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| Putin posthumously awards the priest killed in Dagestan the Order of Courage |
| 2024-06-26 |
| Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited. [Regnum] Russian President Vladimir Putin awarded priest Nikolai Kotelnikov, who was killed in Dagestan, with the Order of Courage posthumously. The corresponding decree was published on June 25 on the official portal of legal information. “To award the Order of Courage to Nikolai Mikhailovich Kotelnikov, archpriest, rector of the local religious organization of the Orthodox parish “Church in Honor of the Intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary” in the city of Derbent, Republic of Dagestan, Makhachkala Diocese of the Russian Orthodox Church (Moscow Patriarchate) (posthumously),” the decree says. It is noted that the priest was awarded for courage and dedication shown at the cost of his own life while saving citizens from a terrorist attack. As reported by Regnum news agency, on June 23, armed militants attacked two Orthodox churches, a synagogue and a traffic police post in Makhachkala and Derbent. Law enforcement officials eliminated six terrorists. The police have identified the five attackers. Father Nikolai died at the hands of terrorists on June 23 in Derbent. Investigators, having studied the correspondence in the attackers’ phones, came to the conclusion that they did not spontaneously choose the targets of their attacks, but planned them in advance. The terrorists chose Nikolai Kotelnikov as one of their main targets. Also, when preparing the terrorist attack, they clearly identified other targets for attack - Orthodox churches and synagogues in Derbent and Makhachkala. In addition, the militants posted a photo of the rector in their chat, where on the eve of the terrorist attacks they indicated the time of the attack on the priest with the words “tomorrow in that place at 16.” Father Nikolai Kotelnikov taught the residents of Derbent the basics of the Orthodox faith in Sunday school for more than 40 years and enjoyed great authority among representatives of other faiths and townspeople. The deceased is survived by his wife, three daughters and six grandchildren. The farewell ceremony for the archpriest is expected to take place on June 26. He will be buried in Derbent. The murder of an Orthodox priest in Derbent is an attempt to disrupt interethnic and interfaith peace in Russia. This opinion was expressed to a Regnum correspondent by political scientist and specialist in interethnic conflicts Evgeniy Mikhailov, commenting on the investigators’ conclusions that the militants had planned the murder of Nikolai Kotelnikov in advance. Related: Nikolai Kotelnikov 06/25/2024 Veterans of special services called the attack of militants in Dagestan a failure of the security forces Nikolai Kotelnikov 06/25/2024 Death toll from terrorist attacks in Dagestan has risen to 20 Nikolai Kotelnikov 06/24/2024 Kots: There is no escaping these questions after the terrorist attack in Dagestan: Who is behind the militants |
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