Authorities of a Nizhny Novgorod village are demanding the demolition of an Orthodox church.
February 20, 2017 – Believers of the Kornirovka ( Nizhny Novgorod region) have had to face administrative barriers from the local authorities. They are demanding the demolition of a chapel, which a local resident built on top of a holy water source. Before the October Revolution, this terrain had a pre-existing church, which a man restored at his own expense. Nevertheless, local authorities claim it is not respecting zoning permits.
The residents of Kornirovka are perturbed. One hundred years ago, the terrain was occupied by a chapel. Now, the residents of the village are aiming to restore it without external assistance. Local authorities are challenging the villagers on their demands and they claim that the church is indistinguishable from a shed with a cross.
Alexei Chernov, the head of the municipal administration, stated, “In the court, I am giving everyone an example – if I built a house, and raised an American flag above it, can I call it the Embassy of the United States of America?”
But Kornirovka will be not be mapped on the geopolitical chessboard of international relations. The locals simply wanted their own house of prayer, but this turned out more problematic than presumed.
According to the reporter Andrey Shamin, the chapel is located at the very center of the village. This property could have become someone’s private residence, a shop or a recreational center. But the villagers decided on a church. Prior to the building, the residents even collected signatures for its inception. But the municipal council intervened on the side of the few non-believers in the village, and they claimed that its presence is violating their rights.
Dmitry Orlov was the inspiration behind the building of the church. He paid for the building of the church out of his own pocket and received the blessing of the local bishop. Normally, no further paperwork is required afterwards. Following a predetermined practice, churches are recognized as being ownerless and they are automatically transferred to the balance of the Russian Orthodox Church (ROC) as a place of worship.
Dmitry spent 200,000 rubles on the project. He could have used it on the expansion of his home or for the construction of a sauna, but instead, he got used to putting the well-being of others above his own. The enthusiast did not expect that his initiative would face such stiff resistance from the local authorities, and that they would consider the chapel an ownerless building.
Dmitry began challenging local authorities after he noticed a truly ownerless construction in the neighbouring village. An early 19th century church in a deteriorating state somehow ended up side by side with the property of the village head. The land that the bureaucrat occupied is public property on the local cadastral map.
The holy water source in Kornirovka is also located on public property. The court will determine if the local chapel has to be demolished or not. The local diocese has put a claim on the church and has sided with the residents of the village.
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