Natalia TITOVA
On Monday Mayor Kamil Iskhakov asserted that the icon of the Kazan God Mother will come back to Kazan on July, 21, the day when Blagoveschensky Cathedral will be opened on the territory of the Kazan Kremlin. This statement was broadcast by almost all republic mass media, and this was done affirmatively, just like Iskhakov said it.
The main argument was the words by the Patriarchy of Moscow and All-Russia Aleksiy II. In November 2004 during his meeting with Mayor of Kazan Patriarchy said the relic could be returned to the place where it was found only on condition that Kazan Bogoroditsky Monastery would be restored and the tobacco factory would leave its territory.
General optimism with which the Mayor speaks about the return of the icon to Kazan, and mass media spreads this statement, seems to be at least groundless.
Krestovozdvizhensky building of Bogoroditsky Monastery is being restored at the moment but the work is not finished yet. Opening of Blagoveschensky Cathedral will take place in about two weeks, but the tobacco factory is still where it was, and they don t say anything about the date of their removal from the territory of the monastery. And it s so not because they conceal the information, they simply don t know the date. Anyhow the Mayor hopes to sign all the necessary documents so that the factory could move away in time.
Still, even when the documents are signed, it won t mean that the relic will come back immediately. No matter how hard the city authorities try to assure the public that the condition of the Patriarchy is almost fulfilled, it s enough to have a look at what is going on inside the monastery walls and you will understand the real distance from the present day situation to erection of the pilgrim center.
It s unlikely that Mr.Iskhakov doesn t realize this fact. But his wish to write his name in golden letters in history is so great that he doesn t hesitate to put pressure upon the Head of Russian Orthodox Church on public, making one-sided statements. And he seems to view the religious relic only as another decoration on the parade uniform of the capital.
P.S. Today there was received a report from the Moscow Patriarchy saying that the question about the time when the icon of Kazan God Mother should be delivered to Kazan is still being discussed. As it is expected, the Patriarchy of Moscow and All-Russia Aleksiy II will visit Kazan on July, 21-22; there he will take part in celebration of the 1000-th anniversary of the city and 450-th of the Kazan Bishopric. But in the preliminary program there is not a word about the delivery of the icon , said representative of the Patriarchy.
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