Voronezh Cossacks protest against the construction of a shopping center on a former cemetery

In Voronezh, the local Cossacks held a picket against the construction of a shopping and entertainment center on the territory of the former Novomitrofanovsky cemetery. In Soviet times, a park was laid out here and a dance floor was set up, and a circus building was erected on the site of the demolished temple. Now they are starting to build a shopping center on one of the adjacent plots. The Cossacks claim that it will literally stand on human bones. Meanwhile, the commission created by the mayor's office, after examining the construction site, came to the conclusion that there had never been a cemetery on this very spot.

The Cossacks were going to open their center of Orthodox culture in this area, while preserving the park and creating an alley of memory. At the construction site, they erected a cross and are on duty near it at night.

The mayor promised the Cossacks that the city administration would deal with this problem and that the park trees would not be harmed.

On November 24, Orthodox Christians, Muslims and representatives of national communities (particularly Armenian) held a new rally against the construction of a shopping center.

Another protest action - already the fifth in the last three months - took place on 16 December. Representatives of the mayor's office and the contractor did not come to meet with the protesters. In an interview with the state TV channel RTR Voronezh, ataman of the North-Don Union of Cossacks Viktor Galushkin announced that if the construction of the center does not stop, they will start collecting signatures for the mayor's resignation.

Sources

• Voronezh Cossacks took to the demonstration demanding not to desecrate the cemetery // Portal-Credo.ru. 2004. November 12. (With reference to news agency Vesti-Voronezh.)
• Believers of different faiths held a picket in Voronezh against the construction of a supermarket on the site of a historic Orthodox cemetery // There. 2004. November 25.
• Voronezh Cossacks promise to launch a campaign for the mayor's resignation if the construction of a supermarket continues on the site of the historic cemetery // There. December 17th.