Construction on "Embankment of Europe"

What to build in the center of St. Petersburg - a park or a judicial quarter?

In St. Petersburg, the movement for creating a park in the city center instead of a court quarter, where the Supreme Court should move.

The site is located at the site of the demolished State Institute of Applied Chemistry (Gypsu), and this is a separate problem: the institute was engaged in the development and experimental production of toxic substances, and the local soils were subjected to powerful chemical and radioactive exposure for decades, and the infected soil began to be exported only now.

Previously, it was supposed to implement the Embankment of Europe, but it was never implemented

Previously, it was supposed to implement the Embankment of Europe, but it was never implemented - from previous plans, only the intention to build the Palace of Dance Boris Eifman survived, but instead of an elite housing quarter, it was decided to build a court quarter - a complex of buildings of the Supreme Court. In 2013, the architect Maxim Atantz became the winner of the open competition for the draft court, but after a while the results of the competition were canceled. As a result, the judicial quarter will be built by the architectural bureau Evgeny Gerasimov and partners, whose project unanimously approved the City Council for Architectural Heritage. Nevertheless, the project has many opponents: people do not want new buildings in the center, they believe that they need to break the park at this place, which was planned after the war.

We are talking about the future of the judicial quarter with the architectural critic Maria Elkina , the coordinator of the “Beautiful Petersburg” movement, Krasimirmir Vranski and the leader of the joint St. Petersburg movement Anatoly Kanyukov .

- Krasimir, as I understand it, is the "beautiful Petersburg" does not approve of the construction of the judicial quarter in the center of St. Petersburg?

- This is the center of the city, a tidbit, primarily for investors. Initially, a park complex was supposed there, which would associate the embankments of the Petrograd side with the islands, but these plans were not implemented, instead of the park there was an institution of applied chemistry, and now, when it was demolished, not a park is planned there again, but a new construction. And the townspeople speak out for the park.

This is the city center, a tidbit for investors

The last project suggested that there would be the buildings of the judicial complex, but a third of the territory would still be given to the park. Of course, this is better than nothing, but it would still be better to break the park there without any buildings or, in extreme cases, with one-the dance palace, the Palace of Culture or something else, so that it is surrounded by greenery. But in any case, you need to ask the opinion of the townspeople.

-Petersburg is divided into zones: somewhere new construction is possible, and somewhere-only the restoration of old buildings. So in this place can you actually build according to the law? There is also a wonderful view of the Prince-Vladimir Cathedral, unless, of course, new buildings are closed.

The entire center of St. Petersburg is guarded by UNESCO

- Yes, we have the entire city center is guarded by UNESCO. When we are talking about the development of this place, they say that there will be buildings in a historical style, but in any case it will only be dummies for historical buildings. On the one hand, there is a certain business, there is a federal government that promises us: we will do everything wonderful here, this place will bring income - and on the other hand, there are citizens. And we must show ourselves with active citizens so that the interests of the city outweigh all those blessings that can bring certain buildings. In our hands - the opportunity to turn the situation, change it in the direction of creating a green zone there. But you need to show a massive request for a comfortable environment. In Moscow, they made the Zaryadye Park - so we want to make a park in order to walk and have a good time.

Krasmiri are Vranks

- Anatoly, Krasimir said about the need for a public request, but you are just from those who form it, you have already sent requests for the parking of the park instead of a court quarter?

- Yes, citizens twice tried to find out what they were going to build there, and how it is correlated with the architectural appearance of the city. First, the appeal was sent by the "team 29", and then I. We asked why we abandoned the Ataman project, which everyone liked, unlike the current project. It is clear that we did not support the very first project, which did not leave a place for the green zone at all, but we wanted to understand where this covers of projects where this is the forces, what forces are involved in this and whether it was possible to make it all to the benefit of citizens.

