Russians launch rare protest over plan to build a church honoring soldiers

Residents in Russia have staged a rare protest, directly appealing to President Vladimir Putin to halt plans for a church dedicated to the country's soldiers in a local park.

The proposed development, situated in a riverside park in the Yubileiny district in the southern Russian city of Krasnodar, has sparked significant local opposition.

Online footage showed a resident reading a message to a large crowd.

The message urged Putin to preserve the park, located next to the Kuban river, as a vital green space for future generations.

"We are not against religion. We are in favour of the law," the person stated. "The authorities are not listening to us. We are forced to shout. Yubileiny is against this development."

The exact date of the public gathering remains unclear. Such protests are uncommon in Russia, particularly since the intensified crackdown on dissent following the invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

Authorities have indicated the planned church will honor "the heroes of the special military operation," the Kremlin's official term for the conflict.

However, the war connection was not the primary focus of the residents' objections.

Alexander Safronov, a Communist member of the local parliament, affirmed: "Residents are not opposed to the church in principle, but they do not want the embankment to be developed."

Spas, a conservative religious television channel, has argued for more churches in Krasnodar and labelled opponents of the project as "raving Communists."

Safronov countered that the channel had poured "lies and filth" on the protesters, inadvertently increasing their numbers.

The issue has generated lively debate in a Krasnodar chatroom on the Russian social network VK, with some residents insisting the city already has an abundance of churches.

One user posted: "Prayers alone won't fix what is happening in this country."