A fire at Grace Slavic Church in Eagan destroyed the building’s main sanctuary but left something prominent standing: a wooden cross.

“That is a miracle,” Diana Afanasyev, Deacon Andrey Afanasyev’s wife, said. “They said that the fire actually started right there.”

On Friday evening, a fire erupted on the main level of the church’s sanctuary, Afanasyev said. Two people were in the sanctuary when the fire occurred and were able to leave unharmed. The fire was caused by Christmas decorations, according to the Eagan Fire Department. The church will now be hosting its candlelight Christmas Eve service at a nearby Lutheran church.

“The whole sanctuary, the whole main area, is completely destroyed,” Afanasyev said.

A tight-knit community

The congregation was understandably saddened by the fire, and many still are. The building has served the Russian-speaking community for 20 years, Afanasyev said, and a lot of time has been spent remodeling it. It has become a very cozy space, she said, and now they’ll have to work to rebuild it again.

“A lot of things were lost that we can’t restore, like an old Bible we had in there, lots of decorations, and everything is gone,” Afanasyev said. “But, you know, we remain hopeful. We hope we can rebuild and make it even nicer.”

Matthew Afanasiev, a son of the church’s pastor, said he was out of town when he received word that the church was on fire.

“I grew up going there,” Afanasiev said. “I was essentially born into the church, so I grew up there my whole life. And my dad FaceTimed me standing outside, as a firefighter was trying to put it out, and it was just really shocking. I was in disbelief that it was a massive raging fire.”

Afanasiev said it was difficult to see a church he has such fond memories of going up in flames.

Community and  faith-led values

An exterior view of Grace Slavic Church in Eagan. The church’s building has served Minnesota’s Russian-speaking community for 20 years. (Courtesy of Grace Slavic Church)

The community of Grace Slavic Church is not theatrical or showy, Afanasyev said. According to Afanasiev, the church is all volunteer-run and doesn’t participate in tithing or ask for financial donations from its members.

Their church services are grounded in following the word of the Bible, Afanasyev said, and churchgoers can expect a good musical worship service, too. They’re a calm, but strongly rooted and connected community, she said.

“We have a very close-knit community,” Afanasyev said. “Just to give an example, if somebody gets sick, you’re getting meals from all members; 24/7, they’ll visit you.”

Minnesota has a large Russian-speaking community, she said, and Grace Slavic Church is just one of the churches that serves them. The services are often led in Russian, and most people in the church know one another; many have been members for years, she said. The community ranges in age from children to seniors, and every now and then, there are new faces, she said.

Something the church prioritizes is caring for those around them.

For the past 15 years, the church has been a drop-off location for Operation Christmas Child, a donation initiative that provides gifts to underprivileged children, she said. The church hosts things like community picnics to bring people together, and during the war between Russia and Ukraine, Afanasyev said the church has welcomed many Ukrainian refugees, helping them with social, housing and resource needs.

“We try to help as much as we can and work with, you know, people around us,” Afanasyev said.

Assistance from other churches

The fire in their beloved church has been disheartening, Afanasyev said. Seeing the photos of the space compared to how it looked before the fire was like night and day, but she couldn’t help but notice the church’s wooden cross still standing.

Grace Slavic Church in Eagan decorated for Christmas shortly before a fire on Dec. 19, 2025 destroyed the main sanctuary. (Courtesy of Grace Slavic Church)

“When I received the picture of the damage, I was shocked to say the least,” Afanasyev said. “I first noticed something far, because it was a farther picture. I saw the cross then, and my first comment was, ‘Wow, God is good, the cross is still standing.’ I can’t believe it. That is a miracle.”

The cross has been with the church since it was first formed, she said. It will be restored and will stand again in the rebuilt church when the time comes.

As Christmas nears, the church has had to figure out where it will host its Christmas service, now that the main sanctuary is no longer available, and the entire building is closed due to the damage.

Local churches in the area, like Christ Lutheran Church, 1930 Diffley Road, offered to host a church service for the congregation. And a candlelight service will be held on Christmas Eve at 6 p.m. at Living Word Lutheran Church, 4300 Nicols Road.

“It’s really heartwarming,” Afanasiev said. “A lot of people are coming together, so it’s nice to see some community, trying to give you some hope for people these days.”

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The church has also received donations through its GoFundMe page (gofund.me/fc35a99ab), which is still available to receive donations to help restore the sanctuary.

Members of the church have already asked if they can help with cleanup and restoration, Afanasyev said. The church will post about when something like that will take place on their Facebook page, along with service location announcements and other updates, she said.

Afanasyev and Afanasiev said they are grateful for the support people and churches around them have offered, and are hopeful for what’s to come for their church community.