A worship cross was cut down in Bashkiria

In mid-October 2023, it became known about the demolition of the worship cross at the Pavlovsk storage facility in the Karaidelsky district of Bashkortostan.

A five-meter cross was installed on one of the “12 Apostles” rocks in 2011 in memory of the fallen priests and became a popular tourist attraction. Unknown people allegedly sailed up to the rock in a boat, sawed off the cross and dumped it into the water; when it fell, the cross fell into pieces. The district administration has restored the cross, but plans to replace it over time.

A criminal case has been initiated under Part 2 of Art. 214 of the Criminal Code (vandalism committed by a group of persons, as well as motivated by political, ideological, racial, national or religious hatred or enmity).

Shortly after the act of vandalism, a message from some separatist nationalists appeared on social networks, saying that the cross had been “dismantled” by “batyrs” and announcing the demolition of the worship cross in the Beloretsky district, near the village of Kaga.

“Let there be no more crosses on our land, installed brazenly as a symbol of occupation. <...> We are not fighting Orthodoxy! We are fighting colonialism and the imposition of religion!” - the message says.

Sources

• A worship cross was demolished on the rock of the Pavlovsk reservoir in Bashkiria // Telegram channel “Multinational”. 2023. October 17.
• Unknown persons cut down a worship cross on the Pavlovsk reservoir in Bashkiria // Province.ru. 2023. October 18.