St. Petersburg authorities have agreed to transfer the Russian Orthodox Church, St. Isaac’s Cathedral – RBC

St. Isaac’s Cathedral during the light show. November 2016

Photo: Peter Kovalev/TASS

St. Isaac’s Cathedral will be handed over to the Russian Orthodox Church. This was stated by the Governor of St. Petersburg Georgy Poltavchenko

According to Poltavchenko, “the question of the transfer of St. Isaac’s Cathedral in the use of the Russian Orthodox Church resolved,” reports TASS. The Governor said that he agreed with Patriarch Kirill that the Council “will maintain a Museum and educational function”.

Press Secretary Poltavchenko Andrey Kibito said the Agency “Interfax” that the transfer of the temple of the Russian Orthodox Church will take some complicated coordination, since Isaac’s Cathedral is under UNESCO protection. “Resolving these issues will take more than a day or two, it is a long time. Maybe months,” he added.

With a request to transfer the St. Isaac Cathedral, Russian Orthodox Church St. Petersburg diocese appealed to Poltavchenko in the summer of 2015. Then it was opposed by not only Museum staff but also the residents who signed a petition on the website change.org. The Minister of culture Vladimir Medinsky has opposed the transfer of the Cathedral.

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In the ROC, the refusal of the authorities criticized, noting the fact that St. Isaac’s Cathedral was originally built for religious purposes.

according to the publication “Fontanka”, in the last year the services were held in St. Isaac’s Cathedral almost every day, and believers were let go free.

According to the publication, in 2016, the year St. Isaac’s Cathedral was visited by 3.9 million tourists, and the earnings of the Museum amounted to about 800 million rubles this money including the restoration of the building.

St. Isaac’s Cathedral was built in 1818-1858 years by the project of Auguste Montferrand. It is the largest Church in St. Petersburg. In 1928, with the decree of the Central Executive Committee he was transferred to the use of Glavnauka as a Museum monument. In 2012, St. Isaac’s Cathedral became the property of Saint-Petersburg by decree of the Russian government.