Since 13 May, Ekaterinburg has been rocked by protests against plans to build a new Orthodox church in one of the city’s main squares.
The local authorities are supporting the church’s sponsors, the Russian Copper Company and Urals Mining and Metallurgical Company, and the developers have set up a fence around the square. This move led to a street confrontation between, on the one side, city residents and on the other - local police and private security.
To understand the level of passion - and absurdity - of what is currently going on in Ekaterinburg right now, you need to understand how Russian society is divided by different world views, and the authorities’ role in this process.
