Pavel Nazdra: Fate of St Joseph Cathedral still unclear
Authorities in Minsk have suspended preparations to redevelop an ancient Catholic church into a hotel and a trade center. The move apparently comes under pressure in respond to a collective appeal from public activists in Mazyr, endorsed by several thousand people.
The respond from the Architecture and Urban Planning Committee at the Minsk City Hall came yesterday, bu Pavel Nazdra, who spearheaded the collection of signatures, is not optimistic:
"This is not a victory, because they have responded in such a vague way so it is really hard to understand… At any moment, they can resume project preparations for the redevelopment of this historical site into a hotel complex", he says.
According to Hazdra, officials mentioned only two ancient buildings on Kiryla i Mifodziy street -- No 6 and No 8, saying they were studying possibilities to turn this complex into a historical and cultural site.
However, they mentioned no word about the building of the St Joseph Cathedral, the Roman Catholic community has tried to reclaim for several years. The activists said they would continue collecting signatures in order to make the authorities in Minsk to come up with a clear answer about the fate of the cathedral.
The respond from the Architecture and Urban Planning Committee at the Minsk City Hall came yesterday, bu Pavel Nazdra, who spearheaded the collection of signatures, is not optimistic:
"This is not a victory, because they have responded in such a vague way so it is really hard to understand… At any moment, they can resume project preparations for the redevelopment of this historical site into a hotel complex", he says.
According to Hazdra, officials mentioned only two ancient buildings on Kiryla i Mifodziy street -- No 6 and No 8, saying they were studying possibilities to turn this complex into a historical and cultural site.
However, they mentioned no word about the building of the St Joseph Cathedral, the Roman Catholic community has tried to reclaim for several years. The activists said they would continue collecting signatures in order to make the authorities in Minsk to come up with a clear answer about the fate of the cathedral.
