Economy is Going Up, but Historic Buildings are Going Down
Part of the down side of the economic boom that is fueling major development in the Russian capital is the loss of many historic building in Moscow. Not only are the buildings historic, but they also are architecturally significant.
Some striking examples of what some critics are calling the Disneyfication of Moscow include the loss of the Hotel Moskva building which is known as the building on the Stolichnaya vodka label and the razing of the Voyentorg military department store which has long been considered to be the finest of Moscow’s Art Nouveau structures. Both buildings are to be replaced with replicas of the original building facade.
City officials have claimed that the original buildings had fallen apart beyond repair because of the neglect of the Soviet era and that the reconstructions would be a preservation of the architectural heritage of the city.
In a report titled “Moscow Heritage at the Crisis Point,” some buildings were listed as being under threat like the Detsky Mir children’s store, located across Lubyanka Square from the former KGB headquarters, and the Tsaritsino Palace complex located in southern Moscow.
Not all buildings going up in the city are as a result of a landmark being torn down - the planned Moscow City development which will include Europe’s tallest building will be built on unused land.
