How "Golitsyn Loft" died and what will happen to him next

In the spring, Golitsyn Loft closed - one of the largest clusters in St. Petersburg. By the 2020th, popular space was increasingly called “the second Duma” due to the noise, fights and the sale of balls with nitrogen. Then the project was left by the management company BS Art Development Group Alexander Basalygin, who led it from the opening in 2016.

The residents - there were about 60 of them - quickly moved away. Some complained about the management company due to aggressive eviction and even threats. All this time, BS Group has not commented on the situation. The owner of the building "Bronka Group" reported that he was looking for new managers, but the prospects of a large -scale project remain unknown.

“Paper” talked with former residents of Cluster, Alexander Basalygin, Bronka and the management company, which claims to work with Golitsyn, and tells why Golitsyn Loft died and what a fountain has 20 future.

In March, tough restrictions against coronavirus began to be introduced throughout the country, temporarily closed catering and leisure establishments - including in city clusters. Then Golitsyn Loft on the Fontanka embankment, as the townspeople and tourists knew, ceased to exist: after the restrictions were lifted, he never returned to work.

In April, tenants began to leave Golitsyn Loft. They openly said that they were evicted by the management company - sometimes aggressively and even with threats. Some of the residents who refused to move out found the premises hacked. The loft courtyard closed to the townspeople was littered with garbage.

In the spring, when the eviction of residents began, the media learned that Golitsyn was leaving the management company Alexander Basalygin. BS Group led the space since its opening in 2016, it was she who made Golitsyn one of the key points of attraction in the center of St. Petersburg. This company is the most important player in the market of St. Petersburg clusters. In 2014, BS Group launched the “Tsarchitector” and continues to control the “outbuilding” for uprisings, the “third cluster” on the 8th Soviet and two more clusters.

BS Group did not comment on the situation in Golitsyn either during the crisis or after: the official position of the management company was never voiced. The co -founder and head of BS Group, Alexander Basalygin, was also silent - at the time of collapse he was in Thailand.

In May, the Golitsyn, who had lost the tenants, moved to the management of the owner of the building - the multidisciplinary holding of Bronka Group. The company said that "the need for the previous concept of the development of the site became completely obvious." However, the future of space on Fontanka 20, is still vaguely.

"The second Duma." How "Golitsyn Loft" fell into decay

By the beginning of 2020, Golitsyn Loft was one of the largest clusters in St. Petersburg. He united about 60 residents in five buildings - the management company positioned it as a “creative quarter”.

Among the residents were the Golitsyn Hall and “Distourg” spaces, which became the cult bars “Utka”, “Cabinet” and Popravka, many copyright shops and shops, studios and workshops. Loft took large festivals like the scientific Science Bar Happing, the musical “abstract” and the feminist “Femfest”, and was also one of the most popular locations among tourists during the 2018 World Cup.

At the same time, in the third year of existence, the reputation of Golitsyn Loft began to deteriorate. In social networks and the media, the space began to be called "the second Duma." Locals, visitors and some tenants complained about noise at night, a “marginal” contingent and the sale of balls with nitrogen.

News also appeared about fights next to Golitsyn: for example, in 2018, six people beat activists for a remark about a parking lot on the embankment bike, in May 2019, the Popravka bara guard sprayed the pepper cylinder to a drunken girl and touched another visitor.

According to the co -owner of the Bar “drunken sommelier” Denis Zakharyans, there were regular problems with light, security, communications and audience in the cluster - at first they were explained at first the “process of formation”. In his opinion, by the 2020th Golitsyn from the “European Cozy original courtyard”, he turned into “place of fights, dirt, rats, cockroaches” and balls with nitrogen.

At the same time, Vita Afanasyeva from Tykva Store for four years of work in Golitsyn did not notice changes for the worst. According to her observations, the neighbors complained about the noise from the event from the first days. The creator of the Gallery in the Planting Maria Ivanova-Ochit in a conversation with the “Paper” also did not note large changes since 2016-in her opinion, the problems that arose at the very beginning (for example, with insufficient provision of order and stiff toilets) were preserved over the following years. The only noticeable change in the worst for Mary was regular interruptions in electricity.

"So that the tenants do not go to the owners." Why Golitsyn lost all residents

Former residents of the space told the “paper” that back in December 2019 they were faced with electrical interruptions: the management company talked about problems with wiring and overload due to heaters (according to “paper” , interruptions arose in the previous years of the “loft”). Some residents believe that the prerequisites for closing the project were noticeable in the summer of 2019, when fire safety checks became more frequent.

"Paper" talked with seven former residents of Golitsyna. All of them agree that the main cause of the collapse of the cluster was the disagreement between the owner of the Bronka Group and the management company BS Group.

Natalya Olina, the creator of Distourg, took a direct part in the launch of Golitsyna and was his first resident. But she learned about the conflict of the management company and the owner only in February 2020 from journalists. In BS Group, she was then assured that the dispute would not affect the tenants. “They said: as a last resort, they will merge us, and you will remain,” Olina recalls.

