Sochi Chief Architect supports demands of protesters to stop tree felling

Today, in Sochi, the action to protest against tree felling and construction of multi-storey parking facilities near the children's centre in Constitution Street was resumed. The place of the protest action was visited by Oleg Sheveiko, City Chief Architect, who ordered to stop felling of 50-year-old plane trees and thus supported the demands of the public activists.

"Cutting of trees stopped by order of Oleg Sheveiko"

According to the participants of the protest action, in the morning, next to the children's centre, builders tried to cut down two trees.

"We demanded the arrival of police, administration, representatives of the management of the forest-park facilities. We said that we ourselves would demolish the erected fence and stop that mess (cutting of trees, note of the "Caucasian Knot") by our own efforts," says Evgeny Zakharov, the member of the initiative group.

As a result, at 1:00 p.m., Oleg Sheveiko, Chief Architect, Denis Teterin, the inspector of the management of the forest-park facilities, and Stanislav Kuznetsov, the district police inspector, arrived at the construction area. They talked to the representatives of the developer and the workers, and after they left, cutting of trees has been stopped. This was reported by the participants of the protest action.

In his conversation with the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent, Oleg Sheveiko, City Chief Architect, has clarified that he agrees with the public activists. According to him, he gave orders not to cut down the plane trees, which survived in the territory of general use.

In his turn, Stanislav Kuznetsov, the district police inspector, stated that he would investigate the issue of unlawful seizure of the territory and cutting of trees.

"Developer continues construction works"

Lyudmila Shestak, the deputy of the Sochi City Council from the CPRF (Communist Party of the Russian Federation), appealed to the Prosecutor of the Krasnodar Territory with demand to stop destruction of green plantations and construction in the area of the children's centre in Constitution Street.

"The destruction of trees in the territory of the centre is being continued, and the process has even reached a domestic road. Developer Egiazaryan, who was rejected to conduct construction works at the land plot in Constitution Street, continues the construction works," states the deputy.

According to her, during the court hearing, a representative of the administration asked to grant the developer's application to permit construction in Constitution Street.

"At the same time, representative of the administration have hidden from the court the essential facts concerning the dispute, and that is an official crime," says Lyudmila Shestak.

In her complaint filed to the Prosecutor of the Krasnodar Territory, Lyudmila Shestak reports on illegal, according to her, actions of the city authorities.

However, it is known that Sochi continues collecting signatures under the letter with demand to stop the construction in the territory of the children's centre. According to the activists, more than 5000 city residents have already supported their demand.