Let me lead you through the streets of Moscow

by Anni Pelmeni

Recently I came across this project «Moscow Heritage at Crisis Point by SAVE Europe's Heritage campaigns

The bilingual report has been prepared by the Moscow Architecture Preservation Society (MAPS) and SAVE Europe’s Heritage with contributions from experts from Russia, the US, Germany and the UK.

200 pages report about the conditions of Moscow architecture. Honestly, this report put me into the pits of despair. I always had a hunch that city bosses did not give a damn about anything but mone, but what this report presents is more than pitiful state of art.

It is nothing new that the historical building are being destroyed to vacate places for the business centers. But the reports estimates the number of losses as high as 200, which more then I could have ever suggested. 'Erzatz-city' this is how the report writers call the modern Moscow. Erzatz for culture, erzatz for traditions, erzatz for mentality.

"Whole rows of traditional painted stone and wooden buildings along ancient streets and river quaysides are being destroyed and deformed, robbing the city of some of its most picturesque beauty."

It may sound a bit harsh, but actually the beauty of Moscow becomes more and more elusive. I am not trying to be too ambitious here, but I hope this blog will contribute to safe-keeping the Moscow. I really hope that when you visit Moscow it won't be just a post-modern jungle, but a city with the more then 800 years of history. That you find Moscow of different art: wooden, imperial, soviet, revolutionary and your own little Moscow.

Stumbe it!