On Monday, October 10 civil activists Viciebsk hour collecting signatures at the monument Karatkevich. They are opposed to the destruction of the park, the transfer of the monument to the Belarusian writer and the demolition of the historic museum building Minay Shmyrev. All of this will happen if the general plan of city development will be implemented during the construction of the North Bridge.

The collective appeal, under which signed Viciebsk residents also contains a request to the authorities to give the monument to Vladimir Karatkevich status of historical and cultural value. For an hour we managed to gather about two hundred signatures.

BCD coordinator for Viciebsk and region Tatsyana Sevyarynets, which initiated the collection of signatures, is planning to send a joint letter to the Viciebsk citizens appeal to the Ministry of Culture and local authorities.

Park of Partisan glory, which is mentioned in the letter, is the focus of the residents of Viciebsk for several months. In the case of the construction of the new bridge and the expansion of Chekhov street there is a real threat of destruction of a large part of it. Already part of the park is fenced off for the construction of St. Sophia Cathedral – a copy of the same name Połacak temple sample of 11 century. When construction begins, more than 200 trees will be destroyed in the park.

Feasibility of construction of the cathedral at the park makes Viciebsk residents doubt. Do I need another temple in the historic center of Viciebsk? Three Orthodox churches there, and so is already there, but the number of visitors is still numerically small, even on holidays. At the same time in the city there is a shortage of kindergartens and schools, not decrease the number of long-term construction sites, medical and cultural fields, destroyed monuments.

Worried Viciebsk residents and then at whose expense will be based Sophia Cathedral. People doubt the sponsorship of the Russian "Gazmprom" and worried that the money for the construction will be collected by the organization of forced labor of citizens on charity work days.

Residents of Viciebsk believe that the construction is better to move in one of those areas of the city where there are no other Orthodox churches. A proposal was made in the petition to the Metropolitan Paul, which was signed by several thousand people. However, the appeal remained unanswered. Just like a collective letter to Alyaksandr Lukashenka. Unable to reach a compromise with representatives of the Orthodox Church, who came to talk to the protesters.

Incidentally, if the last time, at the end of September, the main opponent of the protesters was the Rev. Michael Martynovich, which is in charge of the construction of the temple, then at the October meeting of the role played novice Sergius. And, it should be noted, in contrast to the archpriest, he behaved with restraint and indulgent than the audience liked. Although the bulk of the claims made by Viciebsk residents was outside the competence of a novice, his prudence and the desire to hear the opponent's distinguishes it from the charismatic father Michael.

While the goal is not reached, viteblyane not going to stop their protests. The activists decided to meet weekly on Monday at the monument to Vladimir Karatkevich to discuss their next steps.

Catherine Zahorskaya