About a hundred residents of Viciebsk came to the meeting with representatives of the Executive Committee, scheduled for 13 October. The meeting took place near the playground in the park of Partisan Glory, fenced for the construction of St. Sophia Cathedral.
Citizens concerned about the preservation of the iconic sites of the city, conveniently fit into the park ecosystem, expected to receive from officials comprehensible explanations about the issues raised, but, unfortunately, most of the questions remained unanswered.
Representatives of the city authorities were forced to meet with the public, as citizens who disagree with the construction of St. Sophia Cathedral in historic part of Viciebsk, was sent to the authorities a collective appeal, which was signed by 271 people. And according to the law, if the signatures of more than thirty, treatment must be considered on-site.
With the Viciebsk public met the deputy chief architect of the city Leonid Bogdanov, head of the department of housing and communal executive committee Sergey Saglaev and specialist of the department for ideological work, Youth and Culture Andrey Beletsky. For almost an hour the crowd pressed against the fence of the construction site officials have tried to understand the reasons for dissent. And finally assured that the construction of the facility will be frozen, and a public promise that sounded during the meeting, will be brought to the city administration.
The first thing that impresses in all this – the sincere aspirations of the citizens. Citizens deprived of the possibility of actually solve something in your city, use the right to protest. And this protest rallies not only the residents of the streets Uritskogo and Chekhova, close to the fenced for the construction of a platform – it unites all people who care Viciebsk.
So what's in this story with the construction of a cult object Viciebsk residents are not satisfied?
Not satisfied that the tender for the construction of the church was not carried out, and if carried out, – it is not publicly. Strangely enough, it seems, and that the right to build the company received "Stroytorgservis", which is unfinished objects, and not quite a good reputation.
Not satisfied with and what price to pay for the improvement of the park will be felled trees and the destruction of the existing inner-ecosystem.
Not satisfied also that the temple is supposed to be built in the area, and so crowded cult objects of the Orthodox Church, despite the fact that in a number of new urban neighborhoods of the church are absent altogether, and the believers are in need of them.
A Viciebsk resident Ales Tkachev proposed a compromise, which, in his opinion, would satisfy all parties to the conflict: "The City Executive Committee shall suspend the decision on the allocation of land for the construction of the temple, and the public is organizing a fundraiser for the correction of the project to transfer the temple to another location. Power adheres to the principle of preservation of the urban environment that has evolved historically, and the Diocese of Viciebsk (taking into account citizens' attitudes) agrees to the transfer of the church." Those present at the meeting a proposal was pleasant, but whether it will satisfy the city and the church leadership, time will tell.
Especially emotional intensity of a number of other performance allocated former employee of the Viciebsk Medical Institute, "This is the mountain for some! Lawlessness! There is also a good location – right on the streets of Chekhov on the banks of the Dvina, but there's rocks, there need to work! And here – you're done! Took and built! How can I cut down the park? No you do not cut down the tree! I'll call Kosintsev, he's my student! And let's see who wins! So it is impossible to enter the church, which must be spiritual authority!"
Could not officials intelligibly explain either why it was chosen for the construction of this place, nor the one who chose it specifically or why relocation is not possible. In response to their ignorance citizens staged an impromptu vote and almost unanimously voted for a different location for the construction of Sofia.
It was strange to hear from the mouth of one of the officials a detailed justification of the fact that the church was built in the city will contribute to the exaltation of the diocese of Viciebsk. However, if the Church really cares about building a national shrines, mentally whether in this case use the money "Gazprom"? And this not in the circumstances have to take care of representatives of the city vertically?
