Sergei Sobyanin: Preserving the architectural appearance of the capital is one of the pivotal tasks for urban services

Over 300 illegal buildings were dismantled in the center of Moscow in 2022. As a result, over 13,600 square meters of public space are unoccupied. As Sergei Sobyanin notes on his telegram channel, green zones, children playgrounds and sport fields as well as other public spaces can be mounted there.

“Given the importance of preserving Moscow’s architectural heritage, we keep restoring historical sites and detecting unauthorized buildings distorting the city’s appearance. The Central Administrative District is the top priority with a lot of unique historical buildings requiring restoration. In 2022, 144 objects were restored in the city center, with 14 of them being cultural heritage sites,” Moscow Mayor says.

The State Real Estate Inspectorate prevents and detects land and property offenses. The inspectorate specialists help preserve the architectural appearance of the capital, which is one of urban services’ major tasks.

Last year, they examined over 5,500 land plots and non-residential facilities in downtown Moscow and detected 654 unauthorized buildings.

The Central Administrative District requires special attention as it hosts a lot of unique historical landmarks. Relevant agencies are on constant lookout for illegal buildings that can distort the historical appearance of Moscow’s downtown. In the future, they can be replaced by green zones, children playgrounds, sport fields, and other public facilities.

The city pays special attention to restoration of decrepit and historical buildings. Restoration of a revenue house on Ostozhenka Street, which was built in 1842 by architect Nikolay Strukov, is one of such projects. The building is a regional cultural heritage site. 

There was one unauthorized three-story building under construction in Arbat District on Starokonyushenny Pereulok between two cultural heritage sites, a building that housed Russian Doctors Society and Porokhovshchikov house. The illegal building was dismantled and both landmarks were protected from potential damage.

Another example of a demolished unauthorized building in the Central Administrative District was a cultural heritage site on Myasnitskaya Street, where a second floor was illegally built on top of an annex to a four-story building. In the end, it was dismantled while the architectural landmark was restored to its original appearance.