CHURCH DRIVEN FROM THE SQUARE
Saratov communist Dmitry Sorokin asks RPTsMP Metropolitan Longin to join protest rally
by Sergei Petunin
Kommersant, 20 November 2015
The head of the Zavod district committee of the CPRF [Communist Party of the Russian federation], Dmitry Sorokin, sent to Metropolitan of Saratov and Volsk Longin an invitation to take part in a rally against the construction of a church in the Zavod district of the provincial capital. In an open letter to the church hierarch, Mr. Sorokin says that residents of the neighboring buildings will continue to defend their right to a square without a house of worship. In the Saratov metropolitanate the communist's statement was received with bewilderment.
Yesterday the head of the Zavod district committee of the CPRF, Dmitry Sorokin, distributed an open letter addressed to Metropolitan of Saratov and Volsk Longin, in which he invited him to participate in a protest action against the construction of a church in Krivozhikhin Square on Enthusiasts Prospect in the first residential area of the Zavod district of Saratov. The text of the letter says that "people categorically oppose the construction of any buildings by any developer in this site that is inappropriate for such purposes." The letter's author insists on the return to the jurisdiction of the municipality by the RPTsMP Saratov diocese of a parcel of land of 6,412.5 square meters with the address: Saratov, Zavod district, building 3B.
"Since over the course of a number of years there has been no end to attempts to start construction of a house of worship, which has provoked a conflict between the RPTsMP and local residents who desire to preserve the park zone for rest and recreation with children, the people wish to know about his true position from the lips of a representative of the metropolitanate: does the church intend to return the parcel to the city or will it try to build its buildings on this site?" the appeal says. Also Dmitry Sorokin maintains that "residents of the Zavod district will protect their park by all possible efforts, since they are completely sure that there are in the district a sufficient number of sites suitable for constructing church buildings besides the park zones, and they hope for understanding and consideration of their opinion on the part of the leadership of the metropolitanate." The protest action is scheduled for Monday, 23 November.
That a church consecrated to St. Nikolai of Japan will be built in the Zavod district was reported back in 2008. The topic remained silent for three years until in 2011 it was reported that the diocese had filed in the Saratov city hall documents of the title to the parcel of land in the square in the first residential area of Zavod district. At the site of possible construction there were several gatherings of citizens, the largest of which, held on 18 October 2011, drew about 200 persons. From the start, protest actions were led by the secretary of the Zavod district committee of the CPRF, Dmitry Sorokin, and a deputy of the Saratov city duma, Gennady Turuntaev. Representatives of the Saratov administration declared that the decision regarding construction of a church had still not been made. In the end, the mayor of Saratov, Oleg Grishchenko, issued a statement that the square will not be affected.
For another nearly four years the topic was not raised until on 11 November of this year workers came to the park and began to fence off a construction area for the church and to off-load construction materials. After some time a group of residents of neighboring buildings assembled on the area, who demanded that construction cease. Two days later, on 13 November, a protest gathering was held in the square. In it, residents of the neighboring buildings demanded the metropolitan's resignation. "We consider that his personality does not comport with his high religious rank. In his actions he does not take into account the interests of Saratovans, provoking disputes. And we would wish that he leave his office," was stated at the event.
A deputy of the Saratov city duma, Dmitry Kudinov, who participated in the protest, declared that the city authorities will continue to seek a compromise between citizens and the church and he suggested other sites for a house of worship. However Saratov Mayor Oleg Grishchenko issued an official declaration which said that back in 2011 he was surprised that local residents spoke out against the construction of a church "at a time when Saratovans usually, to the contrary, were asking for cooperation in the construction of an Orthodox church within walking distance from their residences." "Construction of churches in Saratov will continue. The city government will actively help the leadership of the metropolitanate in this good affair and we will strive to restore historical justice and return to the city sacred things that were destroyed, but at the same time in no event will we ignore the opinion of Saratovans themselves," the city mayor declared.
An official representative of the Saratov metropolitanate, Hegumen Nektary, told Kommersant that at the present time it is premature to ask whether Metropolitan Longin will accept the communists' invitation to the protest event. "The Vladyka is now in Moscow and it is not likely that he knows about the 'invitation.' It seems that only upon his return will it make sense to discuss whether the suggestion of Dmitry Sorokin can be taken seriously" Father Nektary explained. He said that Mr. Sorokin's fellow party members often are shocked by his statements. "I am also surprised because some things clearly go beyond the bounds of common sense, for example, the collection of signatures for the metropolitan's resignation. And the words in which he casts his statements are far from proper. Obviously the secretary of the Zavod district committee wants to whip his 'flock' into a state of hysteria, which he has partially achieved. Whether this is a noble and rewarding task is another question," the priest noted. He also called attention to the fact that he does not see any use to such activity of the communist Dmitry Sorokin. "He is notorious for his protests but I do not know his good deeds. Now he is collecting signatures for the vladyka's resignation, which is completely absurd; perhaps we will also begin collecting signatures for his resignation—why not? There are many more Orthodox people in Saratov than communists. If Dmitry Sorokin thinks that it is necessary to lead people into the streets for rallies, possibly we also will consider this event and then we will see a completely different quantity of people. Many more than at his protests. Whether this is necessary, one should consider. In general there are very different communists. There are those who attend church themselves and even participate in building churches, and there are those who yearn for the times when clergy and believers were shot and exiled. What will happen if somebody decides to indulge them? Clearly nothing good," Hegumen Nektary noted. (tr. by PDS, posted 20 November 2015)
Russian original posted on Portal-credo.ru site, 20 November 2015
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