Legislative Assembly of St. Petersburg did not include in the agenda the question of a referendum on the Saint Isaac’s Cathedral Russian Orthodox Church (ROC), reports TASS. The previous attempt to bring the issue of “the voice” taken on 26 April by the deputies of the “Yabloko”, the “party of Growth” and “Fair Russia”.
The electoral Commission of Saint-Petersburg recognized the documents of the initiative group for referendum, the relevant legislation on March 28. The vote suggests that the issue of consent of the population to consolidate the Cathedral of Saint Isaac of Dalmatia, of the resurrection of Christ and of the apostles Peter and Paul, the status of state museums, with the possibility of conducting religious rites and ceremonies.
The bill on the referendum regarding the status of St. Isaac’s Cathedral was discussed in Committee of the city Parliament on the legislation on April 21 and received a negative assessment of the majority of deputies belonging to it. According to the parliamentarians, the issue of the transfer of property to religious organizations should not decide on the city, and at the Federal level.
In addition, deputies criticized the drafters of the document in inaccuracies of key messages. For example, parliamentarians found it strange definition of “possibility of religious rites and ceremonies in the Museum.” In turn, the authors of the bill from the party “Yabloko” called the decision politically motivated.
In January, 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 to keep the Museum function of the building. However, this decision caused the discontent of the citizens. For the first time the St. Petersburg diocese has requested the transfer of Isaac in 2015, but then they refused.