New Russian Law Restores Properties To Churches

Interfax reported yesterday that the government committee of the Russian Federation has signed into law a new bill that allows communities to transfer back to religious organizations without charge property that was originally part of a religious complex. Apparently the bill is designed to deal with movie theaters and shops built during Soviet times on the land of monasteries, where those building have now been turned back into use as a church. It applies only to buildings converted back to religious purposes before the date of passage of the new law.