The Kremlin has denied recent media information about the existence of an agreement between Patriarch Kirill and President of Russia Vladimir Putin on the issue of Saint Isaac’s Cathedral Russian Orthodox Church. This was stated on Thursday, April 27, the press Secretary of the President Dmitry Peskov, reports the correspondent of”.ru”.
The representative of the Kremlin noted that this information is “not true”. Peskov also stressed that “this issue (…) is not within the prerogative of the President.”
“We have repeatedly stressed that it is the task of the city authorities. So, let’s say, to negotiate some options related to the transfer of certain objects of the Russian Orthodox Church in St. Petersburg, the President could not”, — he explained.
Earlier on April 27, media reported that Putin gave his consent to the transfer of St. Isaac’s Cathedral, the Russian Orthodox Church in December 2016. It was reported that the decision was made after the head of state personally addressed the Patriarch.
At the end of March the municipal electoral Committee of St. Petersburg approved the decision to hold a referendum on the fate of Isaac. In the ROC on the initiative was considered legal nonsense.
In January, the authorities of St.-Petersburg has agreed to transfer to St. Isaac’s Cathedral to the gratuitous use of the Russian Orthodox Church for 49 years. Governor Georgy Poltavchenko has promised to keep the Museum function of the building. This decision triggered a series of demonstrations of opponents of the transfer of the Church.