Participants in a rally against the construction of a temple in the Torfyanka park in the Losinoostrovsky district adopted a resolution in which they expressed no confidence in Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin and other Moscow officials

Participants of the rally against the construction of a temple in the Torfyanka park (Photo: Farida Rustamova/RBC)

Participants in the rally against the construction of a temple in the Torfyanka park in the Losinoostrovsky district adopted a resolution in which they expressed outrage at the actions of the North-East Administrative District authorities, accused them of breaking the law, and expressed no confidence in Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin, the prefect of the North-Eastern Administrative District, an RBC correspondent reported from the scene. The protesters also demanded that the Moscow government's decree authorizing construction be cancelled, that Torfyanka Park be returned to the status of a natural and green public area, and promised to continue the protest.

Organizers estimate that about 600 people attended the rally. On one side, local residents of different ages gathered near a small stage, among them were a few activists with flags of the Yabloko, Communist Party of the Russian Federation, and Democratic Choice parties.

The protesters came with posters: “Freedom for the park!”, “Don’t put an end to our park,” “Return “Torfyanka” to the residents,” “Putin, save our park.” The protest was guarded by several dozen police officers, and three or four paddy wagons were on duty nearby. “I’ve been living here for six years, walking with my mother, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, and here they want to cut down all the trees,” an elderly woman complained to her friend.

Behind the fence, on the construction site, stood strong young people, a couple of dozen of them were dressed in red T-shirts of the movement of defenders of the construction of the “Forty Forties” temples. Together with them, elderly women in headscarves came out to defend the temple, praying at a cross erected at the construction site, Cossacks in camouflage and hats, priests, and someone holding an imperial flag. If the passage through the frames to the rally against the temple was guarded by the police, then the entrance to the construction site was guarded by two activists of “Forty Forties”.

They did not let the RBC correspondent through. “Which publication are you from? RBC? Not blessed,” they explained. According to the assistant to the movement’s leader, Andrei Kormukhin, the temple’s supporters are trying to avoid provocations in this way, since there have already been clashes between opponents in the park.

“These are sick people,” the young people behind the fence discussed the performances from the stage. Moscow City Duma deputy Tatyana Portnova (United Russia) came to talk with the park’s defenders. However, the protesters did not allow her onto the stage, and she left. The protest was supported by the capital's communist deputy Nikolai Zubrilin and State Duma deputy Alexander Potapov.

“The authorities are trying to pit us against believers. But we are not against the temple, we are for the park! We will defend our land, save green spaces!” - the speakers addressed both supporters and opponents of construction from the stage. Activists from the Zyuzino, Golyanovo, and Koptevo districts came to support the residents of Losiny Ostrov.

The modular religious building at the address: Ostashkovsky proezd, possession 4, is being built under the “200 temples” program in the local “Torfyanka” park.

Residents of the Losinoostrovsky district began an open-ended protest on June 18, trying to prevent construction equipment from entering the park where the temple of the Russian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate was to be built. Activists believe that public hearings on the construction of the temple were held back in 2012 with violations, without taking their opinions into account.

The results of these hearings are still being disputed in court; the Babushkinsky interdistrict prosecutor's office agreed with the activists, submitting a proposal to the head of the Losinoostrovsky district administration to eliminate violations of the law.

On June 25, the camp of those opposing the construction was dispersed by riot police; supporters of the construction of the temple from fundamentalist Orthodox organizations, including the “Forty Forties” movement, and the Cossacks who joined them also took part in the scuffle.

Then 21 participants in the protests against construction were detained, the next day the prefecture decided to suspend construction until a court decision, which is expected on July 31. According to Orthodox activists, by July 6 they managed to collect 2 thousand signatures in support of the construction of a religious building.

Opponents of the construction of a temple in Torfyanka expressed no confidence in the mayor of Moscow