But everything happened differently. According to Olina, the Criminal Code demanded that the residents move out so that they would not cross the Bronke - because BS Group had settled the cluster with tenants for years. Alexander Basalygin does not comment on this requirement.

Initially, the entrepreneur vinyl in the incident BS Group, but subsequently reviewed her opinion:

- The Criminal Code has always had good friendly relations. At that time, we were surprised by their behavior [demand to move out]. Everyone was on each other. Now everything has already been furious. Part of the truth in their words was. Their main motive was that the tenants did not go to the owners, but at the same time they said that there would be nothing for a long time, so they would have to move out. In fact, it happened.

The creator of the Josef Spirits bar, Stanislav Girifanov, says that he noticed the “poor” state of the building and problems with the protection even before arriving at Golitsyn in December 2019. However, the creators of the bar did not expect that the management company belongs to this so "disregard":

- Of course, some bars saw the benefit of attracting, let’s say, not the most cultural part of the population. And all these statements about the “Second Duma” go exactly because the Criminal Code did not care about the protection, ”Gi -Hirifanov GOOD.

Problems with the protection of “Paper” are confirmed by a representative of another institution.

- In fact, there was a guard, but in 2.5 years I first saw a guard during the pandemic, he had an order to open or close the gate into the yard. And when a trash was happening on the stairs in the form of drug use, fights and other sabantuya, it was not possible to reach the guard, and the cops rarely came on call, ”the interlocutor of “ Paper ” says.

Nevertheless, the Josef Spirits Girifans notes that, excluding operation problems, the Basalygin team always went to meet them and it was “nice” to work with them. Stanislav says that he is ready to cooperate with Alexander again if he has a new project.

"Quarantine catalyzed everything." What role in the collapse of Golitsyna played a pandemic

In March, the management company invited to the meeting Vita Afanasyev, whose clothing store Tykva Store worked in Golitsyn Loft from the very opening of the cluster. As the entrepreneur told the “paper”, there she was informed that the project could be suspended due to difficulties with the owner.

- [In April] we were de -energized the building and warned about it in two days. Then the coronavirus in our mind was just beginning. Then, throughout the country, the strictest self -isolation was declared, the city is empty. You can’t find any movers, take the car in rent, no employees to help, ”recalls Vita.

She did not take away trading equipment from the store - including because she hopes to return:

- At the very beginning of [crisis], negotiations from the owner were conducted with us, and now we parted on what we are waiting. Why don't we return to Golitsyn? Everything suited us. And we are Golitsyn - we are one of the oldest projects. For the first year, we painted guidelines for the guests and literally by the hand was taken to interesting projects.

According to Afanasyeva, the Tykva Store point would not have problems in Golitsyn, if not for the pandemic. However, most residents do not think so. Natalya Olina is sure that the pandemic was only a catalyst.

- Perhaps if the quarantine had not occurred, before the summer or even after it, the relationship would still be clarified. There would be problems, but we would still work. The quarantine catalyzed everything, the Criminal Code realized that they did not make sense to hold on to the building (Alexander Basalygin did not clarify the reasons for leaving Golitsyn Loft - approx. “Papers” ). This is not to say that we moved out of the coronavirus, ”says the creator of Distourg.

According to Olina, contracts with residents [management company] could be broken in a month, and the owner signed with the management company for five years-until 2021.

- We considered what it is [terminating the contract] can occur in a year, because the Criminal Code had a five -year agreement. We thought out the ways of retreat to the 2021st. If not for the Apocalypse, we would quickly find a new room, ”says Olina.

From the side of BS Group, there was no public comment on the situation - even when all tenants left Golitsyn in the spring. Most residents last fully communicated with the management company in March and April, shortly before eviction.

"The cluster ruined the greed of the owner and the Criminal Code." Who is blamed in the ruin of "Golitsyn"

Some residents blame the management company BS Group Alexander Basalygin in decline. One of the residents anonymously told Paper that He moved out in the spring after the threats of the Criminal Code to hack the institution and take out all the things. He believes that it was impossible to save Golitsyn Loft:

“He was destroyed by the greed of Basalygin’s management company BS Group and the owner of the BRANCA group building,” the interlocutor of Papers said.

Denis Zakharyans, the co -owner of the Bar “drunk sommelier”, who worked in Golitsyn for three years, also complains to the “barbaric” eviction. He told the Paper that he filed a court to the Criminal Code due to the theft of property.

- They terminated the contract with us unilaterally and, having violated the terms data to free the premises, simply hacked the doors and took out all the property in an unknown direction. The products were thrown to the floor, then I had to come and clean the stink and dirt. The door remained broken. Where our property is still unknown, and how it is stored and stored at all is also not clear, ”says Zakharyans.

According to some residents interviewed by the “paper” , the tenant abandoned the cluster and did not try to develop it.

