Sergei Courtyard to be handed over to Russia

The government will hand over ownership of the Sergei Courtyard site on Heleni Hamalka Street in Jerusalem to the Russian government in July, following extensive discussions between the two governments. The Sergei Courtyard is named after Sergei Alexandrovich, the heir apparent of Czar Nicholas II.

Constructed in 1890 for the benefit of pilgrims from Czarist Russia, the building was one of the most impressive lodgings for pilgrims and aristocracy. It is now being used by the Agriculture Ministry and the Society for the Protection of Nature in Israel, and there are currently no plans to relocate the tenants. Last week the Russian press reported that Vladimir Putin had allocated 10 million rubles (about $430,000) for the renovation and preservation of the Sergei Courtyard, and that the prime minister is coming to Israel in June or July to sign the final agreement. The Imperial Orthodox Palestine Society, a Russian-Palestinian organization, will be responsible for the renovation work.