March 17, 2002, Moscow, 9.49 AM
On March 15 Yury Luzhkov and Patriarch declared that the [re]construction of
the Cathedral of Christ the Saviour is finished and it costed 170 millions dollars.
Unexpected scandal: Luzhkov declared also that he will place an organ in the Cathedal's
Hall of Church Councils. Russian Orthodox tradition is definitely against organs
in the church as a symptom of "latinization," so the Patriarch was obliged
to explain that the Church owns only the upper part of the building, and the basement
(including the Hall) belongs to the city administration. Well, explanation bring
another problem: what a strange mixture of property rights!
March 20, 2002, Moscow, 21.59
An interesting detail: the construction of the Cathedral of Christ the Savior
costed 500 millions dollars, not 170, as Luzhkov declared recently. Luzhkov decided
to hide the real amount of expenses (because of shame, I think) and made very
simple trick: all donations made before default of August, 1998, he ordered to
convert intro dollars according to the post-default course. (Before August 1998
dollar costed 6 rubles, now 31.) Why he is ashamed? First, because the construction
is too expensive for the poor country, second, because low expenses mean lower
level of stealing...
|
