Over 800 churches and historical monuments could become state property, Minister of Culture
More than 800 churches and historical monuments may soon become state property. Authorities are awaiting a final decision from the Supreme Court of Justice (SCJ) after the Court of Appeal annulled the Metropolitanate of Moldova's right to use these church buildings free of charge and indefinitely last November. Although the Ministry of Culture acknowledges that it lacks the capacity to manage such a large number of religious monuments, it plans to conduct an evaluation of these buildings.
"We have the decision of the Court of Appeal, which clearly states that this contract has been annulled. As a result, these 800 historical monuments are now back in the state's possession. To be honest, we, as a ministry, do not have the capacity to manage 800 monuments. Ideally, these monuments would be utilized by the community as they wish—perhaps jointly by the two metropolitanates, or even by other interested parties," said Minister of Culture Cristian Jardan.
In November of last year, the Chisinau Court of Appeal ruled to revoke the Metropolitanate of Moldova's right to use over 800 places of worship that are designated as historical monuments.
The dispute stemmed from a 2003 contract between the Ministry of Culture and the Metropolitanate of Moldova, which granted the Metropolitanate the right to use these buildings indefinitely.
As a result of this contract, the Metropolitanate of Moldova was registered in the Real Estate Register as the holder of the right to use all the monuments. This arrangement has had lasting consequences, as it blocked access for religious communities that later returned to the Metropolitanate of Bessarabia.
Although the Court of Appeal's decision is enforceable, it has been appealed to the Supreme Court of Justice.
