Krasnodar activists announced they had collected nearly 500 signatures for a petition to Patriarch Kirill.

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In two days, activists reportedly collected nearly 500 signatures for a petition to Patriarch Kirill asking him to reconsider the decision to build a church on Rozhdestvenskaya Embankment. They reported attempts by police to impede the signature collection.

As reported by the "Caucasian Knot," on January 16, despite protests from residents, the mayor of Krasnodar approved the planning project for Rozhdestvenskaya Embankment in the Yubileiny microdistrict, where the church is planned to be built. On January 29, Krasnodar City Duma deputies approved a decision to seize part of a public garden for the construction of a church. On March 19, 99% of participants in the public discussion spoke out against conducting religious ceremonies on Krasnodar's Rozhdestvenskaya Embankment, however, the commission deemed the opinion of those opposed to the church construction irrelevant and recommended that the mayor grant permission for religious services to be held on the embankment. The last picket against the church construction took place on April 10. On April 23, activists announced a signature drive for a petition to His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Rus' asking him to reconsider the decision to build the church.

Activists from the Yubileiny neighborhood in Krasnodar managed to collect nearly 500 signatures in two days for a petition to His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia protesting the construction of a new church on Rozhdestvenskaya Embankment. However, the signature collection lasted only two hours each day, activists who spoke anonymously told a Caucasian Knot correspondent on April 24.

They noted that the signature collection process was hindered by police. "Almost all the activists were given warnings." At least two people were questioned by police during the signature collection process. “Well, and we also received assurances from other activists that they would not collect signatures or sign them either,” they noted.

As a reminder, on December 15, 2025, residents of the Yubileiny microdistrict of Krasnodar, protesting against the development of the embankment, recorded a video message to Vladimir Putin, but their question was not voiced during the president’s direct line.

“Caucasian Knot” also wrote that in November, opponents of the construction of the church in Yubileiny, together with representatives of the Communist Party of the Russian Federation, began collecting Signatures demanding the resignation of Mayor Yevgeny Naumov.

In September 2024, residents of the Yubileiny microdistrict of Krasnodar protested against the development of Rozhdestvenskaya Embankment, where, according to the city's new general plan, a church was planned. They explained that this was the only major recreation area in the microdistrict. Activists collected signatures for a petition to Governor Veniamin Kondratyev against the development of Rozhdestvenskaya Embankment. more than 3,000 signatures were collected. Activist Vitaly Cherkasov and City Duma deputy Alexander Safronov were detained while collecting signatures and fined by the court.

Residents of the neighborhood actively protested against the development of the embankment, explaining that it is the only major recreation area in the neighborhood. However, in November 2024, City Duma deputies adopted a new general plan despite their protests.

Back in December 2021, activists spoke out against the construction of a new church on the embankment in Krasnodar, and residents of the Yubileiny neighborhood also protested. Embankment defenders believe it is necessary to build educational and leisure facilities for children in the neighborhood. In January 2022, activist Yana Antonova held a solo picket against the transfer of land on the embankment to the Russian Orthodox Church for the construction of a church.