Archpriest Sergius Khalyuta decided to resign from the post of director of the Tauride Chersonesus nature reserve, RIA Novosti reported on Thursday, July 6, with reference to the Minister of Culture Vladimir Medinsky.

He clarified that the new director will have to ensure an effective transition period for the transfer of the museum to federal subordination, which will take several months. The reserve staff, in turn, thanked the archpriest for his “wise decision.”

The minister explained that Father Sergius decided to leave “taking into account the current situation” in order to give the governor of Sevastopol the opportunity to propose a third candidate for the post of director of the Tauride Chersonese Nature Reserve.

According to Medinsky, a development council will be created at the reserve, which will develop a plan for its work and investments, and as a supervisory body will take part in its work. The newly created council will also include Khalyuta.

Medinsky refused to name the candidacy of the new acting director of Chersonese Tauride, noting that the decision on the new appointment will be made by the governor today.

Khalyuta received the post of director of the Tauride Chersonesos national reserve by decision of the governor of Sevastopol Sergei Menyailo on July 29. The governor then assured that the appointment would not affect the scientific work of the reserve. However, the reserve staff opposed this appointment, fearing that under the leadership of the clergyman, a research center with a 200-year history would be destroyed.

On August 1, President Vladimir Putin decided to accept the Tauride Chersonese Nature Reserve, which is included in the UNESCO World Heritage List, into federal jurisdiction and ordered that it be included in the list of especially valuable objects of cultural heritage of the peoples of the country.

Medinsky announced the resignation of Khaliuta from the post of director of Khersones.