{"id":42475,"date":"2022-05-17T14:00:28","date_gmt":"2022-05-17T05:00:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/vomkorea.com\/?p=42475"},"modified":"2022-05-17T15:21:53","modified_gmt":"2022-05-17T06:21:53","slug":"vomk-report-205","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/vomkorea.com\/en\/2022\/05\/17\/vomk-report-205\/","title":{"rendered":"DONBAS: FORMER CHRISTIAN PRISONER CONDUCTS EASTER CHOIR ON THE WAR\u2019S FRONT LINE"},"content":{"rendered":"

[vc_section][vc_row][vc_column][vc_single_image image=”42453″ img_size=”full”][vc_custom_heading text=”Probably some of the youngest attendees who saw the old man seated in a chair at the front of their church sanctuary conducting the choir on Easter Sunday did not know who he was.” font_container=”tag:p|font_size:1.2em|text_align:left” google_fonts=”font_family:Noto%20Sans%3Aregular%2Citalic%2C700%2C700italic|font_style:700%20bold%20regular%3A700%3Anormal” el_class=”headline”][vc_column_text]And <\/span>according to Voice of the Martyrs Korea Representative Dr. Hyun Sook Foley, that is <\/span>exactly the way the old <\/span>man<\/span> prefers<\/span> it<\/span>.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span>[\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]The old man is 82-year-old Evgeniy <\/span>Pushkov<\/span>. The church is his beloved Baptist house of prayer in the city of Khartsyzsk in the Donetsk region. It is located 30 km from the current front line of the conflict between Russia and Ukraine. Rockets regularly fly into the city, though residents are not always <\/span>sure <\/span>from wh<\/span>ere or wh<\/span>om.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span>[\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n

\u201c<\/span>Pushkov<\/span> himself was b<\/span>orn near Moscow to Christian parents,<\/span>\u201d says Representative Foley. \u201cA<\/span>t <\/span>first<\/span> he <\/span>rejected <\/span>Christianity<\/span> and instead pursued his dream of becoming a professional musician. Yet he says it was his conscientious study of Marx, Engels, and Lenin that ultimately led him back to Christianity, and <\/span>it was <\/span>his arrival in the city of Khartsyzsk in Donetsk in 1975 that led him to embrace a new dream. <\/span>He discovered that the <\/span>local residents<\/span> were good <\/span>singers<\/span>. <\/span>So<\/span> he decided to organize a Christian choral music ministry in Khartsyzsk.<\/span>\u201d<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

[\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]It is a goal to which he <\/span>has <\/span>remain<\/span>ed<\/span> committed <\/span>for <\/span>42 years, including <\/span>11 <\/span>years <\/span>spent in prison <\/span>and exile <\/span>beginning <\/span>in 1980<\/span> as a result of his efforts<\/span>.<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span>[\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]Pushkov<\/span> is <\/span>the <\/span>former presbyter<\/span>,<\/span> or leader<\/span>, of the <\/span>Khartsyzsk<\/span> church<\/span>. Now <\/span>that age has slowed him, <\/span>t<\/span>wo others fill that role.\u00a0<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span>[\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n

\u201cHe told us his legs are getting weak, so he has to sit as he conducts the choir,\u201d says Representative Foley. \u201cBut he says he can still stand in the pulpit when he is called on to preach.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”1\/6″][\/vc_column][vc_column width=”2\/3″][vc_single_image image=”42457″ img_size=”large” alignment=”center”][\/vc_column][vc_column width=”1\/6″][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Pushkov\u2019s<\/span> daughter<\/span> told <\/span>Voice of the Martyrs Korea that <\/span>she thinks it is important for young Christians to remember faithful Christians from the older generation<\/span>, like her father<\/span>. But <\/span>Pushkov<\/span> says <\/span>that modesty and humility are more important, even among the old.<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span>[\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]His goal<\/span> on Easter Sunday<\/span>, he told Voice of the Martyrs Korea, was simply to make Easter as joyful as possible.\u00a0<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span>[\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]It is a challenging goal to achieve <\/span>in the midst of<\/span> the present conflict. <\/span>Once a congregation of <\/span>260<\/span> to <\/span>280<\/span>, <\/span>the church has <\/span>recently dropped below <\/span>150<\/span> members<\/span>.<\/span> Some have left for Russia, some for Germany, and some for the US.<\/span> More are planning to leave.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span>[\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n

