Baron Singer

The scandal with the possible eviction of the St. Petersburg House of Books from a historic building on Nevsky has reached a new level. Yesterday, high city and federal officials came to Singer's mansion to understand the situation on the spot. At the same time, the vice-governor of St. Petersburg, Valery Nazarov, publicly stated that he would not allow the St. Petersburg real estate agency to evict a famous store from it. With details LILIYA TRETYAKOVA. The Singer House on Nevsky, 28, which has housed the State Unitary Enterprise "St. Petersburg House of Books" since 1919, was leased to CJSC "Petersburg Real Estate Agency" (PAN) in 1998 for 49 years. Since then, the Book House has been renting about 4.1 thousand square meters from PAN. m in the seven-story Singer mansion, the total area of which is almost 7.5 thousand square meters. m. Under the terms of the lease, PAN undertook to put the worn-out building in order (the work was estimated at $20 million), and after the renovation the Book House was to remain in the mansion. Several projects for the reconstruction of the building proposed by the tenant with the placement of a supermarket, hotel, etc. here. Smolny was not satisfied. PAN no longer voiced the details of the project, and the general director of the company, Andrei Isaev, categorically refused to comment on this matter.
Last year, in connection with the start of restoration of the facades of the House of Books for the 300th anniversary of St. Petersburg, rumors spread throughout the city about the imminent and final eviction of the bookstore. In January of this year, Vice-Governor Valery Nazarov said that during the renovation of the building, the store would actually move to building #62 on Nevsky Prospekt, occupying about 2 thousand square meters there. m. Mr. Nazarov spoke rather vaguely about whether the Book House would return back: there are, they say, different options, but we would like it to return.
Yesterday at the House of Books, Presidential Plenipotentiary Representative in the Northwestern Federal District Valentina Matvienko met with store director Galina Samokhvalova, Valery Nazarov and writer Daniil Granin, who has repeatedly spoken out in defense of booksellers. Mr. Isaev did not show up for the meeting, and the plenipotentiary’s guard had to be sent for him. While they were waiting for him, Mrs. Samokhvalova said that she was so pleased with the new premises on Nevsky, 62 that she would like to leave it forever behind the House of Books, without losing the Singer mansion. Moreover, the director noted that she would not want to leave the mansion even during renovations. “Only trading floors will be able to move to Nevsky, 62, but we have nowhere to put administrative and technical services. And we are still afraid that after the eviction, PAN will terminate the sublease agreement,” Ms. Samokhvalova complained. According to her, she still has not seen the building’s restoration project and knows nothing about PAN’s plans.
Valery Nazarov explained that it is possible to carry out work without eviction of the store, but it will take longer and be more expensive. “Usually, after restoration, the former inhabitants do not return to the building, but this will not happen to you. Termination of the contract is possible only if the Book House violates the terms of the lease agreement,” the vice-governor tried to reassure Galina Samokhvalova. But Andrei Isaev came up and said that he would not carry out restoration, but major repairs. “This changes things!” exclaimed Mr. Nazarov. “Then termination of the contract is impossible.” According to Andrei Isaev, the decision to evict the House of Books during the renovation is final, the start of work is scheduled for November-December of this year, completion - in 2005. “Until the store leaves, we cannot start work, otherwise the Book House will die in the dust,” explained the head of PAN. He also added that the permanent eviction of the House of Books is “baseless rumors.”
However, Daniil Granin did not believe Messrs. Isaev and Nazarov. “Is it possible to somehow officially formalize the decision that the city guarantees the preservation of the building for the House of Books?” — the writer asked. “Of course, we will formalize it, no one will take the mansion away. The House of Books itself has become an expropriator - it wants to appropriate the building where it is being temporarily relocated,” Mr. Nazarov tried to turn the conversation into a joke. “Let Isaev confirm this himself,” Mr. Granin did not calm down. Mr. Isaev confirmed. “The guarantor of the preservation of the House of Books is you and me!” - Plenipotentiary Matvienko addressed Mr. Granin. She suggested that her interlocutors create a “Red Book of Sacred Buildings” in St. Petersburg, categorically prohibiting changing their purpose. The plenipotentiary considers the Senate, the Synod (Historical Archive) and the Singer House to be the first candidates for inclusion in the book.
But this did not reassure Daniil Granin. During the impromptu excursion of the conversation participants around the House of Books, he did not leave Mr. Nazarov. “PAN manages and owns property worth a total of $196 million, why does it need petty fraud with the House of Books? I don’t think that Isaev will escape responsibility abroad,” the vice-governor quietly convinced the writer. But Mr. Isaev still escaped: as soon as the journalists asked him about the details of the project, he rushed headlong up the stairs.

Newspaper "Kommersant St. Petersburg" No. 115 dated 07/04/2003, p. 4

Books were left in the house