First Armenian Orthodox cathedral consecrated in Moscow
Moscow (AsiaNews
) - Another sign of the religious revival in Russia, but also a demonstration
of a new political understanding between Moscow and Yerevan , at a time when
the Kremlin is trying to discourage the former Soviet republic 's European
ambitions . The
consecration of the new cathedral of the Armenian Apostolic Church (or even the
Armenian Orthodox Church ) in the Russian capital that took place on September has provoked
different reactions , but it certainly has not gone unnoticed . It
is the largest Armenian church abroad: a complex that also houses a memorial to
the Armenian genocide, a cultural center, a museum and the bishop's residence .
After
eight years of work - funded by donations from wealthy Armenian businessman and
supported by the Russian authorities - the largest complex in Trifonovskaya
street , in one of the most ethnically diverse areas of Moscow , was
inaugurated in the presence of the Catholicos of Armenia , Garegin II , and
representatives of different religions : Russian Orthodox Patriarch Kirill ,
the Catholic Archbishop of the Mother of God in Moscow , Msgr . Paolo
Pezzi , members of the Council of Muftis of Russia, the Buddhist Sangha and the
Jewish community.
In
the first row in the Cathedral - built in travertine and marble, capable of
seating up to a thousand faithful - the President of Armenia, Serzh Sarksian ,
with his wife. Initially,
Vladimir Putin was expected to attend, however, he sent his representative. The
total cost of the complex has not been made known , and great emphasis was
given to the main benefactors of the project: Samvel Karapetyan , one of the
richest Armenian entrepreneurs , the head of the group Tashir ; Ruben Vardanyan
, Chairman of the Board of Sberbank and Ruben Grigoryan , a
number of Rutsog - Invest. On
the Russian side , the head of Railways Vladimir Yakunin , engaged in different
activities of a religious nature , who made available a few trains for the
transport of materials from Armenia for free. Unconfirmed
estimates, released by the Russian press, speak of a cost of about 60 million dollars.
According
to the latest census of 2010 , there are over 100 thousand Armenians in Moscow,
while unofficial data speak of at least 500 thousand people. The
new cathedral is considered , in fact , the first true Armenian Apostolic church
in the Russian capital, after their parishes were destroyed or confiscated in
the Soviet period . So
far, the community gathered in the small chapel of the Resurrection, in one of
the cemeteries of Moscow.
"The
complex will be a spiritual and cultural center in the lives of those who,
beyond nationality, are considered the bearers of Christian and human values
," said the bishop Yezras Nersisyan , head of the diocese of Nakhichevan
and Russia. For
his part, Kirill stressed the spiritual brotherhood with the Armenians (with
which the Russian Orthodox are not, however , in communion ) and invited other
churches to rebuild, as a demonstration that "the idea of God is alive
," despite the
attempts of the modern era to eliminate Him from people's lives .
The
invitation of the Patriarch was read by some of those present at the ceremony
as a more political statement than anything else. The
Moscow Patriarchate does not seem to think the same way on the construction of
new mosques for the Muslim community, or of a third church for Catholics . Both
communities have requested permission from the authorities in the capital, but
continue for years to clash with bans, obstacles and bureaucracy that could be
overcome - many say - with support from the Orthodox Church .
As
in the case of Belarus or Ukraine , the religious element is often used by
Russia as a vehicle for closer political cooperation with the former Soviet
republics, tending to move away from its sphere of influence . Kirill
has assumed a role as mediator in the conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan
over Nagorno - Karabakh (an Armenian-majority enclave in the territory of
Azerbaijan , currently controlled in fact by the forces of Yerevan but
surrounded by the army of Baku ), while the Kremlin has exerted pressure on
Yerevan with the increase in gas prices, waiting for Sarkisian to make his intentions
clearer. He
must now choose between the continuation of the process of European integration
or entrance into the Customs Union with Russia , Kazakhstan and Belarus. "
One excludes the other ," Stefan Füle , European Commissioner for
enlargement of the Union recently warned. The
appointment is set for November in Vilnius for the summit of the Eastern Partnership,
between Brussels and Armenia, Azerbaijan , Georgia, Belarus, Ukraine and
Moldova to facilitate their rapprochement with the EU .
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