BBC Russian Service: Putin canceled the construction of a park in the center of St. Petersburg, which he approved during Beglov’s election campaign

Russian President Vladimir Putin canceled the plan to build the Tuchkov Buyan park in the center of St. Petersburg and ordered to complete the construction of a judicial quarter on this site, where the Supreme Court of Russia should move. Putin gave the relevant orders on December 29, 2021, the Russian BBC reports, citing documents.

We are talking about the development of the former territory of the Applied Chemistry scientific center, which is located between Dobrolyubov Avenue and the Malaya Neva embankment, opposite the spit of Vasilyevsky Island.

According to Fontanka's sources in Smolny, the original development concept for this area "has changed" and "has not yet been completed." One of the interlocutors confirmed that they are going to build a building of the Supreme Court there, and also leave a green zone, but less than previously planned. Rumors that a “small square” will be built instead of the park are greatly exaggerated, another Fontanka source said. According to the third interlocutor, a four-hectare park area is being considered.

Officially, the press service of the administration of the governor of St. Petersburg only confirmed that the project of the park with underground parking, a fountain complex and the reconstruction of the embankment is still under development. Smolny did not comment on plans to create other facilities on this territory.

• The decision to move the Supreme Court to St. Petersburg was made in 2012. It was assumed that the judicial quarter in the Petrogradsky district would be ready by 2016. However, by the end of 2016, the project was only approved by the state expertise, and construction was planned to begin next year. Then the deadlines several times were shifted .
• Kommersant reported that structures associated with businessman Yevgeny Prigozhin close to the Kremlin would be involved in the construction of the Supreme Court building.
• In 2019, during the election campaign, the governor of St. Petersburg, Alexander Beglov, promised that a park would be laid out instead of a judicial quarter. He was supported by Vladimir Putin. The President noted that the construction of the park "is not so harmless" for the federal budget, but "it's not a pity for St. Petersburg." He assumed that the St. Petersburg project would be "a little better" than the Moscow Zaryadye.
• In May 2021 , it became known that the Tuchkov Buyan park construction project was frozen.