Prof. Oparin (Kharkiv) visited Friedensau Archives

Prof. Dr. Alexej Oparin, chair at the medical faculty in Kharkiv (Ukraine) and amateur historian in the field of Adventist history, visited Friedensau Adventist University (20.7.–22.7.2022) to get an idea of the largest Adventist archive in Europe, which is housed on the campus of Friedensau in the modern library building, under the direction of Daniel Heinz, Ph.D. Prof. Oparin, who has written many books on Adventist history, has his own extensive collection of rare historical documents, which he was fortunate enough to save recently from the effects of war in his home city. Dr. Oparin now lives with his family in Prague and is seeking cooperation with the Historical Archives in Friedensau.

Various research projects are in the planning process. For example, Oparin is ready to support the compilation of the Adventist Martyrology – recording Adventist GuLag victims by name in the Stalin era – initiated by the Historical Archives with his knowledge and research documents. In addition, a source book containing all the protocols of the Adventist Church from the early years of the Soviet Union (1922–1932) will be published soon. These minutes (of the so-called VSASD organization, the Moscow "All-Union Council" of Adventists under the church leadership of Heinrich J. Löbsack) were painstakingly compiled over many years by Dr. Heinz. Dr. Oparin will write a historical introduction to this documentation.

The professor of medicine is also known in Ukraine and Russia for his committed evangelistic lecturing activities. As a refugee, Prof. Oparin is currently looking for a new occupation in the medical field. We wish him every success and God's guidance. It is not easy, as we know, for a medical doctor to start anew and gain a foothold in another country.