Conservationists claim victory in battle over Moscow landmark.
The conservationist group Arkhnadzor on Wednesday announced that the planned demolition of Moscow’s iconic 160 metre tall Shukhov Tower had been cancelled, though the Communications and Mass Media Ministry warned it could still be slated for demolition in the future.
“We’re not flat-out rejecting the idea of demolishing the tower, but since right now no one wants to resolve this problem holistically, we will take extreme measures to strengthen the tower,” Deputy Communications and Mass Media minister Alexei Volin said, Interfax reported
Volin said that although the demolition was postponed for the time being, the tower would probably still need to be taken down within a few years.
Earlier on Wednesday, Arkhnadzor sent out a press release saying that the group had received a letter from the ministry implying that “the idea of demolishing and moving the tower to a different place is no longer relevant” following a government meeting held on June 16.
The group said the ministry had “finally admitted that the project on the demolition and transfer of the Shukhov Tower developed by the ministry was not supported by the Culture Ministry or the Government of Moscow.”
The tower’s potential demolition, an idea first floated in December, prompted a major outcry from preservationists who said that moving the structure would likely destroy it.
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