It is better to leave this territory under the green zone, and build the judicial quarter in another place

We asked Vladimir Putin about this. He is St. Petersburg, he should not do not care if the view of the arrow of the Vasilievsky Island is spoiled. We did not receive an answer - neither about contests, nor about changing the panorama of the Neva, nor about how the new quarter will affect in line in clinics and kindergartens. It seems to us that it is better to leave this territory under the green zone, and build the judicial quarter in a completely different place.

- Maria, when activists of public organizations stand for the park, this is understandable. For what reasons are you in solidarity, an architectural critic?

- This is an old story - at first it was supposed to be the "Embankment of Europe", an expensive residential quarter. Then the competition was won by the project of Sergei Choban and Evgeny Gerasimov, it seemed unsuccessful, but now it is clear that it was necessary to pray to that project. They wanted to call architects from different countries and simulate traditional St. Petersburg development, it was interesting. And then catastrophic events began. For various reasons, VTB-Development left the project and announced that there would be a judicial quarter.

At first, in 2013, we were shown the project of Maxim Atayan - this architecture would look very bad in the city, and the competition was a very illiterate, unprofessional jury; In my opinion, this was a mockery of cultural figures-to force them to choose a project. In general, it couldn’t be worse - such unprofessional things from the point of view of their implementation in the center of St. Petersburg would not want to build such.

Then they showed the project of Evgeny Gerasimov, and it was just as terrible, that is, technically a little better, but it was drawn worse. For some reason, our intelligentsia decided that Atants was better and Gerasimov is worse, but in fact it is not true.

- Probably, Ataman liked classic elements - and who said that this is bad?

The whole architecture that we admire, looking back, was very timely

- There are several considerations. Maybe in some limited and adapted form it is very good, but today there is no way to perform these elements at least as in the 19th century, such technologies simply do not exist. And besides, the whole architecture that we admire, looking back, was very timely. We distinguish between the XVIII or XIX century by eye, we can say that it was built in the 1870s, and that in the 1890s.

There can be no good architecture that does not breathe in the air of its time. Finally, there is just a global professional idea of what good architecture is. Today, architecture, more than ever, is free from ideology, has not happened over the past hundred years, and it is very cool for it - architecture is trying to become better.

- Krasimir, as I understand it, you will not be forced to come to terms with the judges of the Vasilievsky Island?

- We need to use all the options, send letters to all authorities and distribute information on the Internet about why the city needs this park. Show with numbers how little greens are on a square kilometer. In recent years, we have been the systematic destruction of green zones for the sake of supposedly strategic federal construction projects. But in fact, these are just the interests of the business.

Anatoly correctly said - let the judicial quarter be built in areas where it will help the development of infrastructure, for example, in Kudrovo or in Murino - there are huge residential quarters, they really need such an infusion so that at least the roads are built, so that people can even get from the subway to their home. And the judges must be placed just in these quarters cut off from the rest of the city, so that they are closer to the people.

It is necessary to disseminate information about why the city needs this park

This is one option, and we also have huge territories of a gray belt where they are going to carry out renovation. Or, for example, the "Crosses" prison -for a long time they already say that something needs to be done with it. This is a monument, it is located in a beautiful place, opposite the Smolny Cathedral, near the metro, embankment, transport infrastructure has already been created, and soon the prison will move from there to Crosses-2, just a place for the judges of the quarter will be released. The places in the city are as much as they like, but for some reason they decided to build it opposite the Winter Palace. Yes, he is not needed there!

-Anatoly, you are closely following this story-I have the right impression that something has gone wrong there recently?

Anatoly Kanyukov. Photo by Tatyana Voltskaya

- This story developed, and then it suddenly turned out that 35 billion did not divide, and companies that were going to build up this territory were quarreling with each other. All of them are connected with the presidential administration. One of the companies managed to temporarily suspend the process - the company of banker Kogan turned to the Federal Antimonopoly Service, and it canceled the competition. Kogan became a rich banker even under Anatolia Sobchak - apparently, old ties were preserved. Well, since the competition has been canceled, some space was formed for discussion. These companies will either agree among themselves, or someone will make a volitional decision and begin to build. But while this has not happened, we have the opportunity to change the situation and to ensure that a green zone will still appear in the city center.

