Nikolaev is a city of about 600,000 located on a peninsula between two rivers that flow into the black sea. Founded by the (in)famous G. A. Potemkin in 1794 during the reign of Katherine the Great, it was a closed city during the Soviet Union because of its shipbuilding industry -- second in the Soviet Union only to Leningrad (St. Petersburg). Since the city’s economy was largely founded on secret Soviet shipbuilding, it has struggled greatly since the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991.

The Nikolaev Evangelical Presbyterian Church was founded in 1997. After some good initial growth, it has experienced various struggles during the last few years. In July, 2006, the church became particularized with its own ordained pastor, Alexei Rayu and first elder, Andrei Vakulenko. With present worship attendance of only 20-30, this tight-knit congregation is striving to rebuild momentum as it seeks to be a lighthouse to the lost of Nikolaev....