Russia is to build an Orthodox spiritual center in Paris, Russian presidential property manager Vladimir Kozhin told "Rossiya 24" TV channel. He said that it was an unprecedented case that Russia had bought a land plot in Paris from the city authorities.
"We are to build an Orthodox church and a cultural center", Kozhin said. He said it is remarkable that the construction of the spiritual center will begin in 2010 which is the year of Russia in France. He also said that the land plot is situated between the Eifel Tower and the bridge of Alexander III, built on the eve of the World exhibition of 1900.
When visiting France in October 2007, former Russian Patriarch Alexiy II came up with the idea of the construction of the Russian spiritual center in Paris. He said that the Orthodox cathedral of three sanctifiers in Paris is too small to accept all believers who wish to attend services.
