Basilashvili said that there is no place for a statue of Christ in the center of St. Petersburg – RIA Novosti

17:10 11.07.2016

(updated: 17:15 11.07.2016 )

1387 13 3

MOSCOW, July 11 -. RIA Novosti Honorary citizen of St. Petersburg, the People’s Artist of the USSR Oleg Basilashvili said that in the center of the city on the Neva is not a place for the 80-meter statue of Jesus Christ by the sculptor Zurab Tsereteli, but a small marble sculpture could easily be presented to the Kazan and St. Isaac’s Cathedral

Earlier it was reported that the president of the Russian Academy of Arts, sculptor Zurab Tsereteli suggested to the authorities of St. Petersburg to establish in the city the monument to Jesus Christ about 80 meters (33 meters -. statue and 47 meters – a pedestal). The Committee on Urban Planning and Architecture of the city RIA Novosti reported that the issue of the installation of the statue is studied, but no decision has yet been taken. Leningrad Region Government proposed its accommodation options sculptures – in the Nevsky Forest Park in Vsevolozhsk district or Koltushskoe hill.

According to the actor, the only place where the statue could be relevant – it Levashovskaya wasteland near St. Petersburg, which buried about 45 thousand victims of Stalin’s repressions

“The issue is complex, I’m afraid that those who say.. that put the statue of Christ of this size anywhere in the city center – it means to discredit Jesus, they will be subjected to ostracism, but I do not see the city a place to put such a large sculpture it would be great if there was created a small marble sculpture of Christ. and donated to the Kazan and St. Isaac’s Cathedral, such as Michelangelo’s statue in St. Peter’s in Rome “-. said RIA Novosti Basilashvili

The actor said that the famous statue of Christ in the Brazilian Rio de Janeiro stands on the hill above the city, as if protecting it. “We have a city of Petra, his patron – St. Peter, one of Jesus’ apostles Most of us are Christians, but there are also Muslims, Buddhists, Jews and atheists, it would be wrong to allocate any one denomination in tsarist Russia in front of the Winter Palace have established.. mosque, immediately near a Buddhist temple, a Protestant, Lutheran and Armenian church “- said Basilashvili.

Earlier, the representative of the Russian Orthodox Church told RIA Novosti that the installation of this kind of giant statues is not part of the Orthodox tradition, but a formal decision on the statue of Christ Tsereteli yet. At the same time in St. Petersburg began to collect signatures for a petition against the installation of the statue.