The Riga City Council demands the release of the plot in Skante, where the Pentecostal Christian community built an impressive church 30 years ago. The municipality points out that the free lease agreement has expired, privatization was not initiated, and the first instance court ruled in favor of the council. The community refuses to leave the territory and calls the refusal to extend the lease an unfair seizure of property, reports TV3 News.
In the hall of the community, there are 18 chandeliers on the floor that the believers plan to hang from the ceiling. There are also old chairs from Soviet cinemas. The total hall is indeed huge — over 700 square meters.
The head of the community, Georgiy Shumer, who came from Ukraine to Latvia in the 1980s, happily recounts how this grand building was constructed by their own efforts after the collapse of Soviet power. In the early 1990s, the community requested a plot from the Riga City Council — this one, with an area of 9,000 m², was provided for free rent for 30 years. The believers brought in unnecessary reinforced concrete structures from the 90s, which they used to form the building's framework. Nearby, a construction crane still stands, which was used during the construction.
“People built it with their own hands, with donations; people came and worked. Now the building costs about three million. I grew up in Soviet times, as a Christian I know how everything was taken away back then. It turns out that now it can also be taken away without grounds — just because the contract was not extended!” said Georgiy Shumer, the leader of the Christian community “Gethsemane.”
The property is extensive: next to the large prayer hall is a residential area with 11 rooms and two apartments. Another slightly smaller house has been built on the street. Formally, the buildings have not been put into operation, but they are inhabited, and services are regularly held in the hall. Refugees from Ukraine also live here. The community does not intend to leave this place voluntarily.
“If we are forcibly evicted — we will hold rallies, we will go out into the streets. But voluntarily, as they want — we won’t give it up! (Question: and what if they call the police, what will you do?) They already said they would come with the police next time. (And will you really stay here, barricading yourselves?) If they close the building — we will be on the street. If they evict us from the plot — we will picket on the sidewalk. We will not back down!” Shumer assures.
The pastor also complains that an additional financial burden has been imposed on the community: the court ordered the believers to pay the Riga City Council court costs — almost 10,000 euros.
The Riga City Council explains in a written response that the right to free use of the plot by the “Gethsemane” community arises from the lease agreement concluded in 1994. It stipulated the right to build a building, which is a separate real estate object, only for the duration of the contract — 30 years.
“Although the community has been repeatedly provided with the relevant information, it did not initiate the privatization or alienation of the land owned by the municipality. In this situation, the municipality had to regulate the legal situation that arose in accordance with the regulations. Since the community refused to resolve the issue peacefully, the municipality turned to the court, and the first instance fully satisfied the municipality's claims,” said Ineta Miglane, project coordinator of the Riga municipality.
The council emphasizes that it is not obliged to transfer its property for free use to third parties — this is its right, the implementation of which must comply with the law and principles of expediency.
“After resolving the specific legal dispute — according to the court's decision or a settlement agreement — the municipality will be able to decide on further actions regarding its property. It should be noted that the community will have to pay rent for the land until the corresponding decision comes into force and is fully executed,” Miglane clarified.
The first instance court has already sided with the council, but the community intends to appeal the decision and go through all judicial instances. Knowing how slowly court processes proceed in Latvia, the believers are not afraid of a quick eviction — they are ready to file complaints with European judicial instances.
