News

Yekaterinburg authorities had dialogue with residents on church before Putin said poll needed - Peskov

Moscow, May 17, Interfax - The Yekaterinburg authorities' decision to survey local residents on the issue of church construction following Russian President Vladimir Putin's reaction cannot be regarded as an indication of their inefficiency.

"The local authorities conducted dialogue with residents of Yekaterinburg before the president's statement. It's just that the president worded it more clearly and in this case they as the regional administration took heed of his opinion," Russian presidential press secretary Dmitry Peskov said. Peskov had been asked by locals whether the survey of residents ordered following Putin's statements on the situation concerning the construction of a church in central Yekaterinburg indicates that the local authorities have turned out to be unable to resolve the region's problems independently.

"It seems to me it would be wrong to say that the authorities are inefficient based on that," he said.

Responding to a follow-up question as to whether it seems to the Kremlin that the president's intervention is a transition to manual governance, the presidential press secretary said: "The president didn't intervene. Journalists asked him and the president commented; he talked to the journalists. They asked him a question and he did not intervene on his own initiative."

Peskov said he believes the words about the president's intervention in Yekaterinburg constitute "fact-rigging."

Decisions on whether a referendum or poll needs to be conducted on the issue of the church's construction should be made by the regional authorities, he said.

"It's their prerogative. The Kremlin cannot make a decision here," Peskov said.

Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Thursday that a church is meant to unite rather than divide people. In this regard, "some steps are needed to resolve this issue for the benefit of those people who actually reside there," he said.

"There is an easy way, which is to hold a poll, and those in the minority must give way to the majority. That's the principle of democracy. But at the same time, we do have to take into account the opinion and interests of the minority," Putin said.

The Yekaterinburg City Hall said it intends to hold an independent poll, which begins on Friday.

Unauthorized protests against the construction of St. Catherine's Church in the park on Oktyabrskaya Square in the center of Yekaterinburg began on May 13. Dozens of protesters have been detained. A total of 30 people have been arrested.

Print this page

Home

News

.	Customize latest news

• Six Jehovah's Witnesses convicted in Penza 13 December 2019, 16:23
• Rosobrnadzor bans acceptance of students to seminary of Evangelical-Lutheran church 13 December 2019, 11:38
• Patriarch Kirill calls to continue fight for Orthodox unity in 2020 12 December 2019, 10:04
• Christ the Savior Cathedral receives fourth bomb threat in Dec 11 December 2019, 19:02
• Yakut shaman Gabyshev detained again - human rights activists 11 December 2019, 10:12
• Mufti Gainutdin calls on Muslim leaders to protect persecuted Christians of Africa, Middle East 11 December 2019, 10:10
• Ukraine's canonical Church adds 250 parishes in first year of OCU existence 11 December 2019, 10:08
• Christ the Savior Cathedral "mined" the third time in a few days 09 December 2019, 17:12
• Patriarch Kirill asks Mayor Sobyanin to help restore Orthodox Church in America's representation church in Moscow 06 December 2019, 18:51
• Moscow's Cathedral of Christ the Savior receives 2nd bomb threat this week 06 December 2019, 12:41
• Zelensky urges clerics to back Ukraine's initiatives in run-up to Normandy-format summit 05 December 2019, 13:54
• Saint Isaac's Cathedral and 5 other churchs in St. Petersburg received bomb threats 05 December 2019, 13:52
• Serbian president invites Putin to attend opening of St. Sava Cathedral in Belgrade 04 December 2019, 19:35
• Moscow's Christ the Savior Cathedral alerted to bomb threat 03 December 2019, 20:55
• One year on OCU defectors account for less than 1% of our parishes - UOC 03 December 2019, 18:46
• Moscow Jewish Museum to break stereotypes - director 03 December 2019, 17:26
• FSB reports detention of 9 Hizb ut-Tahrir members recruited Muslims 03 December 2019, 14:12
• Russian Bishops' Council to assess global Orthodox situation in near future 02 December 2019, 20:27
• Ukrainian Orthodox Church calls for end of infowar between Ukraine, Russia 02 December 2019, 18:45
• Russian Patriarch Kirill invited to Estonia by country's Lutheran leader 29 November 2019, 18:31
• Moscow court arrests U.S. rabbi in absentia in Schneerson library case 29 November 2019, 13:56
• Putin notes importance of coordination with OIC in countering threats 29 November 2019, 12:04
• Abortion rate in Russia declines considerably in past 18 years 28 November 2019, 19:06
• Patriarch of Alexandria sends kisses to head of OCU 28 November 2019, 18:29
• FJCR sees plans to arrest U.S. rabbi in Schneerson library case as absurd 28 November 2019, 17:23
• Bulgarian Church takes step toward recognizing OCU 28 November 2019, 17:21
• Ukraine has seen no attacks motivated by anti-Semitism in past 3 years - Association of Jewish Communities 27 November 2019, 17:18
• ROCOR to build new church in U.S 27 November 2019, 17:17
• Orthodox priest in Russia's Jewish Autonomous Region suspected of child molestation 26 November 2019, 14:25
• Georgian patriarch, foreign ambassadors discuss detention of doctor Gaprindashvili in S. Ossetia 26 November 2019, 10:07

Other news