Opponents and supporters of the transfer of St. Isaac's Cathedral to the Russian Orthodox Church gathered in St. Petersburg on the Field of Mars

In St. Petersburg, on the Field of Mars, opponents and supporters of St. Isaac's Cathedral were handed over to the Russian Orthodox Church. According to Fontanka, the number of opponents is estimated at 500-1000. Several dozen people came to the action of supporters.

The rally of opponents takes place in the format of a meeting with deputies of the legislative assembly, so they were forbidden to use megaphones.

Deputy of the Legislative Assembly from the "Fair Russia" Alexei Kovalev at the rally proposed to create a movement "Orthodox in defense of the museum in St. Isaac's Cathedral."

• The governor of St. Petersburg, Georgy Poltavchenko, decided in early January to transfer St. Isaac's Cathedral to the church. Now there is a museum. The agreement on the transfer of the ROC will be drawn up by the end of 2019.
• The Creative Union of Museum Workers of St. Petersburg and the Leningrad Region and the St. Petersburg Union of Scientists opposed the decision of the city administration. On January 13, a protest action was held in St. Petersburg against the transfer of the cathedral to the church.