Authorities in Dagestan have pledged to restore the church and synagogue damaged in recent terrorist attacks, according to the republic's head, Sergey Melikov. "First, we need to assess the situation and see how it will be implemented, the scope of work, and the timelines (...) I believe we will restore the churches and synagogues in the shortest time possible," said Melikov.

The press service of the Dagestan Ministry of Construction clarified that the synagogue in Derbent was almost completely destroyed, and the Church of the Intercession of the Holy Virgin in Derbent was damaged.

"The synagogue building, constructed in the 19th century and extensively renovated in 2009, was nearly completely destroyed inside due to the terrorist attack and fire. The Orthodox church building in Derbent also sustained significant damage," the statement reads.

On Sunday, June 23, 2024, armed militants attacked the synagogue and the Church of the Intercession in Derbent, as well as another church and a traffic police post in Makhachkala. According to the republic's Ministry of Health, 20 people were killed and 26 were injured. The terrorists brutally murdered Father Nikolai Kotelnikov, the rector of the Intercession Church.

As reported by TASS, a spontaneous memorial emerged at the walls of the Intercession Church after the tragedy. People are bringing flowers and lighting candles in memory of the victims. Flowers are also being laid at the Monument of the Three World Religions in Derbent, which features a sculpture modeled after Father Nikolai. Another spontaneous memorial has been set up at the church in Makhachkala, where a watchman was killed during the attack. He fought back against the terrorists, allowing the parishioners and the priest to escape, but he was killed in the process.

Photo: © Alexey Gusev / Photobank Lori