Renovations At Minsk's Red Catholic Church Unexpectedly Announced

• 17.03.2025, 12:55

And this raises new questions.

In Minsk, the start of renovations at the Red Church, which has been closed for two and a half years, was unexpectedly announced. But this suddenness raises additional questions.

This was announced during the Holy Mass on March 16 by the rector of the parish, Father Franz Rud, Katolik.life reports.

The news seems strange, since a month ago it was announced that the design documentation would be finalized. Now the work is starting urgently: on Monday, the parish must remove all the things from the church.

Various sources provide conflicting information about the renovations. According to “Minskaya Spadchyna”, they include replacement of utility networks and finishing work. A month ago, Commissioner for Religious and National Affairs Aliaksandr Rumak spoke about “major renovations.” However, no tender was held to find a contractor, and the Minsk investment program does not include funding for the renovation of the church. This may indicate that the work will be minimal and carried out by the forces of the “Minskaya Spadchyna”.

Parishioners are concerned that when applying for replacement of wiring and finishing, the complete vacating of the church is required. This raises questions, because large-scale repair work may not actually be required. They are afraid that after the repair, the parish may be evicted or additional financial demands may be made on it.

As of today, “Minskaya Spadchyna” has calculated the parish's debts at 148 thousand rubles.

Minsk authorities closed the Red Church after an alleged fire occurred there on September 26, 2022. The long-time rector of the parish at the Red Church, priest Uladzislau Zavalniuk, was dismissed.