KHUJAND, February 12, 2010, Asia-Plus — Sughd Christians hope to complete construction of a new Orthodox Maria Magdalena Church in Khujand by summer, Asia-Plus has learned at the Church’s Board of Guardians.
Construction of the new church began last autumn due to donations made by people. Russian General Consulate has also provided an active assistance with construction of the church and a number of sponsors have promised to provide building materials.
In all, more than 10,000 U.S. dollars have been collected so far, while the cost of construction of the new church is estimated at more than 450,000 U.S. dollars, the source said, noting that the Khujand mayor’s office allotted 0.5 ha for construction of the new church.
We will recall that two nuns from a monastery in Tashkent died in the fire in the Orthodox Maria Magdalena Church in Khujand on the night of January 17-18, 2005. The fire was caused by an electrical malfunction. The church burned to the ground, including the 100-year-old archive. The blaze destroyed icons, including those dating from the 18th and 19th centuries.
