"The Kingdom of God is like a grain of mustard seed, which, when sown on the ground, is the smallest of all the seeds on earth, yet when it is sown it grows up and becomes larger than all the garden plants and puts out large branches, so that the birds of the air can make nests in its shade." (Mark 4:31-32)

The art group has been creating temporary immersive installations in churches and public spaces for over 3 years. The goal of the art group is to include Christianity in the modern agenda of the big city.

The art group Zerno also organizes spectacular concerts of classical and contemporary music in Lutheran churches in St. Petersburg. The musicians' performances are accompanied by artistic media projections and storytelling.

This is the most beloved exhibition for our visitors and the first to go beyond St. Petersburg. In July 2024, Creation opened its doors to citizens and visitors of Kaliningrad city.

The exhibition recounts the biblical story of the world’s creation in six days. It showcases how God creates beauty and order out of chaos. All of this God does out of love for the most precious of what He has — for his creation, humankind.

The most eye-catching exhibits are models of the Moon and the Earth that are suspended under the ceiling. Guests can touch God’s right hand and feel like a part of Michelangelo’s The Creation of Adam. Guests have the opportunity to enter the Garden of Eden and find themselves right by the tree of knowledge of good and evil. Here they can find out what sin Adam and Eve really committed and what God is willing to do to bring man back to paradise.

The story of  Creation is accompanied by works by contemporary artists and sculptors, and in the case of Kaliningrad, by a seemingly unexpected exhibit — a dinosaur skeleton (yes, dinosaurs are also God's creatures).

An exhibition filled with a sense of joy and anticipation for a real miracle. Through common symbols and images, the art group Zerno restores winter holidays to their original meaning.

The first thing to welcome the guests is a giant Christmas tree suspended from the ceiling. This is how Christmas trees were actually placed in homes in the times of the Reformation. Over the years our visitors could find themselves in a spruce forest, admire the northern lights or celebrate the birth of the Saviour among the palm trees of Bethlehem.

Guests could meet angels announcing the Good News to the shepherds and encounter wise men bringing gifts to the King of Kings. Of course, the exhibition concludes with a contemporary yet charming Nativity Scene.

And what without the creche in which lies the tiny and defenceless, but so marvellous baby Jesus?

The exhibition covers the history of the Passover holiday from Moses to Jesus, from the Old Testament to the Gospels.

The first part of the exhibition features a spectacular narrative about the life of the Jewish people in Egyptian slavery and their exodus from Egypt to the Promised Land through the desert sands. One could see crashing waves of the Red Sea, and visit the first Jewish temple called the Tabernacle. The model of this portable temple was placed in an almost real desert right in the middle of the main hall of Annenkirche. To make this installation, 120 tons of sand were used to recreate the Sinai Desert.

The second part of the exhibition tells the story of Christ’s atoning sacrifice. Here the audience can participate in the Last Supper, hear Jesus pray in the Garden of Gethsemane. The installation concludes with Via Dolorosa — the sorrowful path of Christ — depicted with blood-red threads along the stairway. It leads to the Resurrection cave, allowing guests to explore the true meaning of Easter.

The exhibition invites viewers to experience the events of Holy Week through the eyes of Jesus.

Guests could walk through the last days of Savior’s earthly life: from Christ's triumphal entry into Jerusalem to His crucifixion, burial and resurrection.

Sand sculptures, a schematic representation of Herod's temple, a giant crown of thorns, an installation of the Last Supper and the cave of the Resurrection on the balcony invited guests to walk through the pages of history.

The first exhibition to be held in the Church of the Resurrection of Christ located in the city centre of Pushkin.

Together with contemporary artists, art group Zerno invites guests to view eternal matters from a new perspective and to experience the last days of Jesus' life through the lens of modern art.

Visitors could take part in Last Supper, walk with Jesus on His sorrowful way, hear His last words on the cross. The exhibition is concluded by the pictures of Christ's resurrection.

The exhibition took place in the Brusnitsin cultural district in St. Petersburg. It introduces viewers to the Christian understanding of the end of the world and suggests that the Apocalypse is something that should be anticipated, not feared.

Through well-known biblical stories, guests learn how the Lord repeatedly gives humankind second chances to start anew. First locations tell the story about the ambiguous choice between salvation and sin: the fall of Adam and Eve, the expulsion of man from the Garden of Eden, the Flood and the story of the Tower of Babel.

An important part of the exhibition metaphorically interprets the Epistle to the Seven Churches. Although the text of the epistles was addressed to the first Christian communities, their relevance can be traced to this day, showing the close connection between the divine and the secular. Here, this connection is reflected by a series of graffiti revealing that throughout human history God remained ever present.

Among other things, the final locations offer the opportunity to dive into the devil's cauldron, reflect on the temporality of life and resurrect in the Kingdom of Heaven.

The exhibition reinterprets the famous biblical story of the Great Flood. It not only features the story of the rescue of Noah and his family from destruction, but also complements it with other water-related Bible stories, thus explaining the Christian symbolism behind it.

Guests of the exhibition could learn about the waters of chaos that raged before Creation, relive the experience of the prophet Jonah and enter the whale's belly, as well as find themselves at Jacob's well, where Jesus met the Samaritan woman.

Through installations and contemporary paintings the exhibition showcases the dual essence of water. Water is a symbol of eternal life and cleansing from sin for those who are ready to follow God, and it is also a force capable of destroying those who could not or would not hear God's voice.

In 2022, Annenkirche celebrated an important date: 300 years since the consecration of the first church building on the site. In honour of the anniversary, the art group Zerno prepared an exhibition.

The location offers guests the chance to travel through every period of Annenkirche’s history: the foundation of the church, the Soviet period of persecution, the movie theatre era, the rock club disaster, the great fire, and the gradual restoration that lasts to this day.

Over its years of existence, Annenkirche has undergone many changes, and the art group Zerno tried to portray all the milestones of its history through immersive installations. Locations take visitors from a wooden church to an architectural masterpiece, from Soviet repressions to the appearance of the Spartacus cinema, from the fire that destroyed Annenkirche to its revival from the ashes, and to the return of believers to the walls of the church.

The inflatable pigeon Annatoly, who perched on the bell tower, invited everyone to celebrate this anniversary. He has become a crowd favourite and an important symbol.

The history of Annenkirche is a story of God’s miracles. Only God could bring back to life a desolate building, and create from scratch a community of believers ready to serve God and people around.

We re open to cooperation and collaboration.
Mail us at withlovefrom@annenkirche.com