Gennady Zgursky leads a discussion on the Scriptures in one of Kharkov University's dormitories.

Like all schools in the USSR, Kharkov University indoctrinated its students in atheism while training them in their chosen fields. As a result, students' hearts were far from God. History professor Gennady Zgursky accepted Christ as Savior and began making an impact in students' spiritual lives. Here is his story ...

Gennady Zgursky was born in Kharkov, Ukraine, in 1961. After high school, Gennady enrolled at Kharkov University as a history major. Following graduation, he taught high school history for two years, then completed his master's and doctoral degrees, eventually becoming a professor at Kharkov University.

Because both his parents were atheists, Gennady was raised as an atheist too. However, his life started to change direction when he ran into one of his former schoolteachers who shocked Gennady by inviting him and his friend to a Baptist church. The word Baptist held negative connotations for Gennady because he remembered how Soviet newspapers had portrayed Baptists as uneducated old ladies dressed in black clothes. When Gennady and his friend attended a Sunday morning worship service, they were surprised to see normal people of all ages. He liked the sermons, and couldn't believe how friendly the people were, introducing themselves and asking his impressions after church.

Gennady began attending services sporadically and made a Christian friend his own age named Boris. He challenged Boris once saying, "There are many religions in the world. What makes you believe that yours is the right one?" Instead of trying to argue, Boris opened the Bible and read the words of Jesus Christ: "Where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them" (Mat. 18:20). Boris explained that the name of a religious group is unimportant, but that believing and practicing what the Bible teaches is crucial. That intrigued Gennady, so he agreed to attend a weekly Bible study. However, after reading the four Gospels, he got bored and quit reading and attending services.

Five years later, an unexpected illness landed Gennady in the hospital, where a Christian nurse brought greetings from Boris and other believers at the church. Gennady was surprised that people he hadn't seen for years cared enough to send greetings. He was released from the hospital, but then had to return when his sickness recurred. He was in a room with several other patients, and one of them was Alexander, a deacon from the Baptist church.

Alexander challenged him to read the Book of Acts. As a historian, Gennady was fascinated by the descriptions of economic, political, and social conditions around the Mediterranean 2,000 years ago. He believed the book historically, but doubted the miracles.

The next time Gennady attended a worship service, the guest speaker was Eugene Pushkov, a preacher and violinist. Gennady was impressed that this man who had suffered years of imprisonment in Soviet prison camps showed no hint of bitterness. The thought occurred to him that perhaps it was the power of God that enabled people to remain human despite the inhuman conditions of a prison camp. Following that Sunday, Gennady attended church more regularly. His heart was responding to the claims of Christ even though his intellect still resisted.

Finally, Gennady put his trust in Christ in May 1991. The change in Gennady's life was immediately evident, as he began witnessing to others. He wondered if he should continue teaching at the university since his views had changed so drastically. But perestroika had brought changes throughout the country. Professors were no longer required to teach Marxist/Leninist ideology or force atheistic ideas into their lectures. Gennady embraced this opportunity and began teaching history from a Christian viewpoint. For example, when discussing the Reformation, he discussed Martin Luther and other Christians who influenced all aspects of life throughout Europe. God gave Gennady openings to challenge students to consider God's existence and the validity of the Bible.

Of course, the students had mixed reactions. For some, Gennady's lectures became a new revelation. Others complained about Christian propaganda. Many wanted to speak with Gennady after lectures. He invited them to church, and some have attended and accepted Christ as Savior.

Ilya and Victor, university students who were saved through evangelistic street meetings, suggested that Gennady begin an informal Bible study in their dorm. They invited friends. During the first Bible study, several students who wanted to know the Christian view on black magic showed up. The rest of the evening was spent answering their specific questions from the Bible. By the end of that meeting, they agreed to attend the Bible study regularly.

So, from that time on, Bible studies were held every week. Before long, Gennady noticed a change in students' lifestyle. For instance, he noticed that promiscuous posters in their rooms were replaced by nature scenes. Some students started visiting the church.

After several years of this ministry, Gennady says, "We can't say that we've had great results. Most students attend two or three Bible studies, then never return. But some get interested, accept the Lord, and experience a change in their lives. We're determined to continue and are asking the Lord to bless our efforts. I'm thankful even for the students who attend only a couple times, because the Gospel is sown in their hearts, and they have to at least consider the validity of Christianity."

This material & photos were prepared by Christian journalist
Victor Shkarovsky (Poltava, Ukraine) and first published under the title "Making history at Kharkov University" in: "The Russian Gospel Messenger: News of Evangelical Baptists in the former USSR" (Russian Gospel Ministries International. P.O. Box 1188. Elkhart, IN 46515). Nov/Dec 1997