Minister Of Culture Slams Plans For Tower

By Sergey Chernov

Staff Writer

Published: October 9, 2009 (Issue # 1516)

Russia’s Ministry of Culture on Thursday objected to Gazprom’s plans to build a 400-meter skyscraper near to the historic center of St. Petersburg.

“Our opinion is negative,” Culture Minister Alexander Avdeyev was quoted by Interfax as saying. “As a minister of culture, the ministry’s staff and I are against the construction of such a tower.” He added that if built, the skyscraper would spoil the city’s historic appearance.

The latest twist in the saga of the controversial skyscraper came just two days after St. Petersburg Governor Valentina Matviyenko finally signed off on the Sept. 22 decision allowing Gazprom to build its Okhta Center tower — contrary to the laws protecting St. Petersburg’s historical skyline.

Also Tuesday, City Hall granted permission for the rally for the protection of St. Petersburg to be held on Saturday, despite initial objections.

Permission was however given for a stationary meeting rather than for a rally — an alteration its organizers, the Citizens’ Coalition to Protect St. Petersburg, were against. On Friday, the organizers submitted an application listing 16 possible routes for the march, instead of the six that City Hall had already rejected.

“We realized that they would issue 16 rejections; it was made clear to us that they would not authorize the march,” Maxim Reznik, the leader of the local branch of the oppositional Yabloko Democratic Party, which is a member of the Coalition, said by phone Thursday.

“That’s why we agreed — so that people could come and express their protest without fear. That’s more important for us than fighting with the OMON [special-task police].”

Last week, City Hall’s law and order committee forbade the protesters to meet outside Yubileiny Sports Palace, referring to an event due to be held inside, but on Tuesday it granted permission for the stationary meeting to be held at the same spot at noon on Saturday.

Reznik said that one flag from every member organization of the coalition would be displayed at the rally, while the rest will be the flags of St. Petersburg. Blue ribbons may be worn by protesters as a symbol of St. Petersburg’s skyline.

On Wednesday, a number of Russian public figures, including author Andrei Bitov, musician Boris Grebenshchikov, ballerina Alla Osipenko, film director Yury Mamin and architect Svyatoslav Gaikovich called on St. Petersburg residents to come to the meeting.

“The decision about the construction has been taken,” they said in their address.

“Now there is only one way to prevent it — massive public protest. Nobody except you now can stop Gazprom destroying our great and beautiful city.”