Source: The Moscow Times

http://www.themoscowtimes.com/stories/2003/11/12/013.html

On November 12, 2003 The Moscow Times reported, "Worship for Moscow's 30,000 Hindus and Hare Krishna devotees could be under threat, as the city's only Hare Krishna temple is to be demolished to make way for a luxury high-rise block...In April, City Hall promised to provide an alternative site for the construction of a Vedic Cultural Center, including a place of worship for members of the Russian chapter of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness...But the new center has attracted protests from lawmakers and other religions. A group of State Duma deputies, calling itself 'In Support of Traditional Spiritual and Moral Values in Russia,' together with the Inter-Religious Council, has decried the proposal. 'Russia has only four traditional religions: Christianity, Islam, Judaism and Buddhism,' said Oleg Yefimov, the group's secretary. 'This is confirmed by Russia's 1,000-year history.'"