20:54, 23 April 2026

Krasnodar activist Yana Antonova received a warning from police.

Yana Antonova at a picket on October 9, 2024. Screenshot from her Telegram channel.

Krasnodar police warned activist Yana Antonova against participating in protests marking the arrival of Patriarch Kirill.

As reported by the "Caucasian Knot," Krasnodar activists have announced a signature drive for an appeal to Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia, who, according to unofficial reports, will lay the foundation stone for a cathedral on Rozhdestvenskaya Embankment on April 25. They are asking the patriarch to reconsider the decision to build the church.

On January 16, despite protests from residents, the mayor of Krasnodar approved the planning project for Rozhdestvenskaya Embankment in the Yubileiny microdistrict, where a church is planned to be built. On January 29, deputies of the Krasnodar City Duma approved the decision to seize part of the park for the construction of the church. On March 19, 99% of participants in the public discussion spoke out against the performance of religious ceremonies on Rozhdestvenskaya Embankment in Krasnodar, however, the commission considered the opinion of opponents of the church construction irrelevant and recommended that the mayor grant permission for religious services to be carried out on the embankment. The results of the public discussion are advisory in nature; the commission simply ignored the residents' opinions. Activists have repeatedly held pickets, including one demanding the mayor's resignation. The last picket against the church's construction took place on April 10th.

Today, police visited activist Yana Antonova, who has been fighting for many years against the construction of a church on Rozhdestvenskaya Embankment in Krasnodar. She was given a warning "about the inadmissibility of participating in mass events and mass riots in Yubileiny over the weekend," Antonova reported on her Telegram channel.

She believes that law enforcement agencies have become concerned about the visit of His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia, who will likely lay the foundation stone for a massive church on Rozhdestvenskaya Embankment, the construction of which local residents have been opposing for many years.

On September 3, 2025, Krasnodar activist Yana Antonova held a solo picket near the Krasnodar City Hall, calling for the prevention of development along the Kuban River embankment, where a church is planned. She explained that this is the only major recreation area in the Yubileiny neighborhood. On September 14 and 21, residents of the Yubileiny microdistrict held two cleanup days in the recreation area where construction is planned. The goal of the protests was to show the authorities that this wasn't a wasteland, but a green space of interest to residents, according to those who participated in the cleanup days.

"The situation in our neighborhood is quite tense right now. They even took a statement from me stating that, although I'm against the embankment development, I will not participate in illegal mass events and riots," wrote Yana Antonova.

Antonova has been fighting against the embankment development for several years.

In September 2024, Yana Antonova collected signatures for a petition to the governor in the Yubileiny microdistrict of Krasnodar against the development of Rozhdestvenskaya Embankment. By September 21, at least 1,970 signatures had been collected. On September 28, 2024, the police issued her a warning about the inadmissibility of violations.

"Caucasian Knot" also reported that in November, opponents of the construction of the church in Yubileyny, together with representatives of the Communist Party of the Russian Federation began collecting signatures demanding the resignation of Mayor Yevgeny Naumov.

In September 2024, residents of the Yubileyny microdistrict of Krasnodar protested against the construction Rozhdestvenskaya Embankment, where, according to the city's new general plan, a church was planned. They explained that this was the only major recreation area in the neighborhood. Activists collected signatures for a petition to Governor Veniamin Kondratyev against the development of Rozhdestvenskaya Embankment. More than 3,000 signatures were collected. Activist Vitaly Cherkasov and City Duma deputy Alexander Safronov were detained while collecting signatures and fined by the court. However, in November, city council deputies adopted a new general plan despite protests from residents.

Residents of the neighborhood actively protested against the development of the embankment, explaining that it was the only major recreation area in the neighborhood. However, in November 2024, city council deputies adopted a new general plan despite their protests.

Back in December 2021, activists protested against the construction of a new church on the embankment in Krasnodar, and residents of the Yubileiny neighborhood also protested. Embankment defenders believe it is necessary to build educational and leisure facilities for children in the neighborhood. In January 2022, activist Yana Antonova held a solo picket against the transfer of land on the embankment to the Russian Orthodox Church for the construction of a church.

Translated automatically via Google translate from https://www.kavkaz-uzel.eu/articles/422683