- Krasimir, according to Anatoly, the Presidential Administration refueling the future construction, and experience tells us that fighting this structure is not easy. Is there any hope?

Until they began to build, there is a chance - if the townspeople are active

- Until they began to build, there is a chance - if the townspeople are active. On one side of the scales, all these groups and money, on the other, are citizens who should become more and more. After all, there are still soils contaminated with gypsum, they must be exported, and the remaining ones are reclaimed, which will take at least 25 years, and the park for this is the best solution.

- Maria, you said about the architectural qualities of the project, but how do you look at it from a town -planning point of view?

There can be no good architecture that does not breathe in the air of its time

- From the urban planning point of view, the project of Maxim Atayan was disgusting, then Gerasimov’s no less disgusting first project appeared, and then a miracle happened - four hectares of the park and a decent theater designed by Choban appeared on Gerasimov’s project. The court buildings, however, remained unattractive.

Maria Elkina

As for the park, I was one of the initiators of its appearance in this place. In St. Petersburg, there is really catastrophically little greenery, even in Moscow it breathes much easier, although there is no big water. And in other large capitals of the world, it is easier, because there is much more greenery. We have little it, we got it from the 19th century, and then the problem only exacerbated. Unfortunately, it is not realized as global, but in fact it is the most serious of today's city problems.

We need to take a program of violence, break the squares at the site of emergency houses - in general, introduce greens in military mode. One of the first to guess the brilliant first chief architect of St. Petersburg Nikolai Baranov. He held this position from 1938 until the beginning of the 50s, in 1948 he drew up a great document-a plan for the restoration of Leningrad. Instead of bombed houses, he ordered to break the squares. It was morally difficult, but he understood that the demolished house was a chance for a small green zone. And he proposed to stretch one large green zone from the Petrograd embankment through the Alexander Park, through the cotton island - to Petrovsky. The city would receive a green belt and would breathe a little better. This is not a question of whether we like it or do not like, this is the only correct solution to the most important city problem.

It is necessary to take a program of violence, break the squares on the site of emergency houses

I think that from the entire development project you need to leave the Ephman theater, it is very cool - a theater surrounded by herbs. Probably, a cafe will appear under the theater where you can go, even when the theater is closed, and in winter Gazprom would put gas heating pads there. As for the court, he will pull the infrastructure, there will be more cars, and the judges themselves do not want to move to Petersburg, this is violence against them.

- Anatoly, what needs to be done so that these plans can be realized - in conditions where local authorities do not defend the interests of the townspeople at all?

- There you need to build a temple. Practice shows that the temple can squeeze the judges. There was such a case in the Leningrad region, when they wanted to build a court on a certain site, but the temple survived from there. It is necessary to design a small chapel next to the theater - and then the judges will have no chance.

- Maria, do you agree with such a witty plan?

I think with the new governor it will not be better

-Yes, he is witty, but still it is better not. As for the authorities, then, I think, it will not become better with the new governor. Unfortunately, in the architectural and urban planning community of St. Petersburg, urban planning policy has not been formulated. Recall Nikolai Baranov - he existed in a very difficult political climate, but he had such a position. Even if he did not succeed (after all, he then went through the Leningrad case and fell into exile), but he still succeeded. And now the professional community has no urban planning policy that it would like to pursue, in our general plan there is no strategy, no opinions and statements, no understanding of how the city is developing further. Officials can only support good undertakings, and what will they do if they are not? - notes the architectural critic Maria Elkin .

According to Maria Elkina, the urban planning policy of St. Petersburg should be formulated by the forces of both St. Petersburg and invited from other cities and countries of architects. Maria Elkina believes that if they had not argued in the city about individual buildings, but they were doing this, then it would be possible to achieve excellent results.