Minsk Citizens Opposing Condensed Building

The Movement for Freedom activists help the residents of Yakub Kolas and Kalinin streets to organize a peaceful and legally correct protest aiming to force public officials to listen to their demands.

The residents of houses No.30 and 32 on Kalinin street ask not to begin the construction of an elite building in the housing quarter of the last century low-rise buildings.

First, this would sufficiently decrease the comfort of living of the old-time residents due to the reduction in green areas, the increase of street noise (a significant proportion of trees is being chopped down), and due to the decrease of the natural daylight intensity for apartments and existing houses (the multi-storey building would hinder the sunlight).

Second, a house constructed in 1937 is located in the immediate vicinity to the construction site. It is a miracle that this house survived in the World War II – due to its uniqueness it has a certain value as the element of the capital’s architectural landscape. Intensive construction operations (driving of piles) threaten to destroy this old house.

Third, the territory where the elite multi-storey building is planned to be constructed has virtually become a spontaneous cemetery after the war. This land previously belonged to the Ministry of Defence. The local residents repeatedly found here the bones of the prisoners of war in the post-war decades.

The residents of this quarter point out that the construction company cheats saying the social housing is being constructed. In accordance with the project, a ,000 per place car park should be located under this building.

Moreover, this 104-apartments skyscraper would spoil the architectural ensemble of Yakub Kolas street with buildings up to 5 floors. 

Yuras Mieliashkievich, the MFF coordinator for Minsk, was present at the residents’ meeting. He declared that the MFF supports the local residents in the struggle for their rights to the proper living conditions:

“The locals feel resentment due to the fact that the preparation for construction was performed in the absence of any consultations with the people whose interests are directly affected. When almost every tree was chopped down in the backyard and access roads for construction machinery were build on the lawns, people began to express a just discontent. Such attitude towards people should be punished. The appeal in which we told of this conflict situation and of all violations has already been sent to the State Monitoring Committee”, Mieliashkevich said.

According to Mieliashkievich, the MFF – being the human rights protection organization – helps the local residents collect signatures against the construction of the multi-storey building and draw up appeals to the Minsk City Executive Committee officials. He says the MFF will continue to provide any possible legal assistance to the people.

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