\u201cThe issue is not <\/span>persecution<\/span>,\u201d says Representative Foley<\/span>.<\/span> \u201c<\/span>The<\/span> church <\/span>just heard that they had to register <\/span>with the government, <\/span>but they did not do that until now.<\/span> The <\/span>l<\/span>ocal <\/span>citizens <\/span>are loyal to the church<\/span>. L<\/span>ess than a year ago<\/span>,<\/span> officials start<\/span>ed<\/span> coming to the church <\/span>to look for signs of <\/span>extremis<\/span>t<\/span> activity. But <\/span>there is no extremist activity at the church, so <\/span>the<\/span> officials <\/span>just come, check, write some papers<\/span>,<\/span> and leave.<\/span>\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

[\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]Now citizens and church members alike are leaving as the region struggles with the realities of armed conflict. <\/span>Of <\/span>Pushkov<\/span>\u2019s<\/span> two <\/span>sons and <\/span>six<\/span> daughters<\/span>, <\/span>one <\/span>daughter passed away, <\/span>four <\/span>children ha<\/span>ve <\/span>already left<\/span>, and three <\/span>daughters <\/span>have <\/span>stayed in the city but live separately with their own families. <\/span>Pushkov<\/span> used to live with <\/span>a <\/span>grandson and his family<\/span>,<\/span> but they also <\/span>have <\/span>left. So now he lives alone, but <\/span>his <\/span>daughters visit him daily.<\/span> Pushkov<\/span> told Voice of the Martyrs Korea that<\/span> he is not going anywhere.<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span>[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”1\/6″][\/vc_column][vc_column width=”2\/3″][vc_single_image image=”42462″ img_size=”large” alignment=”center”][vc_custom_heading text=”Evgeniy Pushkov arrives home after his first imprisonment of three years. He was only home for 27 days before he was arrested again.” font_container=”tag:p|font_size:13px|text_align:center|color:%230a0a0a|line_height:1.45em” google_fonts=”font_family:Noto%20Sans%3Aregular%2Citalic%2C700%2C700italic|font_style:400%20regular%3A400%3Anormal”][\/vc_column][vc_column width=”1\/6″][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n

\u201cHe told us that at his age he has nowhere to go<\/span>, but mostly he <\/span>is concerned about the church<\/span>,\u201d says Representative Foley<\/span>.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

[\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]Pushkov<\/span> told Voice of the <\/span>Martrys<\/span> Korea that his main goal is <\/span>to <\/span>ensure that the church maintains <\/span>its regular services of worship<\/span>: Twice on Sunday morning, once on Sunday evening, and twice during the week for prayer<\/span>.<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span>[\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]It is a s<\/span>traightforward goal for <\/span>someone whose journey <\/span>to <\/span>faith was anything but <\/span>straightforward<\/span>.<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span>[\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n

\u201c<\/span>Pushkov<\/span> was born in <\/span>the <\/span>Moscow suburb <\/span>of <\/span>Kovrov<\/span>,\u201d says Representative Foley. \u201c<\/span>Music was his passion. <\/span>His mother <\/span>taught him the Bible as a child, but she <\/span>died when he was 12.<\/span>\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

[\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]Though <\/span>Pushkov<\/span> did not become a Christian as a youth, his family\u2019s <\/span>Baptist <\/span>background <\/span>created <\/span>obstacles to his <\/span>dream of pursuing music as a profession.\u00a0<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span>[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”1\/2″][vc_single_image image=”42465″ img_size=”large” alignment=”center”][vc_custom_heading text=”Evgeniy Pushkov while in exile in the Tomsk region in Siberia.” font_container=”tag:p|font_size:13px|text_align:center|color:%230a0a0a|line_height:1.45em” google_fonts=”font_family:Noto%20Sans%3Aregular%2Citalic%2C700%2C700italic|font_style:400%20regular%3A400%3Anormal”][\/vc_column][vc_column width=”1\/2″][vc_single_image image=”42468″ img_size=”large” alignment=”center”][vc_custom_heading text=”Evgeniy Pushkov is in the center surrounded by his family.” font_container=”tag:p|font_size:13px|text_align:center|color:%230a0a0a|line_height:1.45em” google_fonts=”font_family:Noto%20Sans%3Aregular%2Citalic%2C700%2C700italic|font_style:400%20regular%3A400%3Anormal”][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n

\u201c<\/span>When <\/span>Pushkov<\/span> entered <\/span>the <\/span>Saratov musical <\/span>conservatory, a KGB agent met him and told him he knew he was from a Christian family,\u201d says Representative Foley. \u201cThe agent said he would be kicked out of college unless he cooperated with them.\u201d<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

