Penzyak residents protest against the transfer of the building of the House of Culture of Railway Workers to the diocese

Residents of Penza organized a protest against the transfer of the building of the House of Culture to the Russian Orthodox Church. Dzerzhinsky.

On August 3, 2017, residents of Penza organized a protest against the transfer of the building of the House of Culture named after A. Dzerzhinsky, in which about 400 children from circles are involved.

The protesters held posters: "The Dzerzhinsky Palace of Culture is for children!", "We will not allow the club to be turned into a house of worship!", "We demand from Russian Railways to prevent the transformation of the Palace of Culture into a house of worship!".

Since 1923, the House of Culture of Railway Workers has been located in the church building - that is why, before the transfer to the Church, the building belonged to Russian Railways LLC.

The protesters are demanding that the company reverse its decision to hand over the building to the recreation center. In their opinion, there are enough temples in the city, and there are not enough children's circles within walking distance. The governor has already promised the citizens that all the circles will “move” to the House of Officers, but the residents do not agree with this prospect (the building of the House of Officers is located in a remote area, besides, it still needs to be repaired and reconstructed).

Sources

• The ROC takes Russia: how the church expands its possessions, taking away parks, museums and houses // Open Russia. 2017. August 7.