The return of religious relics to the Russian...
soot from candles after being returned to the church."We ask you to openly speak against this ill-considered and dubious legal initiative which might cause irreparable damage to Russia"s cultural heritage," the letter says.
Museum workers are also worried by increasing reports of church robberies and fear that priests will be unable to keep thieves away from priceless objects.
Russian Culture Minister Alexander Avdeyev said in an interview with the Ekho Moskvy radio station that cultural objects might be returned only if a church provides proper conditions "including temperature and air humidity, as well as security and insurance."
In almost two decades since the collapse of the officially atheist Soviet Union, the Orthodox Church has through government decrees regained ownership of just 100 or so out of 16,000 churches and cathedrals.
While the Orthodox Church will not get back churches now on the UNESCO world heritage list, including St.
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