For more than 15 years the Nikolaev Muslims cannot get from officials the permission for restoring of the mosque which was constructed around the park Petrovsky in 1870, but was destroyed by the Soviet authorities. And the territory, for which the followers of Islam pretend, actually is not used. But for not clear reasons officials for 15 years on either give the allowance for building, or take it back.
As the chief of the Department on Questions of Religion of the Regional State Administration Alexander Kostashenko told to the edition "Nikolaevskie Vesti", the City Council until now did not give to Muslims the building license. As he said, the problem is that various Muslim organizations apply for the historical territory of the mosque.
On June, 24th, the session of the Council of Representatives of Social Organizations of National Minorities of the region took place at the head of the regional state administration, in the course of which the participants brought up a question of building of the mosque. They did not discuss the fact that between national minorities there are disagreements concerning the one who will build the mosque. Moreover, various Muslim organizations, probably, do not know at all that between them there are contradictions, writes the source.
The issue of the mosque at the session was mentioned by the head of the social organization "Council of the National Organizations of the Nikolaev Region" Sultan Murad Kaymarazov.
"For many years Muslims cannot receive the territory of the Muslim mosque. The congress of Azerbaijanis of Ukraine in the Nikolaev region incurred obligations to finance the building of the Muslim mosque. On the basis of it we addressed to t he governor with the petition. The governor supported us. Practically the problem here does not exist".
Murad Kaymarazov addressed to the present on the session assistant to the governor Dmitry Oboronko and the chief of the Department on Nationalities of the Regional State Administration Elena Ivashko with the request that the chief of the Department of Religion A.Kostashenko in the nearest future would sign the materials on the Muslim community to legally transfer the territory under construction of the Muslim mosque.
"That it would not turn out that the territory is given to some confessions, and to the other ones not. Conflicts always appear when legislative requirements are not satisfied", Kaymarazov concluded.
In his turn, Dmitry Oboronko promised that this topic would not remain closed.
The mosque history
According to the historical inquiry of the Nikolaev regional museum of local lore, the Muslim mosque in the city was under construction for eight years. The base was put in 1862, and in 1870 the building was finished. The application of the society of the Nikolaev Mohammedans to the military city governor, Vice-admiral B. A.Fon-Glazenap, with the petition for material aid rendering in the mosque building is preserved. Today it is known that the Lutheran Fon-Glazenap, despite difficult situation in which there was Nikolaev after the Crimean war, found possibility to give material aid to the Muslim community - and the mosque was constructed.
Bolsheviks in 1931 disassembled the mosque on building materials. Before the war here first was placed a repair truck, then a pantry of a factory. The further biography of the Muslim mosque is traced by the "dashed line".
The territory biography
In the beginning of the 60th this land was given to the factory of 61 Communards under a hothouse economy and a greenhouse. In 1975 the Executive Committee of the City Soviet of People's Deputies takes the decision on transfer of a site with unused hothouses under building of the hospital on 100 places for maternity home № 1. But with the building of the hospital something was wrong, and the city authorities returned the land on balance of the factory.
On April, 4th, 1995, deputies of the City Council accepted the decision "On confirming of the historical-architectural basic plan of Nikolaev". This decision included the former territory of the mosque in a security zone of a cultural-historical heritage of the Central area and changed a ground area legal status. According to the article No 32 of the Land Code of Ukraine, transfer of the land in the other category is not authorized. In the other words, if here there was the mosque before; under the law the Muslim community has the priority right to tap of this site.
On January, 31st, 1997, the City Council session legalized transfer of a recreation park of the name of Petrovsky from the factory to the city. In two months deputies voted for transfer of this object to rent to a private enterprise "Oscar and BpR-invest". At renewal of the property lessors included a garage, a workshop, a greenhouse and a hothouse located in the territory of the former mosque, in the certificate of inventory of objects of a park complex. From now on the land with the remnants of an old mosque appeared to be tightly bound with the property of a park complex.
Attempt of the first rent of the park of the name of Petrovsky appeared to be unsuccessful: the City Council and the private businessman could not agree about the terms of the transaction.
From the second attempt the object was given for 49 years to use of the Open Company "Interfirma" which is owned by the deputy of the City Council Leonid Podolsky. The territory of the former mosque departed under the certificate of old inventory to the new user who lazily observes the "marathon" of the Nikolaev Muslims in search of the historical truth.
Marathon
"It is really a marathon…", Ruslan Damirhanovich Binali-ogly, the Imam of the Muslim community of the Nikolaev region told to the correspondent of the Nikolaev regional Internet newspaper "News N".
On November, 30th, 1992, the Representative of the President of Ukraine in the Nikolaev region Anatoly Kinah made the order to the chairman of the City Council Yury Sandyuk about an interdiction of privatization of the territory of the mosque and the prompt transfer to its Muslim society after registration of the charter of this organization.
On February, 26th, 1993, two officials from the Executive Committee of the City Soviet of People's Deputies P.N.Kasatkin and A.S. Pyatak by the private decision forbade to give the territory of the mosque to the Muslim community. The decision does not disclose the officials' motivation documentary.
On June, 5th, 1995, the chairman of the Council of National Societies M.Kaymarazov notified the head of the regional state administration of Nikolay Kruglov on the consent of administration of 61st Communard to transfer the mosque territory in use of the Muslim community of Nikolaev and asked the last "to accelerate decision of this point in question".
On November, 30th, 1996, the Mufti of the Spiritual Management of Muslims of Ukraine Sheikh Ahmad Tamim was answered by the vice-president of the State Committee on Affairs of Religions, M.Novichenko, "Your reference about returning of the territory of the mosque to the Muslim community of Nikolaev is considered and transferred to the Regional State Administration with the request to consider it according to the existing legislation..."
On August, 27th, 2002, the chairman of the national societies, the art worker of Ukraine Hajji Sultan Murad Kaymarazov addressed to the city mayor V.D.Chayka with an open letter, "The Muslim community of Nikolaev since 1992 addresses to the Executive Committee of the City Soviet of People's Deputies with petitions for returning to Muslims of the city the territory of the former mosque which is until now in a rent of a businessman Podolsky. In the city indwell more than 2 000 Muslims, they, the same as representatives of other religious faiths, wish the smallest - to practice their spiritual needs: to perform holy Friday prayers, ceremonies of birth of children, burial of deceased Muslims, to celebrate their holidays... Nowadays in Ukraine there is no a city except Nikolaev where cult constructions would not be returned to Muslims. We never addressed with complaints to any organizations. It speaks about the fact of respect for the deputies and the mayor. We account on your wisdom in decision of this issue..."
But it happened so that Muslims were late. The deputy of the City Council Leonid Podolsky took in long-term rent park of Petrovsky and adjoining territory of the old mosque.
"Podolsky is not going to give the mosque, therefore the deputy commission offered us to choose similar lands in the area of Kulbakino and Dubki", informed Ruslan Binali-ogly. On the question of the journalist that the offered sites do not suit Muslims because of their remoteness, the Imam added, "Not at all, if this land would be situated even in steppe we would agree to take it. But the mosque of our ancestors which under our laws should be restored is on that site which by mistake was taken by Podolsky. He is a businessman, and consequently, he will not give the property, though, at large, this land does not represent for him any business interest. Today here is still a neglected economic yard with the rests of hothouses and greenhouses".
