Andrei Glagolev (53), a tourist from Russia who was found begging in front of the Singhadwar of Lord Jagannath Temple here last month, was on Thursday facilitated by the district administration to go to the Russian Embassy in New Delhi.
The administration also provided some financial assistance to Glagolev, who boarded the Purushottam Express at the Puri Railway Station and left for New Delhi.
After Glagolev was seen begging near the temple, he had been rescued and rehabilitated by the administration. He had hesitated to go back to his country and wanted to stay in India with refugee status. For this, he had applied at the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in New Delhi. Now, he has an appointment with the UNHCR on January 8. According to reports, Glagolev hails from Bavly in Russia. He claimed that he was forced to leave the country in 2015.
When asked about his unwillingness to return to his own country, he said his family drove him out of the home after he started worshipping Lord Shiva in Russia.
“I am a worshipper of Lord Shiva. I was opposed by some groups for my inclination towards Hinduism. They threatened me of dire consequences if I continue to worship Lord Shiva. I left my country due to threat to my life and reached India on a tourist visa,” he said.
Before visiting Puri, Glagolev was staying in Mathura for two years on an extended visa. After he arrived in Puri, he could not afford a hotel room. He spent his nights at the railway station. He sat with the beggars near the Jagannath Temple and sang Bhajans.