"They did a good deed, but they got it for their ears." Priest – about the penalty for unauthorized repair of the church

The rector of the Church of the Transfiguration in the Upper Glubokoe District village repaired the church roof for parishioners' money – and was fined. Priest Peter Daylidenok explained to TUT.BY why this happened.

Remember the roof of a wooden church in Upper Village, damaged elements: the hurricane destroyed several slate leaves. The parishioners have collected money for repairs, the whole world has also restored the building. And then it turned out that the work was done without a corresponding restoration project, and for unauthorized repair, the prior – priest Peter Dailienok – was fined.

– It was last year. I do not even remember the exact amount of the fine. It seems about 200 rubles. However, it was minimal: the district authorities understood our situation. The parishioners once again collected "pennies" – to pay the fine, although there was not enough money for repairs. And for rural people, this amount is not so small, "said Priest Peter Daylidenok.

Last year, according to the priest, the church would be "virtually in a state of emergency":

– And there was nothing to do! If you do everything according to the law, then you must collect all the permissions to carry out a restoration project. And the project is expensive. That is, all the money collected by people would go to the project. And what for repairs? As you collect money for repairs again, the reconstruction project will become obsolete. So we understood that we were doing repairs in violation of the law. But saving the temple was more important to us.

After receiving a fine, clergy representatives appealed to the Speaker of the House of Representatives of the National Assembly. Vladimir Andreichenko. In December 2017, he organized a reception for citizens in Glubokoye.

– We went to see our MP because they considered that it was a significant gap: they did a good deed, but they got it for the ears. They demanded that the law protecting cultural monuments not be their thief. Because there are many rural temples of this type that collapse, like ours, in the country, and they need to be saved, "says the rector of the country. Upper Church.

About what was said at the reception of citizens with the participation of the President of Parliament, the regional newspaper "Vitebsk news" wrote:

"It's sad because they did it with good intentions and tried to save the temple from destruction," said the archpriest of Glubokoe District. Mikhail Izoitko. – Of course, we understand the need to prepare relevant documentation, a review. But where to find money? The parishes of the village are small. With the donations of the villagers – mostly the elderly – it is extremely difficult to do all this. Now, if the problems related to local architectural monuments were solved at the district level, it would be much easier.

Vladimir Andreichenko then promised to convey the offer of the priest to the Minister of Culture of Belarus Yuri Bondar, stressing that the question of the preservation of historical heritage requires special attention.

As a result, the situation in the rural church of Glubokoe district has generated widespread public outcry. A year later, it was even discussed in parliament.

According to Peter Dailidenka, archpriest of the Glubokoe region Mikhail Izoitkoand also the abbot of the Cathedral of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary in the depths Sergey Gromyko On 27 November, they traveled to Minsk for a round table at the Government House, where they discussed how to improve the legislation on culture.

MEPs concluded that the procedure for rebuilding emergency facilities was overly regulated, STV reports. They propose to extend the powers of local authorities in this area. There must be specialists in the field who can monitor the work required in a given installation.

– Local specialists must determine the types of work needed and who to consult. Do not do an overall restoration immediately. Just observe the object constantly, to avoid damage by the most minimal means, – considers the board member of the fund "Cultural Heritage and Modernity" Igor Chernyavsky.

It is not excluded that the proposals made at the round table are introduced in the code "of culture," notes the ETS.

The Church of the Transfiguration of the Upper Village, according to the Abbot, is at least 250 years old:

– It's very beautiful, it's worth it – like a chicken. Decorate the entire village.

About 30 people are actively attending every service in Verkhny Church, which has fewer than 200 people during the holidays.