On December 6, in Makhachkala, on the shore of Lake Ak-Gel, a stone was laid for the construction of the Alexander Nevsky Cathedral. The solemn ceremony was attended by Presidential Envoy to the North Caucasus Federal District Yuri Chaika, the leadership of the republic, and the hierarchs of the Russian Orthodox Church.
Interestingly, a month ago, the Makhachkala mayor's office suspended construction work on this site, stating that it had not given a building permit.
The first attempt to build a temple near Ak-Gel was made back in 2017, but was met with opposition from citizens - activists of the “City Our City” movement, who oppose the development of parks and green areas in Makhachkala. Previously, they protested against the construction of the “Russia - My History” museum in the Lenin Komsomol Park in the center of the Dagestan capital. This time, Russian townspeople spoke out most actively against the seizure of the territory near the lake, because they understood that Muslims would not dare to speak out against the construction of an Orthodox church.
Activists held a rally on the shore, demanded to organize public hearings and filed a lawsuit against the administration of Makhachkala, the property management committee and the Makhachkala diocese of the Russian Orthodox Church, demanding a ban on the construction of a temple on the territory of the park. The Leninsky District Court granted their claim, but in April 2018, the Supreme Court of Dagestan overturned the decision of the trial court.
“Temple fighters” have repeatedly emphasized that they have nothing against the construction of a cathedral - but not on the territory of a park intended for the recreation of citizens. There were proposals to build a religious building on the central square of Makhachkala - it was there that the Alexander Nevsky Cathedral stood until it was destroyed in 1953. Now in its place is the White House - the building of the government of Dagestan.
The secretary of the Makhachkala diocese, Hieromonk Siluan, told the Kavkaz.Realii publication that permits for construction have not yet been received, but “at the moment the foundation stone has only been laid, no other work is being carried out. We will complete all the necessary documents, go through government procedures, and in the spring, if everything is complied with, we will begin construction – strictly after receiving permission.”
According to him, the future cathedral is planned as a cathedral and a military cathedral, but its final status will be determined by Patriarch Kirill after construction is completed.
The persistent desire to build a temple against the wishes of the townspeople is perceived by many in the republic as an attempt by the authorities to score points in the eyes of the president by enlisting support from the highest clergy and demonstrating their ability to control the situation despite the protests of civil activists.
Similar conflict situations arise not only in Dagestan. Several years ago, residents of Novorossiysk and Krasnodar unsuccessfully protested against the construction of a naval cathedral next to the Malaya Zemlya memorial and the construction of a temple in a green zone. Residents of Rostov, Astrakhan, Sochi and Volgograd also made similar protests.