Demolition of market in Gudermes angered townspeople

The authorities are dismantling the Central Marketplace in the Chechen city of Gudermes instead of eliminating the violations found there, said the townspeople interviewed by the "Caucasian Knot".

The Gudermes Central Marketplace occupied several hectares in the city centre. In total, more than 2000 people worked there. In late November, on the instruction of the head of Chechnya, Ramzan Kadyrov, an inspection was conducted there, after which the market was demolished and dismantled.

The inspection revealed numerous violations in the marketplace, the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent was told at the Chechen Prosecutor's Office. Besides, according to a source from the Gudermes administration, it was impossible to solve the problems of the marketplace without a total demolition thereof.

A Gudermes businesswoman named Raisa told the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent that she was offered to rent trading room in the territory of the "Mega-City" Shopping and Entertainment Centre, that was opened in early December, or in the territory of the new city bus terminal, but the rental fee turned out to be too high for her.

Another entrepreneur, Suleiman, has also complained about high rental fees at alternative trading places. "At 'Mega-City' and other places the rental fee is very high. Hundreds of families had survived thanks to the city marketplace; now, we are left with nothing. This is real lawlessness," the man told the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent.

"It's unclear what the need to demolish the marketplace was. It seemed to me that it was enough to remove self-made sheds and old structures that spoiled the general appearance, solve fire safety issues and give people a chance to work on. Instead, they levelled the place with the ground," Ramzan, a resident of Gudermes, told the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent.

This article was originally published on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’ on December 22, 2018 at 10:24 am MSK. To access the full text of the article, click here.