Russian Press Praises Jehovah’s Witnesses
THE Russia branch facilities of Jehovah’s Witnesses were dedicated on June 21, 1997. The complex includes seven residences, a large Kingdom Hall, a dining room, and a huge building for offices and storage. It is located about 25 miles [40 km] northwest of St. Petersburg, in the village of Solnechnoye.
The dedication received wide publicity through journalists who were invited to the program. One of them wrote in Moscow’s Literaturnaya gazeta, a journal with a circulation of more than a quarter of a million: “The first impression when one sees it is, Now that’s the way you do it!”—See pictures on pages 16 and 17.
The writer, Sergey Sergiyenko, explained: “Everything here was done by believers with their own hands: The construction work was done mainly by Finns, Swedes, Danes, Norwegians, and Germans. Clean brick roads; mowed lawns; complexes with toylike tiled roofs, huge windows, and glass doors—this is the administrative center for the Russian regional religious organization of Jehovah’s Witnesses.”
Journalists from Moscow, more than 400 miles [650 km] southeast of the branch, were invited to the dedication and were provided with transportation. They were given a guided tour of the facilities, and afterward, a question-and-answer period was held, during which refreshments were served. Based on his observations, Mr. Sergiyenko wrote:
“The Witnesses are, as the saying goes, modest and unpretentious . . . To rephrase a famous Russian saying, ‘The Witnesses live at [their home] as if at Jehovah’s bosom.’ . . . Consistently kind to all people, the Witnesses, of course, show special care for their own brothers.”
An article written by S. Dmitriyev appeared in the Moskovskaya Pravda, a daily with a circulation of nearly 400,000. In his article entitled “You Can Build Your Own World Only With Your Own Hands,” the writer explained:
“After the religious organization of the Witnesses was legally recognized in Russia [in 1991], the question arose regarding the construction of their own headquarters. They were searching for a place near Moscow when the unexpected report came that the territory of a former youth camp near St. Pete[rsburg] was being sold. The land was purchased, and they began to build. . . .
“A year and a half ago, on January 1, 1996, the center in the village of Solnechnoye became an official branch of the religious organization. In the middle of June, a group of Moscow journalists were able, by spending some time in St. Pete[rsburg], to try to figure out, Who are these Jehovah’s Witnesses?”
What was Mr. Dmitriyev’s answer? “People, like any other people.” Yet, they are different, as he noted in the conclusion of his article: “At peace with themselves, peace all around. Is it a dream? Yes. And yet it exists.”
Another Moscow journalist, Maksim Yerofeyev, writing for Sobesednik, a newspaper with a circulation of over 300,000, observed: “All relationships in this small community are built on the following principle: No one is forced to work, yet everybody works.”
After describing the living quarters of the Branch Committee coordinator, Vasily Kalin, Mr. Yerofeyev noted: “Our distrustful reporters’ fraternity wanted to visit some other apartments of their own choosing. The size and furnishings of the other residents’ quarters essentially did not differ from the modest arrangement in Vasily Kalin’s apartment.”
Another reporter, Anastasiya Nemets, wrote the article “To Live at Peace With Oneself.” The subheading to that title in Vechernyaya Moskva was “This Is What People Are Learning in an Unusual Village Outside St. Pete[rsburg].”
Describing the location and appearance of the branch facilities, she wrote: “All around, there are forests and meadows. The Gulf of Finland is not far away. Here there are tidy cottages built in the European style, clean swept roads paved with bricks, and colorful flower beds.
“Commercial firms build such minicities for the ‘new Russians.’ However, people of very modest means live in this village . . . They live well, and what is most important, they live as friends. There are only about 350 people here, from all corners of the earth; one can hear various languages being spoken—from Spanish and Portuguese to Finnish and Swedish.
“In essence, this is an enclosed microcosm: The village has its own manufacturing and repair shops, where it is possible to prepare anything that the large multilingual family needs; they even have their own clinic.”
Truly, the dedication was a joyous occasion for the 1,492 from 42 countries in attendance at Solnechnoye. Many there were older ones who had served for decades when the preaching work was banned. Can you imagine the utter amazement and joy of these old-timers as they toured the beautiful facilities located in this gardenlike, 17-acre [6.9 ha] setting? They could be forgiven for thinking that they were dreaming.
[Pictures on page 18]
Journalists touring branch facilities
Question-and-answer session