Russian cathedral belongs to Russia

RUSSIA has been confirmed as the owner of the Russian Cathedral in Nice, built by tsar Nicolas at the beginning of the 20th century.

After the tsar was overthrown and killed during the revolution the running of the cathedral was taken over by an association of Orthodox congregation members and they had rejected ownership claims from the new Russian Federation.

However, an appeal court in Aix-en-Provence has confirmed a ruling from the tribunal de grande instance in Nice that the federation was the rightful owner of the cathedral, its grounds and the artworks inside. The Saint Nicolas Cathedral, the largest Russian cathedral outside Russia, has been classed as a historic monument in France.

The association says it will take its case to a higher court, claiming that tsar Nicolas had built the cathedral with his own money and not that of the imperial treasury as a memory to his eldest son, who died in Nice.

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