[\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]Pushkov<\/span> found a solution <\/span>to the dilemma: graduate as an external candidate. <\/span>External candidates still had to<\/span> complete coursework on <\/span>communism and atheism<\/span>.<\/span> But t<\/span>hese had an unexpected impact of <\/span>Pushkov<\/span>: They led him <\/span>to become a Christian.<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span>[\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n

\u201c<\/span>Pushkov<\/span> had to write a <\/span>paper <\/span>on Marx and Engels <\/span>for <\/span>a school <\/span>competition<\/span>,\u201d says Representative Foley. \u201cAs he did the research, he<\/span> was surprised to find out that until the age of 30<\/span> Marx and Engels were Christians<\/span>. He learned that they had written <\/span>books on theology<\/span> which had not been translated into Russian, and he learned that<\/span> at the end of his life, Engels<\/span> actually <\/span>returned<\/span> to <\/span>the Christian <\/span>faith.<\/span>\u201d<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

[\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n

Pushkov<\/span> says, <\/span>\u201c<\/span>W<\/span>hile working on this paper, I did not move away from God<\/span>. O<\/span>n the contrary I became closer to Him, because I clearly saw how shaky the foundation of atheism was<\/span>. <\/span>It turns out that neither Marx, nor Engels, nor other materialists have a single work that refutes the existence of God.\u201d<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

[\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]After <\/span>Pushkov<\/span> submitted the <\/span>paper<\/span> he was able to graduate.<\/span> According to <\/span>Pushkov<\/span>, t<\/span>he KGB agent who had threatened him previously <\/span>met with him again<\/span>, asking the basis for his conversion to Christianity<\/span>.<\/span> Pushkov<\/span> answered, <\/span>\u201c<\/span>Marxism-Leninism<\/span>.\u201d<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span>[\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n

\u201cI began to tell him that I was born into a Christian family, that I had a little faith in my heart, but then in our area atheists ruined the entire community: almost everyone was thrown into prison, and the rest left<\/span>,\u201d says <\/span>Pushkov<\/span>.<\/span> \u201c<\/span>At the age of 16 I went to study<\/span>,<\/span> and there I completely forgot about God. But here, people of your circle told me that there are works of scientists that completely refute the existence of God and answer all questions. I began to study them conscientiously. And I will tell you <\/span>now<\/span> that in their scientific works I did not find anything that could refute the existence of God. We parted amicably, although he let me know, that he would send all information about me to the place of my new residence<\/span>.\u201d<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”1\/2″][vc_single_image image=”42471″ img_size=”large” alignment=”center”][vc_custom_heading text=”Evgeniy Pushkov (seated, back to the congregation) conducts his \u201cpeople who stayed\u201d choir at the Khartsyzsk Baptist church on Easter Sunday.” font_container=”tag:p|font_size:13px|text_align:center|color:%230a0a0a|line_height:1.45em” google_fonts=”font_family:Noto%20Sans%3Aregular%2Citalic%2C700%2C700italic|font_style:400%20regular%3A400%3Anormal”][\/vc_column][vc_column width=”1\/2″][vc_single_image image=”42472″ img_size=”large” alignment=”center”][vc_custom_heading text=”Evgeniy Pushkov (standing, back to the congregation) conducts his \u201cpeople who stayed\u201d choir at the Khartsyzsk Baptist church on Easter Sunday.” font_container=”tag:p|font_size:13px|text_align:center|color:%230a0a0a|line_height:1.45em” google_fonts=”font_family:Noto%20Sans%3Aregular%2Citalic%2C700%2C700italic|font_style:400%20regular%3A400%3Anormal”][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Pushkov<\/span> was baptized in <\/span>the <\/span>church in Saratov at <\/span>the age of <\/span>26<\/span>. <\/span>He <\/span>worked for three years as a <\/span>secular <\/span>musician <\/span>but ultimately decided to<\/span> devote his <\/span>musical gifts <\/span>to <\/span>God <\/span>alone<\/span>.<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span>[\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]According to <\/span>Pushkov<\/span>, t<\/span>he first thing he did after <\/span>making his decision<\/span> was to visit his mother\u2019s grave.\u00a0<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span>[\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n

\u201cI arrived there early in the morning,<\/span>\u201d <\/span>Pushkov<\/span> says, \u201c<\/span>Tears squeezed my throat<\/span>.<\/span> I fell on the grave mound and wept for a long time. I prayed<\/span>, \u2018<\/span>Mommy, get up, get up dear! You wanted so much for me to play the violin and glorify the Lord… Mom, get up… I’ll play <\/span>for <\/span>you the way I’ve never played <\/span>for <\/span>anyone before! But the hill was silent, and my heart sank from late repentance.\u201d<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

