ROC promised that, if necessary, at a rally in support of the transfer of the Church of St. Isaac’s Cathedral in Saint-Petersburg it will be a million people. About this “Interfax” said Archpriest Dimitry Smirnov.
“If we, as they call us bigots, clerics want will come 100 thousand people, and if you want a million. We will gather a million. What is a need? People tear off from home, from work, will come from the regions”, — he said.
According to Smirnov, the shares against the transfer of Isaac is a “storm in a teacup”.
January 28, about 20 opposition activists staged in St. Isaac’s Cathedral in protest against the transfer of the building to use the Church. They entered the temple with posters “Museum — city!” in that moment, when there was service.
On the same day on the Champ de Mars in St. Petersburg took place the rally of supporters and opponents of the transfer of Saint Isaac’s Cathedral Russian Orthodox Church. In support of this decision made by Orthodox activists and members of the National liberation movement. Against the transition of the Cathedral to use the Church rallied around two thousand citizens. Skirmishes between them were.
January 10 the St. Petersburg authorities have agreed to transfer the St. Isaac Cathedral, the Russian Orthodox Church for free use for 49 years. Governor Georgy Poltavchenko has promised that the Museum function of the building will remain. For the first time the St. Petersburg diocese has requested the transfer of Isaac in 2015, but then they refused.