Christianity In Azerbaijan: A Small But Devoted Community

Azerbaijan is a secular state with a Muslim-majority population, but how many Christians are there in the country? The answer depends on the source and the timeframe. According to the US State Department's 2020 report, Christians make up around 4% of the population, including Russian Orthodox, Georgian Orthodox, Armenian Apostolic, Seventh-day Adventists, Molokan Church, Roman Catholic, other Christians (including evangelical churches, Baptists, and Jehovah's Witnesses), and ethnic Azerbaijani Protestants. However, other sources provide different estimates, ranging from 2.5% to 4.8%. It's important to note that these percentages represent the total Christian population, and the number of practicing Christians may be lower.

Christian population in Azerbaijan

Azerbaijan is a secular state, and its constitution ensures freedom of religion. While Islam is the majority religion in Azerbaijan, with an estimated 93-99% of the population identifying as Muslim, there is a significant Christian minority in the country.

The history of Christianity in Azerbaijan dates back almost 2,000 years to the time of Jesus Christ's apostles. It is said that Bartholomew, one of the twelve apostles, was the first to bring evangelical preaching to the lands of Azerbaijan and was executed in modern-day Baku for his teachings.

Christianity is represented in Azerbaijan by various denominations, including Orthodox, Catholic, and Protestant churches. Orthodox Christians include Russian and Georgian Orthodox, while Armenian Apostolic Christians were present until 1990 across Azerbaijan and, until 2023, in the breakaway Nagorno-Karabakh region. There is also a small ethnic Azerbaijani Protestant community, mostly from Muslim backgrounds.

Estimates of the number of Christians in Azerbaijan vary, with figures ranging from 280,000 to 450,000, or 3.1% to 4.8% of the population. The U.S. State Department, using data from 2011, places the figure at 4% of the population, including Russian Orthodox, Georgian Orthodox, Armenian Apostolic, and other Christians such as evangelical churches, Baptists, and Jehovah's Witnesses.

Christians in Azerbaijan face some challenges due to restrictive religious laws and harassment of "non-traditional" religions. However, there are also efforts to train and equip young Christian leaders for effective ministry in the country.

Religious freedom in Azerbaijan

Azerbaijan is a secular state, and its constitution provides for freedom of religion. However, the government exerts significant control over all religious practices, and religious freedom conditions have been trending negatively. The government represses all religions and enforces a strictly secular and anti-religious ideology.

The majority of the population in Azerbaijan is Muslim, with estimates ranging from 93-99% identifying as Muslim. Of these, a majority belong to the Shia branch (55-65%), while a significant minority (35-45%) are Sunni. The differences between these two branches of Islam are not sharply defined in Azerbaijan, and religious observance is relatively low. For many, their Muslim identity tends to be based more on culture and ethnicity than religion.

The rest of the population adheres to other faiths, including the Russian Orthodox Church and various other Christian denominations, or no faith at all. Christians are estimated to number between 280,000-450,000 people (2.43%-4.8% of the population). The vast majority of Christians are Russian Orthodox, and their identity, like that of Muslims, tends to be based more on culture and ethnicity than religion. Christians are concentrated in the urban areas of Baku, the nation's capital, and Sumgayit, its third-largest city.

There are also three large Jewish communities in Azerbaijan: the Mountain Jews, Ashkenazi Jews, and Georgian Jews, totalling almost 16,000 people. Of these, 11,000 are Mountain Jews, with concentrations of 6,000 in Baku and 4,000 in Quba, 4,300 are Ashkenazi Jews, most of whom live in Baku and Sumgait, and 700 are Georgian Jews. There are six synagogues operating in the country, with three in Baku and the rest in Guba and Oguz.

The Azerbaijani government maintains a secular position and actively enforces secularism. While the constitution provides for freedom of religion, the government has passed legislation to increase state control over religious practices, particularly for Muslims. The government censors religious literature, closes down religious institutions it considers objectionable, and forbids the display of religious paraphernalia, flags, and slogans, except in specific places. The wearing of the hijab in public institutions and schools is also forbidden.

In 2023, the country was scored zero out of four for religious freedom by Freedom House. The same year, the European Court of Human Rights found that the government had violated individual freedom of religion or belief in cases involving seven individuals. Despite the constitutional provisions for freedom of religion, religious freedom in Azerbaijan is substantially curtailed.

Christian denominations in Azerbaijan

Christianity is a minority religion in Azerbaijan, with an estimated following of between 280,000 and 450,000 people (3.1%–4.8% of the population). The Christian population is mostly made up of Russian and Georgian Orthodox Christians, with a small number of Catholics and Protestants.