“From an interesting cluster, everything turned into a trash,” says a representative of the Wonderland bar, who worked in a loft in his last year. - As soon as the Criminal Code began to score for repairs and protection, the cluster in his eyes began to decay and attract a dubious contingent. There was a sale of balls [with nitrogen]. There was no single concept of development, all the proposals for interesting events to attract adequate people of the Criminal Code rejected. In fact, the Criminal Code even scored on the loft, and it became marginal.

In recent years, visitors have negatively spoke about the condition of the cluster. Readers of the “Paper” called him “Alcoholitsyn Loft” and “Treshov Town”, complained about the “unlimited” behavior of the Cluster’s audience and noise at night. At the same time, many regretted that the cluster was closing, worried about Distourg and other residents.

“Everyone eventually said that we were good guys.” What says Alexander Basalygin, who ruled Golitsyn

Alexander Basalygin himself BS Group's departure from Golitsyn Loft does not stubbornly commented on. He only said “paper” that the management company “actually taken away business”:

-They often write about us poorly-in my opinion, because we do not give comments. We talk only about some plans, launches, the current situation, and we do not comment on the problems. I never wanted to bring problems into public space. I can say that “Golitsyn Loft” was closed not because of us.

Basalygin assures that he resolved relations with most residents. According to him, they admitted that BS Group is “good guys”.

- Many residents of Golitsyna wanted to move to us [to other BS Group clusters], because we have long been familiar. Of course, someone said that we were bad guys, but the majority wanted to stay with us, ”says Basalygin.

The development of clusters is one of the main areas in Basalygin’s business. Now BS Group is managing four St. Petersburg spaces: this is the “third cluster”, “outbuilding”, “Multiplayis 1726” and the DK Gaza. All of them continue to work. “Paper” talked with two residents of the “third cluster” - they say that they had no problems with the management company.

Basalygin himself notes that his clusters coped with the coronavirus crisis differently, but in general they survived, although they missed the benefit. Alexander claims that all losses were covered from his own funds.

The situation similar to the Golitsyn Loft collapse already arose with Basalygin with the Architect space on Millionnaya Street in 2014. Then he told the “paper” that the owner was resolding the building, and the new owner decided to open the hotel there. Some tenants then moved to Golitsyn Loft - for example, Distourg. In 2016, another space closed - the “Tsarchitector” on the Bolshaya Stable.

Basalygin intends to continue to work with clusters. He told the “paper” about two new, while nameless projects: next to the Palace Bridge and Nevsky Prospekt. The cluster next to the palace bridge Basalygin describes as “Golitsyn Loft”, only with the yards “five times more”. BS Group is calculating to launch it in December 2020 or early 2021. Alexander hopes that the former Golitsyn residents will become the foundation of his new projects.

"Fontanka, 20 should become a significant object without creating discomfort." What will happen to the cluster

Since April, Golitsyn has been empty. It was expected that by the end of the year the project would resume its work, but this did not happen. In the Bronke Group, the company-owner of the building, the “paper” said they were choosing a management company and that a concept is being developed now.

According to the “Paper” , the new managing company should be Miles & Yars, which was engaged in the first stage in the development of Sevkabel Port and is now working with Nikolsky Rows. The company “Paper” confirmed that they were negotiating and talked with residents and local residents. True, according to the “paper” , some of the residents have already moved to the new Putilov Loft space in Pushkinskaya, someone found a different room, some are waiting for the news from the Bronka.

Miles & Yars say they have already developed a concept. But negotiations are not yet completed, so they do not disclose its details.

“We know all the features of the object: both its undoubted advantages and acute problems,” Denis Revutsky, managing partner of Miles & Yards, told Paper . - From our point of view, the potential of the object is not fully realized. Fontanka, 20 should become a significant object for citizens and tourists, while not creating discomfort for residents of surrounding houses. We held negotiations with the key residents of the facility and several leaders of the district’s opinions, which helped us work out the preliminary concept of the transformation of space, while maintaining the spirit and aesthetics of the architectural monument.

Several residents confirmed the “paper” that they talked with the applicant for the place of the management company, without specifying the name.

According to Alexander Basalygin, Golitsyn Loft will not come to life in the next few years:

-I think the building will stand empty for three or four years, and then it will be reconstructed and turned into something glossy. And all the conversations that there will soon be there soon, greatly exaggerated.

Bronka refused the “paper” in visiting the cluster. Stanislav Girifanov from Josef Spirits was recently in a cluster and told the “paper” that now everything was “rather neat” there: garbage was taken out, the windows were fixed, there is light in the yard. His bar is still in the building, although there is no access to it, and there is no electricity and water inside.

In the summer, in the "Bronke" "paper" they said that they intend to develop Golitsyn as a creative space. But there is no news about the future of the project, and it is not known when they appear.

The material worked:

Text - Vladislav Chirin, editor - Tatyana Ivanova, photo editor - Yegor Tsvetkov, corrector - Vladislav Petrova

See how the empty Golitsyn Loft looked in June.

За время пандемии управляющую компанию сменило и пространство Artplay — теперь там обещают создать зону стрит-фуда с выходом к Охте и лекторий. Read that this is known.

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