Makhachkala, June 23, 2024
"There is heavy news coming from Makhachkala and Derbent. Attacks on an Orthodox church and a synagogue. An elderly priest of the Russian Orthodox Church, Archpriest Nikolai Kotelnikov, who served at the altar of God for more than 40 years, has been brutally murdered," Chairman of the Synodal Department for Relations between the Church and Society and the Media, Acting Head of the Press Service of the Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia V.R. Legoyda V.R. Legoyda said in his Telegram channel.
"His Holiness the Patriarch and the entire Russian Church pray for the repose of Father Nikolai Kotelnikov and other victims, as well as for the speedy recovery of the wounded," said the spokesman for His Holiness.
V.R. Legoyda added that the clergy of the Makhachkala diocese "will provide the victims and relatives of the victims with prayer and any other assistance that is in their power
. "It is not enough to condemn such actions, it is not enough to say that they are barbaric and atrocious. Society and the state must do everything possible to ensure that such terrorist attacks (whatever the motives of the attackers) are excluded. Attacks on clergy or places of worship, no matter what religion they belong to, are unjustifiable. Temples and places of prayer of any religion must remain a space where peace reigns, where people can turn to God in peace and quiet, without fear of being attacked by anyone," emphasized V. R. Legoyda.R. Legoyda
According to media reports, in the evening of June 23, 2024 in Derbent and Makhachkala, armed attacks were carried out on Orthodox churches and synagogues, as well as on a traffic police post in Makhachkala. Several police officers and civilians were killed in the attacks. In Derbent, terrorists brutally murdered Archpriest Nikolai Kotelnikov by slitting his throat. An operation to eliminate and detain the terrorists is currently underway.
