Translated material
Save Novosibirsk Akademgorodok
For 7 years now, the scientific community of the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, the creative intelligentsia and residents of Novosibirsk have been trying to save Akademgorodok - the largest center of fundamental science, a masterpiece of landscape design, a unique city-forest - from destruction by compaction development. The leadership of the SB RAS, the administration of the city and the region, with tenacity worthy of better use, are trying to implement barbaric and corrupt projects for the development of forest areas of the Town with elite housing, objects of applied and innovative organizations. There are also plans to demolish low-rise housing and replace it with multi-story buildings with parking lots (and this is in Gorodok, where everything is designed for walking!). These plans are being pushed through despite massive protests from the scientific community and residents: more than 40,300 signatures have been collected in defense of Akademgorodok, hundreds of appeals have been sent to high authorities, conferences, rallies, pickets, protest marches, even a hunger strike have been held. However, the world-famous academic center, which has repeatedly served as a standard for the creation of scientific centers in many countries (Japan, France, Finland, Bulgaria and others), the famous object of environmental architecture remains under threat of destruction. These truly heroic intentions are presented under the guise of “development” of Academy Town. At the same time, the fact is hushed up that it was the talentedly planned and detailed thought out by the founder of the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Academician M.A. Lavrentyev’s urban planning structure of Akademgorodok ensured its successful operation throughout its history. Peace, silence, clean air, a homogeneous social composition, its own rich traditions and a creative atmosphere are necessary conditions for the effective work and successful development of a world-class academic research center. An example is the careful preservation of the historical buildings of the University of Cambridge over the centuries.
Over the course of 50 years, Academy Town developed and was built, but its historical center and research core remained unchanged. The destruction of Academy Town will cause irreparable damage to fundamental science, and therefore, ultimately, to development itself. And this despite the fact that the office and production areas of the technology park can be built on non-forested areas or placed on the free production areas of the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Medical Sciences and the SB RAMS, which are available in abundance. On the periphery of the Town, buildings of applied institutes - the former “implementation belt” - are empty or used for other purposes. New residential neighborhoods can and should be built without causing damage to the academic research campus. The upcoming development plans clearly lead to the repurposing of the academic research center into something completely different: into a commercialized center of applied science, into a residential area for the rich.
The scientific community is convinced that the condition for the successful development of Academic Town as a center of fundamental science is the preservation of its best traditions laid down by its founder, Academician M.A. Lavrentiev: preservation of the historical center as a scientific and university campus in a natural environment, preservation of a homogeneous social composition, the existing creative atmosphere, and a calm cultural environment. All this is absolutely necessary for intense mental work.
As a result of persistent long-term struggle, scientists of the Novosibirsk Scientific Center achieved that the Ministry of Culture of the Russian Federation began the procedure for giving the Academy Town the protective status of a cultural heritage site. Now the documents of the historical and cultural examination have been transferred to the administration of the Novosibirsk region for approval and inclusion of the Town in the State Register of Monuments.
Alas, the administration of Novosibirsk and the region, as well as the leadership of the SB RAS, do not understand (or do not want to understand) the full value and significance of the specially developed urban planning structure of the scientific center. They also do not understand the high aesthetic and cultural value of Akademgorodok as an outstanding urban planning achievement, a masterpiece of landscape design and an eco-city - the city of the future. They ignore the opinion of more than 40 thousand people (including thousands of researchers) who signed for the salvation of the Laurentian Academy Town, as well as the opinion of the most authoritative authorities: the Union of Architects of Russia, the Russian Academy of Architecture (RAASN), the Russian Research Institute of Art History, the Russian Research Institute of Cultural Studies, the Russian Research Institute of Cultural and Natural Heritage them. acad. Likhachev, the Committees on Culture and Ecology of the State Duma of the Russian Federation, the All-Russian Society for the Protection of Historical and Cultural Monuments (VOOPIiK), the Petrovsky Academy of Sciences and Arts, Greenpeace Russia, etc., officially demanding the preservation of the Novosibirsk Academy Town for future generations.
Local authorities have repeatedly stated their negative attitude towards the idea of giving Academy Town protective status and are promoting the development of the Town and its forests with multi-storey buildings with parking lots (Long-term target program for “development” for 2013-2018, approved by the mayor and city council). The leadership of the SB RAS supports these plans.
Russia owes the Novosibirsk Academy Town the discovery of giant oil and gas fields in Siberia, Yakut diamonds, and outstanding achievements of fundamental science in all fields of knowledge. Its unique layout is the key to the effective work of employees of academic institutions and the study of University students, an integral part of its traditions and creative atmosphere. Academy Town is a whole world. Only an all-Russian outcry can save our scientific potential, cultural, historical and natural heritage from criminal, barbaric destruction.
N.V. Shamina, Doctor of Biology. Sciences, Chairman of the Public Organization “Let’s Protect the City-Forest Akademgorodok”,