Activists comment on Melikov’s statement about “Gunib” sanatorium

Taking into account his statement about the “Gunib” sanatorium, Sergey Melikov, the leader of Dagestan, has not touched on the topic of the urban development in Gunib, which has been going on for more than one year. The accusations of activists from the “Gorod Nash” (The City is Ours) movement in disseminating enemy information are groundless.

On May 29, Sergey Melikov, the leader of Dagestan, announced that nothing would happen to the “Gunib” sanatorium. The Dagestani leader has stated that the sanatorium would develop and that the activists are disseminating enemy information. Sergey Melikov has also claimed that a certain person, who anonymously introduced himself only as a “public figure” from the “Gorod Nash” organization, “threw in a conspiracy theory.”

When responding to the Sergey Melikov’s claim, Arsen Magomedov, an activist from the “Gorod Nash” movement, has written on his Telegram channel that he always personally signs the appeals with his name.

On May 30, Madina Ibragimova, an activist from the “Gorod Nash” movement, told the “Caucasian Knot” correspondent that the activists from the organization did not make any official public statements about the children’s sanatorium and the urban development in Gunib.

“Gorod Nash” has made no such statements. Apparently, someone set Sergey Melikov up by giving him wrong information.

“Various public figures voiced their statements. However, there were no such statements from the ‘Gorod Nash’ movement. Apparently, someone set Sergey Melikov up by giving him the wrong information. In addition, this is not a tuberculosis hospital, as Sergey Melikov mentioned, but this is a children’s sanatorium for patients suffering from pulmonary diseases. I myself stayed there with my two children. The treatment helped us a lot, and the children and I got a lot of positive emotions. As for the ‘enemy insinuations,’ I have no words for commenting on this, as I do not know what is ‘enemy’ here,” Madina Ibragimova stated.

The activist has noted that despite the fact that the leader of Dagestan attributed non-existent quotes to the “Gorod Nash” movement, this does not mean that the activists of the movement agree with the urban development of Gunib and with the fact that the children’s sanatorium is planned to be transferred to the Ministry of Tourism.

Aminat Abdurakhmanova, the head of the “Ptitsa Feniks” (Phoenix Bird) public organization for the protection of cultural and natural heritage monuments, has noted that in his speech, Sergey Melikov did not mention the urban development of the forest zone in Gunib, but only noted the topic of the children’s sanatorium.

Perhaps this information is not reported to him

“Perhaps this information is not reported to him. Although at a meeting with the Dagestani Minister of Tourism in Gunib, public figures mentioned that the fortress wall and gates are collapsing, that total illegal construction is underway, and that the supervisory authorities are not doing their job properly,” Aminat Abdurakhmanova told the “Caucasian Knot” correspondent.

The activist has emphasized that she has not received any response to her appeals to various authorities, including the Prosecutor’s Office of Dagestan, the Environmental Prosecutor’s Office, the “Rosprirodnadzor” (Federal Service for Supervision of Natural Resources), and public organizations.

Aminat Abdurakhmanova reports that illegal, in the opinion of activists, construction in Gunib has been going on for more than one year. “Earlier, I have not filed written appeals, but local residents have lodged complaints. They were misled and informed that allegedly there had been changes in the legislation and that now it was possible to build in Gunib, that there allegedly was an official permit for capital construction from the Ministry of Construction,” the activist from the “Gorod Nash” movement has added.

This was originally published on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’ on May 31, 2025 at 12:51 am MSK. To access the full text of the article, click here.