On 25 July 2018, a session of Dnipro City Counsil adopted a decision to return the building of Katerynoslav Jami Mosque to the local Muslim community. The Mosque was confiscated by the bolsheviks in early XX, after Ukraine was occupied by Soviet Russia. The only remaining issue is to wait until the premises are vacated by the previous user, and then re-build the minaret demolished by the Soviet authorities, and then reconstruct, refit and re-decorate the building.
As stressed by the Dnipro city Mayor Borys Filatov in his post, the Muslim community had bought another building for the children’s sports school currently located in the building, so the transition wouldn’t affect the young athletes. The School is to move next spring.
Mufti of RAMU “Umma” Said Ismagilov noted, that the event was momentous for Ukraine. He called for Dnipro muslims to unite and revive the spiritual life at the mosque; for joint participation in charity. Prayers and holidays. He also urged Muslims to love and defend Ukraine.
Edgar Devliqamov, Imam at Dnipro Islamic Cultural Centre, also commented on the subject:
“This is something we’ve been looking forward to seeing for a long time, and everyone did their part to make it happen. This is how it has to be in every city of our country.”
The Imam added that Ukrainians of different ethnic and religious backgrounds are one nation, and share the same country.
Noteworthy, Katerynoslav Mosque was built in 1910-1911 at the cost of rich members of local Muslim community (which back then counted up to 560 persone). The stone who-storey building had a high minaret, and had an obvious advance (with its then-popular neo-moresque style) over the surrounding architecture.
Watershed in the history of the local Muslim community was occupation of the country by Russian bolsheviks in 1926. In July 1926, District Executive Committee decided to give the building to the community facilities to be used as a social-cultural establishment. In 1927, the building was refit to make a club for militia officers. Later, there was a cardboard factory. In 1944, a kindergarten was already occupying the ground floor, and some time later the 1st floor was given for the Disabled Cooperation Club. On 12 December 1953, the City Counsil gave the building to a children’s sports school. After the USSR collapsed and ukraine became independent, the local Muslim community approached the authorities with a request to return their religious building, but was rejected.
