In the ROC, the state Duma, the Federation Council and the OP will regret the decision of Turkey's Hagia Sophia

the Russian Orthodox Church regrets that the words of the Patriarch were not heard, and the Hagia Sophia in Istanbul again becomes a mosque. Commented on the situation head of the Department for Church relations with society and mass-media Vladimir Legoyda.

we will Remind, earlier on Friday it became known that the state Council of Turkey annulled the decision of 1934 the transformation of Hagia Sophia into a Museum.

Legoyda recalled: July 6, Patriarch Kirill said that the duty of any civilized state is to maintain balance and to reconcile the contradictions in society, and not to aggravate them. “It is a pity that these words were not heard,” — said Legoyda in his interview to RIA “Novosti”. He stressed inter-religious peace and harmony is an extremely subtle and profound questions, which do not tolerate ill-conceived and purely political decisions.

In turn, the first Deputy Chairman of the Duma Committee on international Affairs Dmitry Novikov said that the Turkish decision would be hard to swallow the Orthodox world and not the best way affect the socio-political life of Turkey. “Once again, remember atatürk — his legacy is associated with the formation of a secular state”, — said the Deputy.

First Deputy Chairman of the Federation Council Committee on international Affairs Sergei Kislyak said that Moscow is unlikely to turn to Ankara with new statements about Sofia. According to him, the Russian side “all the statements already made”. He added that personally he had the Turkish decision caused a “huge disappointment”.

the Public chamber (OP) also expressed regret about the decision of Turkey. The head of Commission OP on harmonization of interethnic and interreligious relations Vladimir Zorin said that if this decision will support President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, this will negatively affect the international image of Turkey. He expressed hope that Erdogan will take a reasonable decision and will not violate one the tradition, which was founded by Ataturk.

Recall, the Hagia Sophia was founded by the Christian Emperor Justinian, and was opened on 27 December 537. Cathedral over a thousand years was the largest Church in the Christian world. After the capture of Constantinople by the Ottomans and the fall of the Byzantine Empire in 1453, the Cathedral was converted into a mosque but since 1934 the building by decree of the founder of the modern Turkish state Kemal Ataturk became a Museum and was included in the world heritage list of UNESCO.

Stories about how you tried to get help from the Russian state in terms of coronaries and what came of it, email it to COVID-19@rosbalt.ru