Russian Orthodox Church

The Russian Orthodox Church is the most common Christian denomination in Azerbaijan. Russian Orthodox communities fall under the ecclesiastical jurisdiction of the Russian Orthodox Eparchy of Baku and Azerbaijan, centred in the Holy Myrrhbearers Cathedral in Baku. There are currently five operating Russian Orthodox churches in Azerbaijan, three of which are located in Baku: the Holy Myrrhbearers Cathedral, the Blessed Virgin Mary Church, and the Church of Michael the Archangel.

Georgian Orthodox Church

The Georgian Orthodox Church is another significant Christian denomination in Azerbaijan.

Catholicism

Catholicism has a very small following in Azerbaijan, with only one congregation in the country, located in Baku.

Protestantism

There is a small Protestant community in Azerbaijan, mostly made up of ethnic Azerbaijanis from Muslim backgrounds. There are 25 small communities of Protestant Baptists in the country, and 11 Molokan communities, a Protestant minority that rejects church hierarchy and centres its beliefs on the Bible.

History of Christianity in Azerbaijan

The history of Christianity in Azerbaijan dates back to the first years of the Apostolic era. The religion was first spread by Apostles Bartholomew and Thaddeus (the same figures who Christianized Armenia), who were sent by the first patriarch of Jerusalem, Yegub. Bartholomew, one of the twelve apostles of Jesus Christ, was executed in 71 AD in modern-day Baku for preaching the gospel in Azerbaijan. His death site has been a sacred place for Christians ever since.

Christianity in Azerbaijan is represented by various denominations, including Orthodoxy, Catholicism, and Protestantism, as well as several minority communities. The country is home to Russian and Georgian Orthodox Christians, who make up the majority of Christians in the country, followed by Armenian Apostolics. However, due to the hostile relations between Azerbaijan and Armenia, most Armenian Christians have fled the country. There is also a small community of ethnic Azerbaijani Protestants, mostly from Muslim backgrounds.

The Eastern Orthodox Church in Azerbaijan consists mainly of ethnic Russians and Georgians, who fall under the ecclesiastical jurisdiction of the Russian Orthodox Eparchy of Baku and Azerbaijan. The country currently has five functioning Eastern Orthodox churches, three of which are located in Baku: the Holy Myrrhbearers Cathedral, the Blessed Virgin Mary Church, and the Church of Michael the Archangel.

Catholicism in Azerbaijan traces its roots back to the 14th century when missionaries from various Catholic missions, such as Dominicans, Carmelites, and Franciscans, entered the country. The first Catholic church, the Church of the Blessed Virgin Mary's Immaculate, was established in the early 20th century. Today, there is only one Catholic congregation in the country, located in Baku, with less than a thousand members.

The Albanian-Udi Church, established in 2003, serves the Udi people, a minority in Azerbaijan. Additionally, there are eleven Molokan communities, a Protestant minority that centres its beliefs on the Bible and rejects church hierarchy. A German Lutheran community is also present, likely comprising fewer than 7,000 members.

Christian organisations in Azerbaijan

Christianity is a minority religion in Azerbaijan, with an estimated following of between 280,000 and 450,000 people (3.1%–4.8% of the population). Most Christians in the country are Russian and Georgian Orthodox, with a small number of Catholics and a small ethnic Azerbaijani Protestant community.

Russian Orthodox Church in Azerbaijan

The Russian Orthodox Church in Azerbaijan has the Eparchy of Baku and the Caspian region, with a seat in Azerbaijan. There are currently five Eastern Orthodox churches in the country, with three located in Baku: the Holy Myrrhbearers Cathedral, the Blessed Virgin Mary Church, and the Church of Michael the Archangel.

Georgian Orthodox Church in Azerbaijan

The Georgian Orthodox Church also has a presence in Azerbaijan, serving the Georgian Orthodox community in the country.

Catholic Church in Azerbaijan

Catholicism began to spread in Azerbaijan in the 14th century, and the foundation stone of the country's first Catholic church—the Church of the Blessed Virgin Mary's Immaculate—was laid in the early 20th century. Today, there is only one Catholic congregation in Azerbaijan, with a church in Baku that opened in 2007.

Protestant Churches in Azerbaijan

There are 25 small communities of Protestant Baptists in Azerbaijan, and a small ethnic Azerbaijani Protestant community of around 5,000 people, mostly from Muslim backgrounds. There are also eleven Molokan communities, a Protestant minority that centres its beliefs on the Bible and rejects church hierarchy.

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