countries around the world, including Britain, Canada, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Italy, Japan, Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland, and the United States.
In addition, about 29,000 Witnesses from the former Soviet Union were present. Some came from Estonia, Georgia, Latvia, Lithuania, Moldova, and Ukraine. The turnout was remarkable considering that Russia was experiencing difficult economic adjustments. Outstanding was the presence of Russian delegates who traveled some 5,000 miles [8,000 km] from Vladivostok and other places on the eastern coast of Russia.
The largest foreign delegation came from nearby Finland, with more than 10,000 representatives. The stadium was divided into two sections—the Russian-speaking and the Finnish-speaking, each with its own platform from which the program was delivered.
Preparations
The convention site was the 42-year-old Kirov Stadium, located on the isle of Krestovsky, just a few miles from the center of St. Petersburg. It seats about 60,000 and is the second largest stadium in the former Soviet Union. In the background the waters of the Neva River could be seen where they empty into the Gulf of Finland.
However, the stadium was in need of repair. Sewer pipes were cleaned out, and supplemental toilet facilities were built. Some 20 miles [30 km] of the stadium’s tiered seating area had to be painted. Additionally, bushes around the stadium were trimmed, and the grass was cut. It took many weeks to complete this work.
Travel and Accommodations
With some 17,000 foreign delegates invited, travel and accommodations arrangements proved to be a monumental task. The Russian authorities were very cooperative not only at the various consulates but also at border points and at the international airport in St. Petersburg.
Arrangements were made with 32 hotels to house most of the 17,000 foreign delegates. The 29,000 delegates from various parts of the former Soviet Union were accommodated in 132 schools and day-care centers. The delegates also needed transportation each day to the convention grounds, and some 390 buses were hired for this.
Many foreign delegates had meals at their hotels. However, several months before the convention, the authorities in St. Petersburg expressed concern over the problem of feeding the many thousands of delegates coming from various parts of the former Soviet Union. They stated that there would not be enough food in the city and that the Witnesses would have to bring the food from elsewhere.
And that is exactly what they did. Several branches of the Watch Tower Society contributed large shipments of food. The Finnish branch alone donated 200 tons of food for the convention! Additionally, most of the foreign delegates brought in small parcels of canned meat, dried fruits and nuts, bread, and other staples. On the last day of the convention, truckloads of food boxes were distributed at the stadium to delegates from the former Soviet Union so that they could have food for their trip home.
Full-Scale Advertising Campaign
St. Petersburg is the second-largest city in Russia, with some five million inhabitants. For the first time ever, Jehovah’s Witnesses in Russia were permitted to launch a full-scale advertising campaign.
This unprecedented campaign started several weeks before the convention. About a million handbills were printed in Russian and distributed. On the front of the handbill was an invitation to the public talk on Saturday afternoon. On the back, there was a description of Sunday’s program. In addition, nearly 750,000 copies of the tract What Do Jehovah’s Witnesses Believe? were distributed to the residents of St. Petersburg. This acquainted them with the teachings of the Witnesses.
Most of the delegates arrived in St. Petersburg between one and four days prior to the convention. During those days, thousands of delegates were on the streets distributing handbills and offering tracts and other literature in Russian. In addition, several large billboards were prepared and placed along the busiest streets of downtown St. Petersburg. They were about ten feet [3 m] tall and five feet [1.5 m] wide, with a colorful invitation to the public talk on both front and back. Some were installed right at the entrances of the most active subway stations.
The Program
Finally, the first day of the convention arrived, with an attendance of more than 45,000! The program was modified for the benefit of the many delegates who did not speak Russian or Finnish. For example, several talks were delivered in English and interpreted into Finnish and Russian. Seven members of the Governing Body of Jehovah’s Witnesses delivered a number of these talks.
Every day of the convention, there were reports and experiences from other countries highlighting how Jehovah is blessing the preaching work in those lands. These reports, along with many experiences, were likewise delivered in English and interpreted into Russian and Finnish.
The public talk for the Russian section dealt with a question of great concern to many Russians today. The title was “Does God Really Care About Us?” After the talk the delegates were delighted to receive the new brochure Does God Really Care About Us? in Russian and Finnish.
The songbook used by Jehovah’s Witnesses at their meetings is not yet available in Russian. Hence, the Watch Tower Society prepared a special brochure containing the words of all the songs to be sung during the convention. Russian delegates obtained their personal copies as they entered the stadium. How thrilling it was to listen to 46,000 people from some 30 different countries singing praises to Jehovah God in their respective languages, including Russian!
For decades the theory of evolution has been taught in many parts of the world, including territories of the former Soviet Union. Jehovah’s Witnesses in these lands are now better equipped to expose the fallacies of this theory and to spread the truth about the Creator of life. How excited the delegates were at the conclusion of the Sunday morning session when a member of the Governing Body released the book Life—How Did It Get Here? By Evolution or by Creation? in the Russian language! A gift copy was made available to all.
Foreign delegates were informed beforehand that many of the Witnesses in Russia do not have Bibles. So thousands of Bibles in Russian were brought in as gifts. The Bibles were gathered at a main collection point to be taken later to congregations of Jehovah’s Witnesses and distributed to those needing a copy.
They Were Amazed!
