St. Nicholas Church in Harbin

St. Nicholas Church in Harbin

Built in 1916, the still-active Christian church (St. Nicholas Church), originally a Lutheran church for the German community, is a Class I protected building. It now serves as a Christian church in Harbin.

With the construction of the Middle East Railway, Christianity brought by Russians gradually spread to Harbin. In the 27th year of the Guangxu reign (1901), a man named Zayev, dispatched by the Russian Church of the Holy Trinity in Blagoveshchensk, came to Harbin to establish a foreign Christian Baptist church, located in Majiagou, Nangang District. This was the first Christian church in Harbin. At its establishment, German Christian believers also attended services at this church.

By 1914, Germans Astonia and Lidoa proposed building a new church, choosing a site on today’s East Dazhi Street. Land was allocated and construction materials donated by the Middle East Railway Bureau, with partial funding from donations. The church was completed and opened under the leadership of German Lutheran pastor Jartian. Initially, it was used only by German expatriates and Christians from various consulates.

Christianity spread widely, with believers holding the belief that Jesus is unique because God acts through him. A person needs to undergo self-sacrificial suffering to express the Creator’s loving intention for every human life. The church was the center of daily life and festive celebrations. At the time, nearly everyone would attend church for the “Mass,” or worship service. As such, the architecture of the church held great importance.

This church was closed in 1967, restored in 1980, and reopened on December 25 of the same year.

Transportation Guide

Address: No. 252, East Dazhi Street, Nangang District, Harbin, Heilongjiang Province

Getting There: Take bus routes 125 or 14 in downtown Harbin and get off at Qulin Company Station.