The steam has cleared

The company that previously operated the city baths is no longer hiding behind the mission of saving historic dachas.

The area of interests of Avenarium+ JSC, established by the Property Relations Committee, remains the construction of a SPA complex in Sestroretsk. Urban defenders are being involved in working on the concept of saving wooden architecture.

Heritage as a screen

Since 2013, the Council for the Preservation of Cultural Heritage under the Government of St. Petersburg has been trying to convince the city leadership of the need for a targeted program to save wooden architectural objects, the condition of which was already recognized as catastrophic. But the problem remained unresolved, and at the beginning of last year, Smolny announced the creation of JSC Avenarium+ (formed by reorganizing the structure for managing city baths), which was tasked with developing the Concept for creating public spaces based on historical wooden buildings in the Kurortny district. It was declared that in the future it could be taken as a model in relation to other regions.

The first stage of work, presented last fall, demonstrated the complete incompetence of the ex-bathhouse attendants (see Novaya publications of 10/9/2017 and 01/10/2018 ) and strengthened the suspicion that saving historical dachas is just a screen, and Avenarium’s real interest boils down to the construction of a SPA complex under the brand of a children's health center on the territory of the former dachas of Kahn and Witzel in Sestroretsk, for which over 70 million have already been allocated from the city budget, and over a billion was earmarked in the 2018 budget.

The story interested the Chamber of Control and Accounts, which doubted the “children’s” purpose of the complex with a hotel, restaurant, bar, spa area with two swimming pools, baths and massage rooms.

And the deputies of the Legislative Assembly sent a request to the governor, pointing out the absence of measures for this construction and a financial and economic justification in the state program. The St. Petersburg branch of VOOPIiK also expressed its concern to the head of the city, presenting a detailed critical analysis of the first part of the concept, testifying to the complete incompetence of its developers.

Vice-Governor Mikhail Mokretsov “reassured” city defenders by saying in response that the law “On the budget of St. Petersburg for 2018 and for the planning period of 2019 and 2020” provides for budget investments of Avenarium+ JSC that are already almost half the billion previously announced - 563,800 .5 thousand rubles. But the official was lying, omitting the information that the same document allocated 442,959.9 thousand to Avenarium for 2019. In addition, another line reveals another 27.5 million for 2018 and 29 and 30.5 million for the next two years respectively.

Presenting its concept for Sestroretsk, Avenarium+ stated that it envisaged the restoration and adaptation of 44 historical buildings. However, last week, during a working meeting with Mikhail Mokretsov, he announced different data: no more than six pre-revolutionary dachas are going to be restored, including two on the territory of the future spa complex (provided that this does not turn out to be too expensive for Avenarium - this same AO!). The rest of the picture is seen by the official as follows: roads will be built by KRTI, historical buildings will be restored by the Kurortny District and Smolny committees, in accordance with the new function selected for the objects (if, for example, a leisure center for teenagers - then the Education Committee, a museum - the Culture Committee, etc. .p.). It is unclear where the funds for this will come from.

Manual rescue

Urban defenders demonstrated to Georgy Poltavchenko at the last meeting in Smolny what is happening to specific monuments against the backdrop of an imitation of vigorous activity to create a concept.

Vazheevskaya’s dacha in Sestroretsk is a monument of regional significance, with paintings on the facades made according to Vasnetsov’s drawings (as local historians suggest). The building is in use by the GBOU boarding school of the Kurortny district "Olympic Reserve", but is not in use. Since 2014, KGIOP has been recording leaks and damage to wood by black rot (a hole appeared in the roof after a fire), sending instructions to the user, and imposing penalties. But where can a boarding school get money? Especially now, when the concept of “Avenarium” prescribes the use of this building as a “Hut of Unwasted Time” with a center of professions and crafts, where teenagers “will be able to feel their need and need.”

In January, city defenders received a new batch of replies. Including from Vice-Governor Mokretsov - about the next instructions sent to the school, the Education Committee and the administration of the Kurortny district. The latter unsubscribed: it is planned to develop a roof repair and conservation project in 2018, approve it with KGIOP, and the implementation of the work itself will be “possible if funding is available.” The district administration immediately announces its disagreement with the plans of “Avenarium” - it agreed on the plan-schedule for the implementation of the concept presented by the KIO only on the condition that Vazheevskaya Dacha was excluded - “due to the use of this territory for the needs of the district.” Pay attention to the wording: it is the territory that is needed; there is no talk about the monument itself, options for use, plans for adequate maintenance and conservation.

When Sokurov’s group, at a meeting with the governor, announced their readiness to independently raise money for construction materials in order to provide at least temporary shelter for the monument, if Smolny could not do anything, Georgy Poltavchenko finally made a decision.

“Well, really, it’s a simple thing - fix the hole in the roof! “I give you two weeks,” Georgy Sergeevich turned to Vice-Governor Igor Albin, “to resolve the issue. I'll give you the money."

Responding to criticism of the Avenarium concept and questions about the validity of the amounts allocated to this office in the absence of funds for emergency work on dying monuments, the governor expressed surprise - he, it turns out, is convinced that Avenarium should not be involved in historical dachas, its task is to create public spaces. I had to remind you how the corresponding line in the budget sounded: the development of the Concept for the creation of public spaces on the basis of historical wooden buildings and the development of adjacent territories in the Kurortny district. The governor gave one more instruction: to check the validity of the estimates. And he agreed with the need to urgently take up conservation and emergency work on historical wooden objects that are especially in dire need of them, “otherwise we will lose them.”

As for a comprehensive solution to the problem, Smolny finally realized the need to entrust this matter to specialists. As a result of the meeting, it was decided to instruct KGIOP, together with the St. Petersburg VOOPIiK, to formulate, by March 15, terms of reference for the development of a Concept for the conservation of cultural heritage sites - monuments of wooden architecture in St. Petersburg. From the public side, Mikhail Milchik will lead this work; it is planned to involve the Starye Dachas research group in participation. The development of the concept should be completed by the end of the year and carried out using funds from the city budget allocated by KGIOP for the implementation of measures for state protection and popularization of cultural heritage sites.

Meanwhile

The city parliament adopted in the first reading a bill defining the procedure for leasing “for a ruble” cultural heritage sites belonging to St. Petersburg that are in unsatisfactory condition. The list of proposals prepared with the participation of KGIOP also includes several wooden buildings. Including the Zmigrodsky House in Sestroretsk, which risks not waiting for a new owner. The building, which has been occupied for a long time, has not been protected or preserved in any way, has survived several fires, and is on the verge of collapse. After much insistence from city defenders, the district administration found two million rubles for priority work. Among them is the questionable feasibility of installing a tent over a building leaning towards the ground, which they promise to build by August.

It is also unclear how the inclusion of this object in the list of monuments offered for rent “for a ruble” fits with the concept of “Avenarium” - it prescribes the use of Zmigrodsky’s house as a leisure center for the elderly, with solo and choral singing circles. This prospect is unlikely to be tempting for potential new owners. Another property recommended by KGIOP for rent “for a ruble” – R. Pavlov’s Dacha in Sestroretsk – has long been in private ownership.