On Saturday, throughout the morning and early afternoon, there was a constant flow of non-Witness visitors coming into the stadium. They were curious and wanted to see with their own eyes what was going on. Many were amazed. Most of them had never heard about Jehovah’s Witnesses before receiving an invitation to the public talk. Some heard about the convention through television news coverage. The peak attendance for the convention was 46,214.
One young woman who belongs to the Russian Orthodox Church commented: “I am very much impressed with the Witnesses. They are peaceful, polite, and dignified people.” Another visitor said: “We hope that Jehovah’s Witnesses have many more conventions here in St. Petersburg.” A senior sergeant of the Russian police, or militia, who was assigned to work at the convention site said that it was “thrilling to be here at the convention.”
A local official commented that ‘Jehovah’s Witnesses are viewed by some as a kind of underground sect sitting in the darkness and mistreating children and themselves. But I see normal, smiling people, even better than many people I know. They are peaceful and calm, and they love one another very much.’ He added: “I really do not understand why people tell such lies about you.”
On Saturday afternoon some opposers attempted to disrupt the convention. They carried large banners with false accusations against the Witnesses. As the crowd of protesters became larger and louder, the police called in back-up forces to protect the convention delegates. The protesters never made it past the front gates. At the end of the day, they simply left, frustrated.
One of the convention delegates who saw what took place was especially impressed with the cooperative spirit of the militia. “I can’t believe my eyes when I see the militia going out of their way to protect us. Just a couple of years ago, Jehovah’s Witnesses were considered enemies of the State. But now the militia is actually protecting us!” A militia officer candidly expressed his feelings when he told a number of delegates: “We don’t want you to be afraid of us. We are here to protect you and to make sure that everything goes well.”
Everything did go well. Even the weather was ideal. Every day of the convention, the weather was dry, warm, and very clear.
Thousands Get Baptized
For many the highlight of the convention was the baptism of thousands. One congregation in St. Petersburg, with 254 publishers, reported 108 baptized! It is difficult to put into words the stirring emotions experienced by the delegates when they saw 3,256 baptismal candidates stand up. The speaker asked two questions regarding their dedication to Jehovah, and they replied with a thundering “da” (yes).
After a prayer, the female candidates were directed one way to their changing rooms, and the male candidates another way to their changing rooms. As hundreds of them left the arena, they and the audience greeted one another by waving their hands.
Many in the audience wept for joy. Others applauded intermittently for more than 45 minutes. One Finnish delegate could not control his emotions and began to cry. He explains: “In 1943, I was recruited into the Finnish army to fight against the Russians. It was a terrible war. And now, at this convention, I saw thousands of Russians dedicating their lives to Jehovah! When I saw some of them in wheelchairs and others limping, I cried. I asked myself: ‘Were they also war veterans? Were they wounded by Finnish soldiers?’ Perhaps Jehovah can help me now to be of assistance to my Russian brothers.”
Did the Russian-speaking brothers appreciate Jehovah’s provision of this three-day spiritual feast prepared for them, this first big convention in St. Petersburg? When the last speaker was making his final remarks, he said: “Above all we thank Jehovah God for this marvelous convention.” The audience rose to their feet and applauded enthusiastically for more than five minutes. It was a standing ovation for Jehovah!
Jehovah God, the Source of light, is indeed backing the thousands of light bearers in these lands that were formerly part of the Soviet Union. After more than 70 years of restrictions and persecution, it now becomes clear that all along Jehovah was fulfilling his promise of Isaiah 60:22, where he says: “The little one himself will become a thousand, and the small one a mighty nation. I myself, Jehovah, shall speed it up in its own time.”
[Box on page 27]
Other Conventions
Altogether, six conventions were held this past summer throughout the former Soviet Union. A total of 91,673 attended, and 8,562 were baptized. This means that 9.3 percent of the number in attendance were baptized at these conventions. Of course, this percentage would have been even higher had not some 17,000 foreign delegates been present at the international gathering in St. Petersburg.
Visoki Zamok, published in Lviv (formerly Lvov), observed: “Kindness and sincerity have truly reigned at the stadium during the three days of the convention. Despite such a large attendance, the grounds are still as clean as they were before the convention. Exemplary order and peace were to be found everywhere.”
Now that Jehovah’s Witnesses enjoy freedom to worship God openly in the former Soviet Union, many there have opportunity firsthand to see what the Witnesses are really like. Krasnoyarskii Komsomolets, a Russian newspaper, said: “They are an attractive, very friendly, and completely apolitical people; they encourage diligence, not the running after of ‘easy money.’”
Conventions in the Former Soviet Union
DATE CITY PEAK ATTENDANCE BAPTISM
June 26-28 St. Petersburg, Russia 46,214 3,256
July 10-12 Lviv, Ukraine 15,011 1,326
Alma-Ata, Kazakhstan 6,605 829
July 17-19 Kharkov, Ukraine 17,425 2,577
July 24-26 Irkutsk, Siberia 5,051 536
Tallinn, Estonia 1,367 38
TOTAL 91,673 8,562
[Picture on page 24]
Billboards advertised the convention
[Pictures on page 25]
A Russian delegate receives her own copy of the Bible
Special song brochures were used
[Pictures on page 26]
An impressive 3,256 were baptized