The Union of Orthodox Citizens accuses the management of the Russian State Library of inciting hatred

September 6, 2011 it became known that members of the Union of Orthodox Citizens launched an information campaign against the management of the Russian State Library (RSL), who refused Union member Yevgeny Nikiforov to hold the Radonezh festival in House Pashkov, which belongs to the library.

In a written refusal of the Executive Director of the RSL Vladimir Gnezdilov it is said that " the library as a purely secular state institution adheres to a neutral confessional policy - holding a mass events of any of the confessions within its walls are not welcome .”

The position of V. Gnezdilov was perceived by the Union of Orthodox Citizens as evidence of inciting conflicts on religious grounds - according to members Union, “ the formal reason for refusing to hold the event was the actual affiliation of its organizers to Orthodoxy .”

"The Union of Orthodox Citizens ," the statement said, describing the position of the leadership of the RSL, - on the eve of the start of the election campaign for elections deputies of the State Duma of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation, expresses its extreme concern about the increasing incidence of irresponsible activities and the position of a number of officials of various instances, contributing to destabilization of the socio-political situation in the Russian Federation and artificial fomenting various forms of civil strife, including religious motives .

Evgeny Nikiforov, General director and founder of the Radonezh festival, told reporters that he sent a letter to the Minister of Culture of the Russian Federation “with a request to clarify the official compliance Gnezdilov.

On September 9, 2011, a conversation between Vladimir Gnezdilov and journalists, in which he repeated that the reason he refused the organizers of the festival "Radonezh" in the lease of the premises of the Pashkov House are not limited to security monument of federal significance.

“ We adhere to a neutral confessional politics , he said in an interview. - If an Orthodox organization will hold an event in the Pashkov House, <…> we are not we can then refuse to any other confessions and, as a matter of fact, we can turn it into a venue for religious events. This one we are trying to avoid. There are many confessions, Russia - multi-confessional state, and everyone will want to hold events in Pashkov's house. We treat all confessions with respect and we can’t then refuse.

Director of the RSL rejected accusations of atheism, but recalled that "the policy of neutrality is the most normal, no-consequence politics."

22 September 2011, information appeared on the website of the film festival that the final The event of the festival will take place on December 8 at the Pashkov House.

Sources

• The Orthodox are outraged by the refusal to provide premises to the film festival "Radonezh" // Interfax-religion. 2011. September 7th.
• "Soviet Secularism". Statement of the Union of Orthodox Citizens // Radonezh. 2011. September 6th.
• "If an Orthodox organization holds an event in the Pashkov House, then we will not be able to refuse other confessions, and the House will become a place for confessional events" (Felix Shvedovsky's interview with Vladimir Gnezdilov) // Portal-Credo.ru. 2011. September 9.
• The Radonezh festival will end at the Pashkov House on December 8 // Website of the festival "Radonezh". 2011. September 22.