Hundreds protest giving St. Isaac cathedral to Russian Orthodox church
| Publisher | Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty |
| Publication Date | 14 January 2017 |
| Cite as | Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, Hundreds protest giving St. Isaac cathedral to Russian Orthodox church, 14 January 2017, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/5975a43d13.html [accessed 1 June 2023] |
| Disclaimer | This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. |
January 14, 2017
Protest against the transfer of the St. Isaac's Cathedral to the Russian Orthodox Church in St. Petersburg.
Several hundred people rallied outside a St. Petersburg landmark cathedral on January 13 to protest plans to give it to the Russian Orthodox Church.
The local governor this week announced the city was transferring the iconic St. Isaac's Cathedral to the Orthodox Church, sparking a rash of protests in the former imperial city.
Protesters flocked to Isaakiyevskaya Square near St. Isaac's to protest the move on the evening of January 13. The cathedral is a UNESCO World Heritage site and has been an important museum since Russia's 1917 Bolshevik Revolution. More than 3.5 million tourists visit it every year.
"The Church should know its place!" one placard read.
Police confiscated one poster but did not otherwise block the protest.
TASS reported that activists have gathered as many as 160,000 signatures on a petition to revoke the local government's decision to give away the cathedral.
The signatures include people from Moscow, Yekaterinburg, and Krasnodar as well as St. Petersburg, TASS said.
The church takeover of the landmark is part of a growing trend toward social conservatism in Russia. President Vladimir Putin has appealed to traditional values and urged citizens to eschew Western liberalism.
Based on reporting by AP and TASS
Link to original story on RFE/RL website
