Environmentalists ask the Patriarch to eliminate violations of environmental legislation committed during the construction of the “church and administrative spiritual center” near Gelendzhik

On February 25, 2011, the public movement "Ecological Watch in the North Caucasus" sent to the Patriarch of Moscow and All Rus' An open letter to Kirill in connection with information about construction in the vicinity village of Divnomorskoye, Krasnodar Territory.

Earlier, the media disseminated information that in this place the "cottage of the patriarch" is being built, for the sake of which valuable trees were cut down breeds. On February 22, the press service of the patriarch denied these reports, stating that the the building is not a dacha, but "the church-administrative spiritual center of the Russian Orthodox Church in the south of Russia", and in the course of its construction, all legal regulations have been complied with.

Ecologists in their letter refer to the letter of the prosecutor's office Gelendzhik dated November 24, 2004, from which it follows that near the village Divnomorskoye is being built precisely "the summer residence of the Patriarch of Moscow and all Rus'".

In addition, the authors of the appeal cite satellite data photographs showing that during construction on a plot of 1.7 hectares, the forest was cut down, although "most of the cut area was occupied natural forest with continuous growth of Pitsunda pine, which is a species, included in the Red Book of the Russian Federation. "The Patriarchate, arguing that there were no violations, refers to the act of Rosprirodnadzor of December 6, 2010, compiled a few years after felling and does not take into account the materials forest management.

Environmentalists also note that provided for construction site is surrounded by a fence that restricts citizens' access to the forest fund, which violates Art. 27 of the Constitution of the Russian Federation and Art. 11 of the Forest Code of the Russian Federation.

In addition, environmentalists refute the assertion of the patriarch press services that the construction is carried out only at the expense of the patriarchate, without attracting public funds. Attached is the decision Legislative Assembly of the Krasnodar Territory of September 28, 2005 on allocation of 15 million rubles from the regional budget for this construction.

The leaders of the "Environmental Watch for the North Caucasus" ask Patriarch "to take measures to eliminate violations of environmental legislation, allowed during the construction of the "spiritual and cultural center". in particular - "to remove obstacles to the free stay of citizens on leased by the Patriarchy of the forest area, as well as to assess the damage the environment caused during construction and compensate for this damage in in accordance with Article 77 of the Law "On Environmental Protection". Sources

• Ecologists reproach the leadership of the ROC-MP // ReligioPolis. 2011. February 28.
• Environmental watch in the North Caucasus - an open letter to the head of the ROC MP // There.
• Message from the Synodal Information Department of the Moscow Patriarchate regarding the construction of a church-administrative spiritual center near Gelendzhik // Orthodoxy and the world. 2011. February 22.