The Sochi authorities have been unable to resolve the problem of allocating land for the construction of a mosque for several months.

In response to the appeals of a number of national organizations in Sochi (including the Krasnodar socio-political movement "Slavic Union", the city public organization "Russian Society", organizations of Armenians, Georgians, Greeks, Estonians, Jews, Abkhazians, etc.) with a request to allocate a land plot for the construction of a mosque, the city administration adopted a decision to allocate a land plot to the remote villages of Kimai and Kalezh for the construction, on the grounds that there are places of compact accommodation of peoples who profess Islam.

The head of the Yasin Muslim organization, Ravza Ramazanova, called the administration's proposal another mockery that continued the policy of the regional authorities, not allowing the construction of a mosque in the city.

In February, Sochi Muslims sent a letter to the governor of the Krasnodar Territory, Alexander Tkachev, in which they announced that they were ready to finance the construction of a mosque in the city.

In response to this appeal, Yury Burlachko, head of the Department for Interaction with Political Parties and Public Associations of the Administration of the Krasnodar Territory, demanded that a public opinion poll be conducted among the population regarding their consent to the construction of the mosque, and also demanded that materials from the DUM confirming the financing of construction be submitted to the local government, which cannot begin due to the fact that the land has not been allocated, as well as materials confirming the financing of the maintenance of the non-existent mosque "in full".

In May, the head of the Yasin organization, Ravza Ramazanova, confirmed that despite the approval expressed by the administration officials in charge of the problems of the Muslim society on the issue of allocating a place for the construction of a mosque in the city and a letter from the chairman of the Council of Muftis of Russia, the governor of the Krasnodar Territory Alexander Tkachev and the mayor of Sochi Leonid Mostovoy continue to "play for time" without explanation.

Sources

• Sochi authorities allow the construction of a mosque in a remote village // Islam.Ru
• Sochi authorities hint Muslims at "mutual understanding" // Islam.ru. 2003. March 28.
• Krasnodar authorities do not allow the construction of a mosque in Sochi // Islam.ru. 2003. May 27