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Abstract

The official narratives in Azerbaijan strategically mobilizes architectural heritage to construct a national imaginary of “multiculturalism,” rooted in a narrative of tolerance as a “foundational feature of national character.” This paper examines the case of the Baku Lutheran Kirche (Kircha) as a site where this state-endorsed project is both enacted and resisted. Originally built by German and Swedish entrepreneurs at the end of the 19th century and later a Soviet-era survivor, the Kircha’s transformation into a state-sanctioned Philharmonic Organ Hall represents a deliberate attempt to fold “outsider” Christian heritage into a national identity defined by secular tolerance and Azerbaijani multiculturalism.

Drawing on a “multiple secularities” perspective, I explore how a diverse spectrum of Protestant communities—ranging from traditional Lutherans to neo-charismatic groups—skillfully navigate this state-supervised landscape. By utilizing multiculturalism policies to secure space within a competitive “religious market,” these actors engage in “place-making from below.” Through the act of renting the secularized hall for Sunday worship, they reclaim the building’s “original” spiritual purpose while strategically incorporating state narratives of multiculturalism into their own religious practices.

This case study reveals the Kircha as a contested space where top-down narratives of Muslim-led tolerance intersect with vernacular religious persistence. It demonstrates how heritage can simultaneously function as a tool to manage social fractures and a site where polarized identities—secular vs. religious, national vs. communal—are negotiated through the very stones of the city.