He spent many years in prison for his faith and now faces another huge battle

By Dan Wooding
April 26, 2001

MOSCOW, RUSSIA (ANS) - Russian dissident Alexander Ogorodnikov, who spent many years in the Gulag for his faith, has lost his legal battle against the city government of Moscow to keep the property where he has run the "Island of Hope," a Christian shelter for homeless girls in Moscow. But he has vowed to continue his work with homeless girls and also to help needy children.

Ogorodnikov has directed the shelter in northwest Moscow since 1991. For nearly three years, the Moscow police and city government have made repeated attempts to seize the building, which Ogorodnikov purchased at auction in 1991. The Moscow authorities reportedly hope to acquire the building and turn it into a sports club.

Ogorodnikov has lost his building at 2 Popov Way, which he rented during the last years. "We are appealing to the Supreme Court of Russian Federation, but our hope is not certain," he said.

In a message sent to the ASSIST News Service, Ogorodnikov said that he is continuing with "The Island of Hope," his Christian orphanage for girls that was opened in 1995. "It has the aim to help children whose parents are not able to take care about them," he said. "These children, who live in the street, are the 'social orphans' for us. We're going to create the unique rehabilitation social center in Moscow for abused kids, even if they have parents. We have saved about 1470 street children for six years. At the present time we rent an old building in Moscow that needs a restoration. We have also bought four apartments in a new building, but there is no furniture."

Ogorodnikov also announced that he has bought a piece of land near Moscow, where his group is planning to build four cottages, a big farm and to plant vegetables and fruit trees.

"There is some work that has to be done," he said. "One cottage has a basement and there are some underground communications and electricity. Part of the main road is completed and German students did all this work last summer. They are going to help us in July and August again. There have been a lot of calls from Russian students also and if we are to have volunteers this summer we have to find money for their living and building materials. We don't have a permanent staff and we need to have a driver for the center (we have a car), as well as medical personal as all of our girls have the problems with their teeth.

"Our goal is to give shelter for at least to 100 girls taking them out of their horrible city's environment and giving them a new life outside of city.

HOW WE FIRST MET

Alexander Ogorodnikov is one of the hero's of Russia's persecuted church.  When we finally met in Moscow, Alexander Ogorodnikov peered at me over his "granny" reading glasses. "Thank you for caring!" he said, his voice choking with emotion.

The Russian dissident, wearing a dark, pinstriped suit and sporting a ponytail, had spent seven lonely years in the former Soviet prison system, or Gulag. He'd been convicted of running a Christian discussion group for other students at the Moscow State University, where he was studying filmmaking.

I had first learned of his plight from a letter he had written to former Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev. The letter was published by Keston College, a British-based organization that monitored persecution in the former Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. In the letter, Ogorodnikov told Gorbachev that he had been in prison for five years and had not received one letter or a visit from any Christian.

"I know it is a sin to commit suicide, but I am so lonely that I wish to ask you to have me executed by firing squad," he wrote.  After reading his appeal, I immediately organized a letter-writing and prayer campaign on his behalf in the United States. Within weeks, thousands of letters had arrived at his camp, and waves of prayer went up to heaven on his behalf. Soon, his case came to the attention of then British Prime Minister, Margaret Thatcher. Thatcher interceded on his behalf with Gorbachev on Ogorodnikov's behalf, and the prisoner was released.

Ogorodnikov told me, "You don't know what it was like to discover that there were Christians who cared -- who wanted me to live and who loved me."

Now is the time for the Christians of the world to let him know that we still care.  If you would like to send a message of support to Alexander Ogorodnikov, or find out how you can help his unique ministry, his e-mail address is mercy@redline.ru.

Assist News Service.  Used with Permission.