History of Initiative

Russian Initiative 1993-2017

The Russian Initiative began in August of 1993 when 16 people traveled to Troitsk, Russia as part of a cultural exchange program. At that time Troitsk was a city of about 30,000 people. It was previously a secret city with government laboratories and a secret industry. At this time, following perestroika, churches were just beginning to be reclaimed from their previous secular use and reconstructed to be Russian Orthodox Churches. The reclaiming of these churches was obviously slow, as much of the work was done on a volunteer basis. In return, a group of Russians visited Grace in September. The Russian visitors included a police chief, engineer, teachers and the head of a computer research facility called Bytic Institute.

A second trip to Russia was taken in April 1994 to identify more fully the needs of the Troitsk area that could be supported by Grace funding. A second group of Russian then visited Naperville in June of 1994, which was followed by another group in February of 1995.

Grace sent the next team to Russia in July of 1995. Their primary focus was Red Hat Children’s home for homeless and abandoned children.

Russians return to Grace, July 1996

1996 A trip of three people to Troitsk on August, 1996. They brought supplies for a new school for the disabled.

1997 An April trip to Russia of five people. They worked with pensioners.

1988 A June trip of four people to Russia. Funds were taken for Krosnoe Bell Tower, Red Hat, School for Disabled, Bytic Camp, and an Orthodox School.

1998 Russian delegation came to Grace.

2000 A trip to Russia of four people.

2001 Four people went.

2002 Ten people went. See 2002 Trip Report.

2003 Work on Teen Center

2004 Russian delegation to Naperville

2005 Delegation to Russia

2006 Delegation to Russia

2007 Grace decided to provide direct support to United Methodist Churches in Russia, and Grace decided to provide direct financial spiritual support to Hope Church in Volgograd. Grace visited Hope UMC church, and the parent church Transfiguration in 2009

2009 Visited Volgograd. Grace visited Hope UMC church, and the parent church Transfiguration. See 2009 Trip Report

2011 We then had the pastors of these two churches visit Naperville in 2011.

2013 Visited Volgograd. Hope church has a weekly attendance of about 25 people. The church meets on Sunday in the basement of an apartment building that they have remodeled. Attempts to obtain a stand-alone church building have not met with success yet. The pastor, Vladimir Ilyukhin, must work full time in addition to his church duties. The church is active in the community, helping at a soup kitchen and proving goods and spiritual support for the local orphanage. See 2013 Trip Report

2016 Severe Religious Restrictions See New Russian Law

2017 Aprii: Valeri and Vladimir visit Grace. See 2017 Pastors Visit Grace

2017 June: Vladimir quit his job so that he can be a full time pastor. His employer did not provide any flexibility for him to take time off as necessary. People were leaving his church because he wasn’t always available for them.

2017 July The pastors report that they have begun to refurnish the basement for a coffee shop.

2018 Events of the FIFA World Cup (soccer) will be held in Volgograd and international officials have already contacted the churches for help procure volunteers. The coffee shop would be an ideal meeting place for visitors