At the same time, while in Ekaterinburg, where there is no problem with the availability and quantity of churches, the Russian Orthodox Church (ROC) is pushing for the construction of another church against public opinion instead of a popular park, in Kaliningrad even a mosque that existed in the private home of a Russian Muslim family is being demolished. Who could the mosque bother in this case? Certainly not the city’s residents, as was the case with the new church in Ekaterinburg. According to lawyer Dagir Khasavov, who is involved in the case, the decision to demolish the mosque is supported by the ROC, which, through its Baltic Bishop Serafim, has taken an uncompromising position regarding the existence of not even a mosque, but a cultural center for Muslims.
The house where the mosque was located was privately owned by businessmen Arthur and Irina Rusyayev, who registered it under their individual business. However, in accordance with the «Yarovaya Laws,» believers in Russia are no longer allowed to gather for public worship in their private homes. The use of such buildings in this case, as seen, can lead not only to the cessation of the temple’s activities, but also to the demolition of the premises.
These are the realities of Putin’s Russia in 2019, and the situation of civil society within it. On the one hand, there is the ROC, on the other, the rest of the religious communities. Needless to say, there is no need for further comments.