RUSSIA RELIGION NEWS


Protestants confront resistance to their quest for buildings

BRATSK RESIDENTS PROTEST AGAINST CONSTRUCTION OF CHURCH OF EVANGELICAL CHRISTIANS IN A PARK

SOVA Center for News and Analysis, 4 August 2016

 

Residents of Bratsk are protesting against the construction of a church of evangelical Christians and a rehabilitation center in a park in the Yuzhnyi Padun microdistrict.

 

On 26 July 2016, a protest demonstration was held in Bratsk against the construction of a church of evangelical Christians in a park in the Yuzhnyi Padun microdistrict.

 

About 200 persons participated in the event. In addition, around 1,000 signatures of residents of the district were collected.

 

Residents of the city are especially unhappy about the construction next to the church of a rehabilitation center for alcoholics and drug addicts. (tr. by PDS, posted 5 August 2016)

 

Sources:

BRATSK AGAINST EVANGELICALS: RESIDENTS OF PADUN PROTEST AGAINST CONSTRUCTION OF CHURCH

Baikal24, 28 July 2016

 

Yesterday in the Yuzhnyi Padun microdistrict of the Padun district of Bratsk, a mass meeting occurred of citizens who are unhappy about plans of the authorities to allocate to an evangelical church 1.5 hectares of land for construction of a church building and rehabilitation center. Local residents say that for public hearings, arranged in a "semi-underground" manner, the religious organization assembled about 200 persons who formally acted in the name of residents of the microdistrict.

 

"The Shining Path evangelical church brought their own people in buses and vans. People were there when the registration was conducted and we stood and heard people from the villages of Biki, Vikhorevka, and Gidrostroitel. That is, they brought their own people from everywhere," Svetlana Berezovskaia, a resident of Yuzhnyi Padun, told BST.

 

After the citizens learned about the positive decision made by participants in the public hearings, they began collecting signatures against the presence of evangelicals in the microdistrict. Local residents were especially alarmed by plans for constructing a rehabilitation center for drug addicts and alcoholics. They think that such a contingent should be located far from residential areas.

 

Meanwhile the administration of the Padun district of Bratsk stated that "it was done completely in accordance with the rules," but they have a "recommendation nature."

 

Representatives of the Shining Path church itself assured that "there will not be such a rehabilitation center." It is proposed to build next to the church premises for charitable purposes of only 150 square meters, and on the rest of the territory to have a park that is open to all citizens.

 

A final decision on the issue of construction of buildings for religious worship should be made by the Town Planning Council of Bratsk. (tr. by PDS, posted 5 August 2016)

 

RESIDENTS OF BRATSK COLLECT 1,000 SIGNATURES AGAINST CONSTRUCTION OF EVANGELICAL CHURCH IN A PARK

Irsiti.ru, 28 July 2016

 

Residents of the Yuzhnyi Padun district in the city of Bratsk, Irkutsk province, have massively acted against the construction of an evangelical church and rehabilitation center in a park zone on 1.5 hectares, the Bratsk Studia Televideniia website reported on 27 July.

 

Residents learned about the plans of the "Shining Path" evangelical church only after public hearings were held in the administration building on the issue of allocating to them a plot of land. People were left unhappy that they were not aware of the conduct of the event, and they gathered in the vicinity of the allocated plot in order to express their dissatisfaction with the situation, more than 100 persons in all. In addition, about 1,000 persons have already signed an appeal to government agencies against the construction of the church.

 

"Outraged people intend to reverse the results of the vote. But the administration of Padun district explain that the hearings were conducted in accordance with the law. And their conduct will not be repeated," the website reported.

 

Nevertheless, in the opinion of the deputy for the district, Denis Kozhurov, the hearings are of a merely recommendation nature and thus the administration could reject the plans for the construction of the church.

 

According to information of the television channel, a month ago representatives of this church already tried to get such a resolution for a neighboring street in Yuzhnyi Padun, but at the time the majority voted against it. (tr. by PDS, posted 5 August 2016)


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