Experts go on discussing political, economical, and financial implications of resignation of Yury Luzhkov and appointment of Sergey Sobyanin to the post of Moscow mayor. Archnadzor – a public movement that consistently supports preservation of historical sites and cultural heritage of Moscow – has its own standpoint.

According to Archnadzor coordinator Rustam Rahmatullin, the ex-mayor was the one who had given the green light to vandalism of the wild market period of the 1990s and 2000s.

"Luzhkov sided with investors against the old city. He brought up a generation of investors, architects, experts and even managing intellectuals, heads of some cultural institutions, who are now ready to continue his tradition", - he warned.

"Inoculation of love of the old city is, probably, the thing that the new mayor needs most of all", - the expert said. Archnadzor activists hope that the new city mayor, though he is not a Muscovite, will come to love the historical heritage of Moscow and when implementing the new town-planning policy will lend an ear to experts in the field of cultural monuments protection.

The historian and Archnadzor coordinator Natalia Samover in a conversation with BBC expressed hope that the new city power would adhere to law requirements in town-planning activities because the most important problem of preceding authorities was that various notions of expediency were set above the law".

According to Natalia Samover, "during Luzhkov’s rule Moscow incurred irreversible losses in its historical view", whereas Mr. Sobyanin "does not have such a negative trail associated with destruction of architectural heritage".

 

When speaking at a session of the Moscow City Duma Sergey Sobyanin criticized the town-planning policy of his predecessor and the condition of roads in the city. In this connection the new mayor pointed out the necessity of reconsidering the General Plan of Moscow Development.

Now supporters and activists of Archnadzor movement plan to resort to the new Moscow mayor Sergey Sobyanin with a request to preserve the city centre and recognize Moscow within Kamer-Kollezhsky Val (Kamer Collegium Rampart) a sightseeing area, the movement coordinator Rustam Rahmatullin reported.

Participants of the forum "Moscow: Economy of Reincarnation" that took place in the Russian capital prepared the relevant memorandum addressed to the new mayor.

"The purpose of this memorandum is to declare Moscow inside thmits of Kamer-Kollezhsky Val a single heritage site and a place of interest. This memorandum will be addressed to the new mayor. It was signed by participants and supporters of Archnadzor, - Mr. Rahmatullin pointed out.

According to Alexander Privalov (Vesti.ru), by overall breaking of its historical centre Moscow is considerably unsettling its possible future. Both the community and the new capital power should support the proposal by Archnadzor. Preservation of Kamer-Kollezhsky Val and its recognition as a single cultural heritage site would be a well-understood, reasonable and absolutely lawful step, which would at once relieve strains and stop not one or two barbarous building projects, but most of them.

Kamer-Kollezhsky Val is a ring of streets in Moscow, next to Sadovoe Ring. Its perimeter is 37 km. Established in 1742 as customs border of Moscow, Kamer-Kollezhsky Val was the actual border from the 18th century and the legal border from 1806.

Sources:
riarealty.ru
svobodanews.ru
bbc.co.uk
vesti.ru

V.Ivanova