[\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n

Representative Foley <\/span>says that if <\/span>Pushkov\u2019s<\/span> repentance was late, it was<\/span> perhaps for that reason even more deep. <\/span>\u201c<\/span>He came to<\/span> Khartsyzsk <\/span>in 1975,<\/span> and he loved the singing of the people there<\/span>,\u201d says Representative Foley<\/span>. <\/span>\u201c<\/span>He became an ordained evangelist and conducted regional youth meetings in the forest on public holidays.<\/span> He was caught, arrested, sent to prison for three years, came back home for 27 days, got arrested, and spent <\/span>five more <\/span>years in <\/span>prison, this time in a gulag in the <\/span>Ural mountains<\/span>.<\/span> Even after that he was exiled to Siberia for three years. <\/span>But he <\/span>returned<\/span> to <\/span>Khartsyzsk<\/span> as soon as he was permitted to<\/span>, and he has never left<\/span>.<\/span>\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

[\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]Now, as a result of the <\/span>present <\/span>conflict in the region, m<\/span>any families have left. But on Easter, Evgeniy <\/span>Pushkov<\/span> decided to assemble a choir from the remaining choristers, as well as from those who had never sung in the choir<\/span> before<\/span>.<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span>[\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n

\u201c<\/span>Pushkov<\/span> told us <\/span>that he <\/span>doesn\u2019t <\/span>even <\/span>call the<\/span> group<\/span> a <\/span>choir<\/span>. He just calls it<\/span> \u2018<\/span>people who stayed<\/span>\u2019<\/span>,<\/span>\u201d says Representative Foley<\/span>.\u00a0<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

[\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]Pushkov\u2019s<\/span> \u201cpeople who stayed\u201d <\/span>sang <\/span>four <\/span>hymns<\/span> at the Easter service<\/span>. Two <\/span>were Easter hymns<\/span>, <\/span>and <\/span>two <\/span>were hymns encouraging repentance.\u00a0<\/span> One of the hymns can be viewed a<\/span>t<\/span>\u2026 <\/span><\/span>www.youtube.com\/watch?v=p2L3RuSnMUc<\/span><\/span><\/a><\/span>\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span>[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”1\/6″][\/vc_column][vc_column width=”2\/3″][vc_video link=”https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=p2L3RuSnMUc”][\/vc_column][vc_column width=”1\/6″][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n

\u201cWe<\/span> asked him how the congregation reacted<\/span>,<\/span> and he laughed<\/span> and said he didn\u2019t actually <\/span>know<\/span>,\u201d says Representative Foley. \u201c<\/span>He <\/span>said the goal<\/span> was <\/span>to glorify God.<\/span>\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

[\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]Representative Foley says that Voice of the Martyrs Korea is continuing to administer its Ukraine Christian Emergency Relief project to aid churches and Christians in the region with their ministries. VOMK is also continuing to distribute Families of Martyrs funds to surviving family members of Christians in the region who are killed in the act of Christian witness. Those who are interested in making a donation to either fund can do so at <\/span>www.vomkorea.com\/en\/donation<\/span><\/span><\/a> or via electronic transfer to:<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\uad6d\ubbfc\uc740\ud589<\/span> (KB Bank) 463501-01-243303<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\uc608\uae08\uc8fc<\/span> (Account Holder): (<\/span>\uc0ac<\/span>)<\/span>\uc21c\uad50\uc790\uc758\uc18c\ub9ac<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Please include the word \u201cUkraine\u201d or \u201cFamilies of Martyrs\u201d with the donation.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][\/vc_section]<\/p>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"[vc_section][vc_row][vc_column][vc_single_image image=”42453″ img_size=”full”][vc_custom_heading text=”Probably some of the youngest attendees who saw the old man seated in a chair at the front of their church sanctuary conducting the choir on Easter …","protected":false},"author":659,"featured_media":42454,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"give_campaign_id":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[857,235,869,140],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-42475","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-russian-special","category-special-column","category-china-special","category-vomk-report"],"translation":{"provider":"WPGlobus","version":"3.0.2","language":"en","enabled_languages":["ko","en","zh","ru"],"languages":{"ko":{"title":true,"content":true,"excerpt":false},"en":{"title":true,"content":true,"excerpt":false},"zh":{"title":true,"content":true,"excerpt":false},"ru":{"title":true,"content":true,"excerpt":false}}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/vomkorea.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/42475","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/vomkorea.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/vomkorea.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vomkorea.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/659"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vomkorea.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=42475"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/vomkorea.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/42475\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vomkorea.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/42454"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/vomkorea.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=42475"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vomkorea.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=42475"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vomkorea.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=42475"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}