Another front?
Putin ordered a search of Russian-owned properties in Jerusalem/Reuters, Sputnik/Gavriil Grigorov/Kremlin
A real estate war is coming? In recent days, the President of Russia, Vladimir Putin, ordered a budget to be allocated for the search for property of the Russian Empire, or the former Soviet Union, around the world, with the aim of returning the ownership and rights of the Russian Federation to those properties. In this framework, one of the cities where The search for the Russian assets is Jerusalem.
The president's order was given by signing two orders concerning the management of the property of Russia or the Soviet Union. These orders involve the allocation of subsidies to a state-owned entity, which will be responsible for the management of such property.
Possible property that they can find abroad, Those who fall under Putin's order to look for them, could be "half of the beach of Nice", buildings in Jerusalem, production facilities such as factories, shipyards and more.
According to interviewees, the Russian side is mainly interested in objects of cultural heritage, but it cannot be ignored that in the end it is also about real estate.
What are the places that Russia can demand from Israel?
This will not be the first time that Russia tries to return to it the property of the Soviet Union from around the world, when in the past it already managed to transfer the St. Nicholas Cathedral in France, which was built in honor of the successor of Emperor Alexander II, in the Byzantine style in Nice, to Russian ownership.
After the collapse of the Russian Empire, it came into the ownership of several private individuals, and according to the court, this temple was returned to Russian ownership in 2021.
According to historians' estimates, since the year 2000, about 4,000 different property items of varying value have been transferred to Russian ownership, including in Europe, the Middle East and South Africa.
View of the Temple Mount and the Old City of Jerusalem as seen from Mount Scopus/ShutterStock
Alex Tanzer, a social activist, chairman of the Committee for Monitoring Russian Immigrants, points out that President Vladimir Putin and Sergey Stepshin, who is responsible for the return of Russian property, have been conducting talks and negotiations with Israeli governments for about 20 years, starting with the Sharon government, regarding places purchased on by Russia in the 19th century, and that the Russians are trying to reclaim.
According to Tenzer, currently there are 5 places known that Russia can demand from Israel: the court in the Russian court, Sergei's court which was transferred to Russia in 2012, Alexander's court which was promised to Russia in 2018 by Netanyahu, But due to the opposition of the White Church, to which the building belongs, stuck in court discussions and waiting for a final decision by the Israeli government (the decision actually passed, but cannot be implemented in the near future because it will be interpreted by the Western countries as helping Putin during the war between Russia and Ukraine), the agreement in 2023 regarding 2.5 dunams on King George St. and the construction of a Russian consulate there, and in addition, Sergi Stepshin is talking about buying the Elizaveta yard in the Russian lot (today it is used as a detention center).
Also, the Palestinian Authority previously returned properties in Bethlehem and Jericho to Russia.
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