It’s a case worthy of an international thriller: after years of legal battles, the Court of Appeal in Aix-en-Provence has decided that the Russian State regains ownership not only of the Orthodox cathedral reclaimed in 2013 but also of the Church of Saint Nicholas and Saint Alexandra, as well as the Caucade cemetery, located in Nice, the historic heart of the Russian diaspora in Europe. This decision sends shivers down the spine of the Russian Orthodox Cult Association (Acor), which has been managing the worship and upkeep of these places for over three decades without ever holding the title of ownership.
In a relentless logic, the court argued that the Russian State, having acquired these buildings originally intended for the Orthodox Church before the 1917 Revolution, remains the legitimate owner. Moscow's arguments, asserting that there is no separation between the State and the Church in this historic acquisition, struck a chord. In other words...
rmes, despite the ongoing management and maintenance efforts of the Acor, French law regards these places as Russian public properties, inalienable, regardless of the time that has passed.A devastating decision for the independent Orthodox community of Moscow in Nice
For Alexis Obolensky, president of the Acor, this is a monumental slap. The decision, described as "devastating" and throwing "hundreds of faithful onto the streets," raises significant questions about the future of the independent Orthodox community of Moscow in Nice. Beyond the legal conflict, this case embodies a symbolic struggle over Russian cultural heritage abroad, marking a point of no return in the Russian state’s reconquest of its former cultural and religious properties. A judicial victory that, by redrawing the map of religious heritage in Nice, risks dividing Orthodox sensitivities and leaving indelible marks in contemporary history.
Source: Le Courrier des Stratèges
