In the Museum-monument “St. Isaac’s Cathedral” disbanded the Department for cooperation with the Russian Orthodox Church (ROC), reported TASS head of the press service of the institution Maria Morozova.
“At the moment the Museum has no special persons responsible for this work, it is as necessary employees are engaged in different departments”, she said.
The decision was made by the former Director of the institution Nikolay Burov before his resignation on 1 June.
On 3 June, the Deputy of legislative Assembly of St. Petersburg Boris Vishnevsky told reporters about the case that they, along with sredozemnom Paul Capcicum filed to the constitutional court to assess restitution law that allows the ROC to take Isaac’s Cathedral. “From our point of view, this paper puts religious organizations in a privileged position in access to cultural heritage”, — said the Deputy.
The day before the Governor of Northern capital George Poltavchenko has informed that the official application of the Patriarchate on the transfer of the Cathedral to the city’s government has not yet acted and without it the procedure can not take place.
In may, the head of the legal Department of the Russian Orthodox Church, hegumeness Kseniya Chernega explained that the law does not restrict the maturity and development of the situation with Isaac will depend on “when will cease the right of operational management of the Museum, before or after the decision on the transfer of the object”.
In January, the authorities of St. Petersburg have agreed on the transfer of St. Isaac’s Cathedral to the gratuitous use of the Church for 49 years on the condition of the Museum building functions. This decision angered many citizens, resulting in a series of rallies and attempts to organize a referendum. May 17 St. Petersburg legislative Assembly removed this question from the agenda, and nine days later the court dismissed the claim of the supporters of the referendum about the inaction of the parliamentarians.