Devoted nuns tend both buildings
and people

Mother Lubov of the Nikolski convent in Tashkent, Uzbekistan. Photo: Norwegian BS/Dag Smemo (UZB04DJ-151.JPG)

UZBEKISTAN — Looking at the richly decorated walls of the Nikolski convent, the casual observer would never know that, as recently as the early 1990s, this building was in a sad state of neglect. Only the tireless devotion of the 48 nuns has returned it to its former glory.

Once, there were 150 nuns living at this convent, which was established in 1895. But it was closed down in 1932, a decade after Uzbekistan became part of the Turkestan Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic (ASSR), and did not reopen for 60 years. During that time it was put to many other uses, including that of a garage.

Determined

The nuns may now be fewer in number than in the convent’s early days, but they are just as determined to play a significant role in the local community. As well as working extremely hard under the guidance of Mother Lubov to repair the fabric of the convent, they also care for 13 children aged between six and 12. They are a familiar sight in the city, where they go to seek contributions to their work.