Translated material
The mayor of Yakutsk wants to return the island off the coast of Alaska to the Russian Orthodox Church
The mayor of Yakutsk calls on the Russian authorities by diplomatic by seeking the return of the US-owned Russian Orthodox Church the islands where St. German of Alaska.
On March 26, 2014, it became known that the mayor of Yakutsk, Aisen Nikolaev sent the President of the Russian Federation, the speakers of the Federation Council and the State Duma and the head Ministry of Foreign Affairs with a request to return the island of Spruce (New Valaam) off the coast to the Russian Orthodox Church Alaska.
A. Nikolaev refers to documents from the archive of the emigrated from Russia after 1917 by the bibliographer Mikhail Vinokurov, confirming the right of the ROC to this island.
In the protocol of 1867 on the transfer of Alaska and the Aleutian Islands United States notes that "Spruce Island sale, not subject to rent, this is a holy island, belongs to the Russian Orthodox Church" . This document is kept in the library of the city of Juneau, Alaska).
“Yakut scientists have been studying papers for several years and have already organized several expeditions to the USA. 2014 marks 220 years activities of the Russian Orthodox Church in North America, namely Kodiak mission - when, if not now, to deal with Russian America? I I stand for the restoration of historical justice - the return Spruce Island to the rightful owners, that is, the Russian Orthodox Church " , - said the mayor of Yakutsk.
The State Duma called for maximum be careful about A. Nikolaev's initiative. Head of the Synodal Department on interaction with society, Archpriest Vsevolod Chaplin believes that at first should carefully study the documents found and find out "to what extent they can be recognized today by the authorities of the United States . "
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