Photo: “Moscow. North-West”
Since 2010, since the start of the program of building new churches in Moscow, the capital built 85 churches, there are about 150, have informed “Interfax” on Tuesday the curator of the program, the state Duma Deputy Vladimir resin.
“In just eight years in Moscow in the framework of the programme and beyond it, built 85 temples. With 59 of them are already in operation, including nine in the “new Moscow”, 14 are in the stage of preparation to enter, and in 12 sites construction work completed,” – said Vladimir resin.
In General, according to him, in the construction of Orthodox churches in selected and approved by the Church plots included 193 temple complex in Moscow and 18 in the territory of “new Moscow”, and 22 temple complex over program.
“Since the start of the program of construction of Orthodox churches, which informally is popularly called “program-200″, a milestone of 200 churches we have already overcome. From 2010 to 2018 we carry out work for 233 approved addresses”, – said Vladimir resin.
In the past year only “program-200” was put into operation nine temples, nine temple complexes are in preparation for the commissioning and 12 completed construction and installation works.
In the plans for 2019 at various stages of construction will go 29 churches: 25 in the program and four over it.
“Although the city does not invest in the program budget, but the help and patronage of the government, giving the people’s initiative official status of the city’s program provides many opportunities for its implementation – for example, turning on a place for the temple in master plans for future residential areas”, – said Vladimir resin.
According to him, in the past year, it became clear that it is optimal to build temples with a capacity of at least 500 people. “My personal opinion – even in 1000” – added the curator of the programme, considering that projects of smaller capacity can be used in the construction of temples in the regions of Russia.
“These projects already tested in practice, was modified taking into account the comments, and we donated to the Russian Orthodox Church,” – said Vladimir resin, according to which the program has established a “high bar”, the pace of implementation of the monitoring system, the formation of communities and the selection of sites.
“Program-200” was launched in 2009. Her idea belonged to Patriarch Kirill. The reason for the construction of new churches in the Russian capital, that Moscow at that time was the lowest among all other regions of Russia the number of churches in terms of the density of the Orthodox population.