Church of St. Mary Magdalene (Primorsk)

Information about the first church parish and the location of the church in Primorsk (Koivisto) is shrouded in the mists of history. The first rector of the church parish is mentioned in 1575. This date is considered the official beginning of the Koivisto parish’s activities. It was the time of the church reformation, or the so-called Lutheran period.

The founding date and the appearance of the first two or three churches in Primorsk are unknown. According to assumptions and folk tales, they already existed in the 13th century and were small wooden chapels.

The third church with a bell tower and cemetery was located in Kirkkosaari. It was burned down along with the priest’s house in Patala, church books, and other church property by sea robbers. The church bells were drowned in the sea. Later, they were found and installed in the first church built on the mainland.

The fourth Koivisto church was built immediately after the pirate raid and fire in 1706. According to folk tales, the construction of the church began in the same year. This time, the church was built for the first time on the mainland, on the site of the current church. It was a small wooden church intended for temporary use. It served until the next church was built, i.e., until 1763.

The fifth Koivisto church was consecrated in 1763. The fifth church served the parish well throughout the following century. The church fully met the needs of the parishioners of that time. The completion of construction and its interior decoration took several years. The church was tarred on the outside and painted inside. Later, balconies were built inside. The church plan is in the shape of a cross. In 1785, a new pulpit and cantor’s bench were made. Court artist Lang decorated the church pulpit with a series of drawings depicting the Savior surrounded by the evangelists, Moses, and Aaron. The altar was decorated with drawings depicting the Passion of Christ. New church utensils were acquired: an altar cloth, a chandelier, a large bell, and the famous Koivisto sculpture of a sailing ship, which has survived to this day.

In 1775, a bell tower was erected next to the church according to the design of master Blomgren. The bell tower also served the stone church built in the next century. The history of this bell tower ended during the tragic years of World War II.

The sixth Primorsk church was consecrated on December 18, 1904. It was designed by architect Josef Stenbäck.

The plan of the granite church is in the shape of a cross, 37 meters long and 28 meters wide. The church was designed to seat 1,800 people. As a building material, reddish granite was used for the exterior walls, and brick for the interior walls.

Among the wall paintings, it is necessary to note the large fresco "The Last Supper," created by the architect’s wife, Anna Stenbäck. The festive atmosphere of the church was enhanced by large gilded chandeliers.

In 1905, Tsar Nicholas II visited Primorsk with a large entourage. From the diary of Nicholas II:

September 17. Saturday. We went down to the shore and visited the church in Koivisto; it was recently built, entirely of stone, instead of the previous wooden one. Also inspected the sawmill.

The Emperor donated 22,500 marks to the Koivisto parish; with this money, an organ with thirty-one registers was made in Finland at the Kangasala factory.

In the center of the hall stood the “Church symbol” of the Koivisto people — a sculpture of a ship from 1785, which was moved from the previous church. The most beautiful wall fresco was created by the architect’s wife, Anna Stenbäck. Shortly thereafter, Sweden gifted the parish golden liturgical vessels made in 1777 in Stockholm during the reign of King Gustav III.

The organ’s design was done by architect Stenbäck, so the entire church was kept in a harmonious style. The organ was played for the first time in the church on Christmas Eve 1906. In 1940, after the Soviet troops captured Primorsk, the organ disappeared, and its fate is unknown. Finnish photographs from the Finnish Defense Forces archive SA-Kuva, taken in September 1941, show that the church was equipped as a cinema, and a projection booth was installed where the organ had been. Thus, the organ disappeared between December 1939 and September 1941. It could have been taken as a war trophy, but it might also have been hidden by the Finns during a hurried retreat somewhere in the vicinity of the town. Indirect confirmation of the latter assumption may be the incident that occurred in the early 1990s in Primorsk. The police detained a Finn who was searching for something in the town. Upon checking documents, the Finn turned out to be Toivo Kansannen (Kansanaho) — the last pastor of the Koivisto parish. He honestly admitted that the area around the church had changed greatly and he could not find what he was looking for. Unfortunately, the pastor has since passed away, and it is no longer possible to clarify anything further with him.

In 1928, Lennart Segerstol created the stained glass window "Christ and Four Angels" in the western facade window of the church: the church was consecrated in the name of Mary Magdalene, which explains the subject of the painting — the appearance of Christ to Mary Magdalene. Segerstol also made a sketch of the new altar, which was unveiled simultaneously with the stained glass window.

Many legends are associated with the church: about the pastor’s daughter, who was chained to the tower and fired at the advancing Balts until the last bullet; about the burials of clergymen that supposedly existed in the cellars.

In the spring of 1944, with the advance of Soviet troops, the Finns left the town again. The building housed wounded soldiers, and for several days, peaceful residents returning from evacuation were also accommodated there.

In the summer and autumn of 1944, the church building housed a sailors’ club, and the city cinema opened on Komsomolskaya Street (now the “Alta” store). Later, carved oak benches and other property were moved there, and the church building was abandoned.

In 1948, Komsomol youth appealed to the leadership of the Koivisto district with a request to allocate them a new House of Culture in the former church building. The request was granted, and the Komsomol members began repairs with reconstruction. The purpose of the repairs, besides removing debris, was also to remove all signs of religious affiliation from the building. Thus, inside the church, it was divided into rooms, the stained glass window was bricked up, and cinema projection equipment was installed in the choir loft. Climbers were invited from Leningrad to saw off the side parts of the large and small crosses. A crowd gathered — many thought the crosses were golden… But when the sawed-off pieces fell, it turned out they were oak wood covered with copper. A large flag (2 by 3 meters) was hoisted on the spire, but the wind tore it almost immediately. A second flag was sewn in six layers, but it also hung for only a short time…

In 1992, on the north facade of the church, on the site of an old military burial ground, a small monument “Sail and Cross” was installed, designed by sculptor Aila Salo, who was born in Koivisto. The cross symbolizes remembrance of those who died here — Russians and Finns, military and civilians; the sail symbolizes friendship between the Russian and Finnish peoples. The monument was moved to a new location southeast of the church in 2019.

In the 1990s, after the border zone status was lifted from Primorsk, the building was misused. A bar “Harvi” opened here, a disco, and for some time a shop. In 1996, a local history museum was established in the small hall (entrance from the south side).

By the end of the first decade of the 21st century, the church (also due to numerous reconstructions and misuse) had seriously deteriorated. Wooden beams had rotted and required urgent replacement; the roof of the building could collapse at any moment. The local administration had no money for repairs, and the meager funds allocated from the federal budget were spent on other purposes. Sergey Mikhaylchenko, a native of Primorsk, donated a significant sum for the church’s repair, but even these funds were only enough to repair the roof and replace the beams.

In 2006–2007, electronic music festivals “Temple Dance” and “Armada Dance” were held here.

In 2019, old Finnish graves on the church grounds were restored.

Sources:

https://terijoki.spb.ru/kirkko/koivisto.php

http://www.primorsk.ru/kult3.php

https://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/Кирха_Святой_Марии_Магдалины_(Приморск)