18:01, 10 April 2008

Old Ritualists want to sell their land in Sochi at $200,000 for a hundredth of hectare

The Christian Old Ritualists who are evicted now from the Imereti Valley in Sochi want to be redeemed by the authorities for the land alienated from them for erection of Olympic objects at the rate of at least $200,000 for a hundredth of hectare (the so-called "sotka").

The "Quadrum" magazine writes that according to Old Ritualists the authorities offered them $12,000 per "sotka".

"We find this price unacceptable," a spokesman of the community of Old Ritualists said.

The RIA "Novosti" writes that Sochi realtors find the price of $200,000 per "sotka" is too excessive.

Earlier, Mayor of Sochi Victor Kolodyazhny has stated that in order not to break the traditional lifestyle of Old Ritualists, a village will be built for them not far from the place where they live now, but away from Olympic objects. Presently, a census is held among Old Ritualists, and the number of land plots subject to alienation is clarified.