Krasnodar authorities promise a new village to Old Ritualists from Imereti

The Krasnodar territorial authorities are ready to provide, within two weeks, the Old Ritualists from the village of Nekrasovskoe, located in the Imereti Valley, where Olympic objects will be erected, with sets of documents, drawings and plot layouts in a new village to be built for them.

The "Caucasian Knot" reported earlier that on February 16, Anatoly Pakhomov, acting Mayor of Sochi, notified the residents of the Imereti Valley that they should abandon their houses before March 31.

"Till the end of March, all the problems with buying out of land plots should be settled. However, the main thing in this matter, as the Governor believes, are the interests of local residents," runs the statement of the press service, as the "Interfax" reports.

The authorities undertake to fulfil the main demand of Old Ritualists - to stay in their primordial place of residence. A village of 50 houses will be built for the community; water supply, electricity and roads will be provided for the state funds.

Out of 54 families of the community, 10 have not agreed so far with evaluation of their land plots.

The authorities agree that the face most difficulties in solving the land problem with those Old Ritualists who had settled in the locality more than a hundred years ago.

Last August, however, it was stated that the conflict was settled. Residents of Nekrasovskoe were promised to build a new village with the Orthodox cultural-historical centre and a church.

One of those who agree to resettle is Yuri Kolesov. "I'm satisfied with the 7 hundredth of a hectare they are providing me with, and I'm ready to move in there," he said. "What I don't like is uncertainty. I addressed the 'Olympstroj', they say: in due time. And when this time will be due - in 2013, 2010 or in 2009 - nobody knows. The Department can tell nothing too, because they get no data from the 'Olympstroj'."

The "Kommersant" writes that other Imereti residents, who agree to move to the Nekrasovskoe village, have similar complaints.

According to Old Ritualist Ivan Kubantsev, there are plenty of displeased residents in the Imereti Valley. "People are pretty nervous, they sit on suitcases; therefore, they're extremely aggressive. All of us are Cossacks here, and even women will take sabres, not only men." Many Old Ritualists are sure that their lands are alienated not for the Olympiad but for "oligarchs to make a sort of Russian Courchevel there."

Today, Larissa Zavedeeva, first deputy head of the Department of the Krasnodar Territory for Implementing the Powers of Preparing 2014 Winter Olympic Games, has assured the "Kommersant-Power" that the interests of the residents removed from the territory of Olympic objects would not be prejudiced.

According to Ms Zavedeeva, the first group of Imereti residents, families from 35 houses, will leave before September 1. "The construction of cottages in Nekrasovskoe village will start in early 2010. Those residents, who have chosen this village, will be accommodated in temporary housing while it is being built," said the official.

She has assured that residents will leave the land plots at their will, having signed an agreement where everything will be stipulated.

In reply to complaints of many Imereti residents that houses in Nekrasovskoe are too expensive and that their compensations will not cover the cost, and they will owe money to the state, Larissa Zavedeeva said: "All calculations will be considered individually, with each family and each house separately. It cannot happen that they have any debts."