“Arkhnadzor” called for preserving the buildings of the State Duma and the Federation Council because of their historical value. Both will have to go to the structures of Mikhail Gutseriev after the new parliamentary center is built in Mnevniki

State Duma building (Photo: Oleg Yakovlev / RBC)

The coordinator of the public association "Arkhnadzor" Konstantin Mikhailov called for preserving the buildings of the State Duma and the Federation Council. The statement came against the backdrop of plans announced by businessman Mikhail Gutseriev regarding what will happen on the site of these buildings after they are transferred to his structures. Development companies Inteko and Mospromstroy of Gutseriev will build a new parliamentary center in Mnevniki. The buildings of the State Duma and the Federation Council will have to go to Gutseriev’s structures as compensation.

“The old State Duma building on Okhotny Ryad is an officially protected cultural heritage site. In addition, one of the buildings of the Federation Council complex on Bolshaya Dmitrovka is also a historical mansion that has preserved its original interiors. Of course, historical buildings must be preserved,” Mikhailov said in an interview with RBC.

Earlier on Wednesday, Gutseriev said that he intends to build a hotel or shopping center on the site of the State Duma building, and a residential building on the site of the Federation Council building. He clarified that the buildings will be transferred to the ownership of the structures belonging to him after the parliamentarians move to the new center, which is planned to be built in Mnevniki. “The State Duma and Federation Council buildings are given to us as compensation. We need to evaluate all this and understand how much we will invest. We are building [the parliamentary center], and in return we get this [the State Duma and Federation Council buildings]. Accordingly, all this will be demolished,” Gutseriev said in an interview with Rossiya 24.

Mikhailov, in a conversation with RBC, said that when concluding any sales transactions or investment contracts, “state authorities are simply obliged to comply with the legislation on cultural heritage.” “They are obliged to initially clearly and clearly define their position. <...> At the same time, the parameters of possible construction must be clearly defined, they still need to be subjected to expert analysis,” said the Arkhnadzor coordinator.

According to him, it is necessary to answer the question of whether to consider the building of the Federation Council “a dissonant object and the introduction of modernist architecture in the center of Moscow, or, on the contrary, to consider it one of the examples of modernist architecture, the attitude towards which is now overestimated.” “And only after this can the possibility of demolition and new construction on this site be allowed. If this does not happen, and some investors’ money is invested, and some documents are signed, then it will be much more difficult to stop the process,” Mikhailov concluded.

On October 30, the Moscow government approved the location of the parliamentary center - Nizhniye Mnevniki. Now the floodplain is used for economic needs (in particular, the headquarters of the Night Wolves bike club is located there). The Moskvoretsky natural park is also located there, which should not be affected by construction.

"Arkhnadzor" opposed the demolition of the State Duma building after the transfer to Gutseriev