A video message to Putin resulted in a Krasnodar deputy being summoned to the police

Krasnodar City Duma deputy Alexander Safronov was summoned to the police on December 17 following a video message recorded by over a thousand residents demanding that the embankment not be built with a church.

As reported by the " Caucasian Knot ," on December 15, residents of Krasnodar's Yubileyny microdistrict recorded a video message to Vladimir Putin protesting against the embankment development. According to City Duma deputy Alexander Safronov, over a thousand people participated in the protest .

After recording a Sunday address to the Russian president against the development of the embankment in the Yubileyny microdistrict of Krasnodar, City Duma deputy Alexander Safronov was summoned to the police. He claimed a Krasnodar official had filed a denunciation against him.

"The video message was distributed on the Telegram messenger and created widespread negative public reaction regarding the construction of a church complex on Rozhdestvenskaya Embankment in the Yubileiny microdistrict of Krasnodar," the deputy quoted an excerpt from the police report.

"I provided an explanation to the police. Regarding the denunciation itself, I can say the following: instead of talking to residents and publicly discussing the embankment development issue, city leadership is trying to pressure activists by filing denunciations to the police. This is deplorable and even shameful behavior. We did not hold any rallies. It was a voluntary, self-organized gathering of citizens to record a video message to the President of the country. No rallies, pickets, or demonstrations were held," Safronov wrote.

The deputy announced that he would write a parliamentary appeal to the head of the presidential administration, Anton Vaino, "let him see how local officials are obstructing citizens' rights to contact the President of Russia directly."

As a reminder, in September 2024, activists in the Yubileiny microdistrict collected signatures for a petition to the governor against the development of Rozhdestvenskaya Embankment.  More than 3,000  signatures were collected. Activist Vitaly Cherkasov and City Duma deputy Alexander Safronov were detained while collecting signatures and fined by the court.

Residents of the neighborhood actively protested against the embankment development, arguing that it was the only major recreation area in the neighborhood. However, in November 2024, city council members  adopted a new general plan  despite their protests.

Back in December 2021, activists  protested  the construction of a new church on the embankment in Krasnodar, and residents of the Yubileiny neighborhood also protested. Embankment defenders believe it is necessary to build educational and leisure facilities for children in the neighborhood. In January 2022, activist Yana Antonova held a solo picket against the transfer of land on the embankment to the Russian Orthodox Church for the construction of a church.