The Federal Service for Protection of Cultural Heritage (Rosokhrankultura) has got a powerful weapon to influence owners and leaseholders of monuments of architecture. The board reads: "Dangerous Area. No entrance!"
Photo: Alexander Kurbatov
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No Demolition
Russia’s Premier Mikhail Fradkov has toughened protection procedures for buildings of federal significance. From now on, an owner will lose a monument of architecture if the Federal Service for Protection of Cultural Heritage finds some violations in its usage, go to law against the owner and is backed up there.
The ruling 627 sealed by Fradkov recently has materially extended the authority of Federal Service for Protection of Cultural Heritage (Rosokhrankultura). The most vital achievement is authorizing it to strip the owner of an architectural monument if the protection requirements for it have been violated.
Moreover, the Federal Service may seize not only the premises but even the land, should the building have vanished from it by efforts of the owner. Such cases are not few and far between. The smithy built far back in the 18th century was demolished in Moscow past week.
Before the ruling, this Federal Service had only two levers to pressurize the owners. It could have either imposed an administrative fine or initiated an action under Clause 243 of the Criminal Code that leads to five-year imprisonment. “The clause does exist, but, in real life, bringing a person to account won’t be easy,” said Alexander Rabotkevich, chief of the Department for State Protection of Cultural Heritage. “Now, if a user or an owner commits serious violations, the more so demolition, we are entitled to seize the monument,” the official explained.
www.kommersant.com
All the Article in Russian as of Oct. 31, 2006
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