The State Duma today approved in the first reading the so-called renovation law, which provides for the massive demolition of 5-story buildings in Moscow. The dispute over the need for such a step could be used by the liberal opposition for protests in the capital.
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Deputy Nikolai Gonchar, who presented the bill, said that more than 25 million square meters of such housing still remain in Moscow. More than one and a half million citizens live in five-story buildings.
It is assumed that after the demolition of the Khrushchev buildings, high-rise buildings will be built in their place. Migrating citizens are promised apartments in new buildings, where the area of housing and its price will increase.
The resettlement, as Gonchar assured, will be carried out in the same or neighboring district of the same administrative district of Moscow.
However, in practice, this means that new housing may be several kilometers from the demolished Khrushchev building. This causes dissatisfaction among some owners of apartments in five-story buildings.
In addition, demolition threatens businesses whose offices or stores were opened in Khrushchev-era buildings, for example, due to their advantageous location near metro stations.
Observers have already suggested that the liberal opposition may use those dissatisfied with the demolition of Khrushchev buildings for rallies in Moscow.
At a meeting of the State Duma today, communist Vera Ganzya expressed doubts about the advisability of starting a program to demolish Khrushchev apartment buildings in a crisis, noting that its implementation is estimated at two Moscow budgets.
Igor Lebedev from the LDPR noted that if skyscrapers are built on the site of demolished five-story buildings, the number of residents will increase by several million, which means the number of cars on the roads will increase by several million.
Despite the arguments of opponents, the bill was adopted in the first reading. It is expected that it will be further developed.
“This is a pilot project, and if the issue begins to be resolved in Moscow, then perhaps we will implement it in other regions,” said speaker Vyacheslav Volodin.