The Saint-Nicolas-et-Sainte-Alexandra church, rue Longchamp, was inaugurated in 1859 -

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  • Nine years ago, the courts confirmed the attribution of the property of Saint Nicholas Cathedral to the Russian Federation.

  • She now disputes the ownership of the Saint-Nicolas-et-Sainte-Alexandra church in Nice with the Russian Orthodox Worship Association.

The Russian Federation and the Russian Orthodox Worship Association (Acor) in Nice will once again cross swords in court.

Nine years after having had to give up the keys of Saint-Nicolas cathedral, listed as a historical monument, the association is also disputed over the ownership of the Saint-Nicolas-et-Sainte-Alexandra church in Nice, the first religious building. Russian-Orthodox built in Western Europe.

“The Nice judicial tribunal is called upon to examine, (this Tuesday) at 9 am, the legality of the property deeds filed in 2014 by the Russian Federation, which asks the court to order the expulsion of the religious association, if necessary with the help of the public force, “annoys the president of ACOR, Alexis Obolensky.

An "aggressive strategy"

This is the result, according to him, "of an aggressive strategy of the Russian state aimed at taking possession, by all means, of the Orthodox churches built outside Russia before the Bolshevik revolution".

French justice has followed Russia so far.

On January 20, 2010, the Nice Tribunal de Grande Instance decided, at first instance, to grant him ownership of Saint-Nicolas Cathedral.

On May 19, 2011, the Aix-en-Provence Court of Appeal confirmed the judgment arguing in particular that the property "is imprescriptible and cannot be lost by non-use".

The Acor, which highlighted the fact that the Russian Federation has lost interest in the cathedral since 1917 and the Russian Revolution, appealed to the Supreme Court.

The court dismissed this appeal in April 2013.

Opened in 1859

"Hunted" according to Alexis Obolensky, "the Orthodox parish of Nice" had then "refocused its liturgical life within its historic church", the church of Saint-Nicolas-and-Sainte-Alexandra, he recalls.

Inaugurated in 1859 in the center of Nice (rue Longchamp) to meet the spiritual needs of the large Russian community then formed on the Riviera, the religious building quickly became cramped.

Saint-Nicolas Cathedral opened its doors a few decades later, in 1912. It now stands on Boulevard du Tzaréwitch, at the end of Avenue Nicolas-II.

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