Why do they demand the demolition of the Orthodox orphanage in Sirius?

The authorities suddenly changed their attitude and are seeking the demolition of the Orthodox shelter adjacent to the Church of the Holy Image of Christ the Savior in the Sirius FT.

What came as a surprise to the parishioners was the lawsuit filed by the administration of the FT “Sirius” for the demolition of the allegedly unauthorized buildings of the Orthodox shelter for the elderly and needy people on Khadyzhenskaya Street, 28. For 18 years, it was built on lands belonging to the Eksuzyan family, which they donated to the Orthodox priest Archimandrite Flavian in gratitude for the enlightenment of their son Suren in the Orthodox faith. In 2005, the project was blessed by Patriarch Alexy II and Metropolitan Isidore. According to the owners, they worked closely with the local administration, coordinated the stages of work and legitimized their actions. In accordance with the blessing of the spiritual leadership, the orphanage was to be inherited by the Russian Orthodox Church. In 2011, in agreement with Patriarch Kirill, near the shelter, Father Flavian initiated the construction of a temple in honor of the Image of Christ the Savior Not Made by Hands. For construction, part of the land plot was transferred to the state free of charge, the temple was transferred to the jurisdiction of the Russian Orthodox Church and put into operation by 2014. During the Winter Olympic Games, Russian President Vladimir Putin attended the Christmas service in this church. Suren Eksuzyan was also present.

So, throughout all this time, near the elegant buildings of the shelter, an equally elegant temple was built in the same architectural style. All this time, administrative and church ministers, according to Exuzian, recognized the value of a single complex.

The sudden interruption of the ongoing favor sowed a lot of speculation among the believers. On October 12, 2022, the administration of the federal territory Sirius filed a claim in court for the demolition of the shelter buildings. Now the proceedings in this case have been suspended until a decision is made in the case on recognition of ownership of the object.

Representatives of the Sochi diocese stated that the shelter buildings, although built using elements of church architecture, belong to individuals on a private property basis.

“These buildings have not been transferred to the ownership of the parish, although, as far as is known, they were built with donations from ordinary citizens collected through a fund managed by Eksuzyan for socially beneficial parish activities,” says a commentary from the press service of the Sochi diocese.

The organizers of the Foundation of the Temple of the Image of Christ the Savior Not Made by Hands and the laity came under significant administrative and law enforcement pressure. According to the president of the foundation, in light of the blessing of Patriarch Alexy and many years of construction, such actions look at least strange. After the situation drew the attention of the public and the media, many famous people tried to reduce the intensity of passions. Even Margarita Simonyan voiced her position in her Telegram channel: “The temple and temple buildings will NOT be demolished. The rest will be decided within the framework of the law and in agreement with the Russian Orthodox Church.”

In this regard, on the YouTube channel of the “Foundation of the Temple of the Image of Christ the Savior Not Made by Hands,” an appeal from Suren Eksuzyan to Patriarch Kirill appeared with a request to protect the social project, where it was emphasized that Patriarch Alexy and Metropolitan Isidore guaranteed the condition of the gift of the Eksuzyan family. The Sochi Diocese began to demonstrate a strange position. In Eksuzyan’s appeal, the name of Bishop Herman (Alisher Kamalov) of Sochi is mentioned in this regard. Meanwhile, the Exuzyan family and the parishioners of the “Olympic” temple are in favor of creating a Patriarchal metochion, which could reflect the history of the creation of the shelter.

According to the News Agency “Live Kuban“, “the patron hopes that his appeal to the Patriarch will have an effect.”

We will monitor the situation as it develops. It will be interesting to see how this confrontation will end.