The territory of the former GIPH in 2017. Photo: & nbsp; Evgeny Egorov/Vedomosti
The announced international competition for the best concept of the judicial district was won by the architect Maxim Atayants, but the UDP, without giving any reason, took the project of Evgeny Gerasimov's workshop into work. Initially, it was assumed that a theater, court buildings, and housing for judges would be built on the site. However, in the spring of 2019, the concept changed: only the Dance Palace remains on the Petrograd side, court buildings are transferred to the Smolny Cathedral, and the housing for judges is on Okhta. This decision was explained solely by respect for the will of the people of St. Petersburg, who had long advocated the creation of a city park on the site of the GIPH.
The concept of a grandiose park — with an amphitheater for outdoor performances, art galleries, concert and lecture venues — was shown by Governor Alexander Beglov Vladimir Putin (the presentation successfully coincided with the election campaign). The President approved the idea, noting that it could turn out “better than Zaryadye.”
Subsequently, however, the governor yielded the palm to the president himself: “This was the idea of Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin. The inhabitants of St. Petersburg wrote to him. They say that the territory in the historical center of the city can be used more reasonably than erecting there a complex of buildings for the Supreme Court and housing for its employees. Vladimir Vladimirovich came to the observation deck, from where a stunning panorama of the spit of Vasilyevsky Island, the Hermitage, two bridges — Bolshaya Tuchkov and Birzhevoy opened, — Beglov recalled.
— The President watched for three or four minutes and said: «Come on, show the project.» Then he asks: «Why are you doing so little?
Vladimir Putin and Alexander Beglov are considering the project of the future park. Photo: gov.spb.ru
It is necessary to expand the territory from one bridge to another. And even wider. » I took a felt-tip pen and drew the whole thing, especially noting the place for the future park. Then he added after a short pause: “Now it seems good. Something needs to be done with the pit. Do not fall asleep, once dug up. A concert hall may well be accommodated. Look for a solution. Check with the residents, they will tell you. ”
Indeed, they did not fill the pit. And they continued digging, driving piles, pouring concrete … Tracking the execution of the contract on the State Procurement website, Novaya recorded the acceptance certificates for all subsequent years. Of the 35.7 billion meted out by the contract (with a 30% advance payment) they managed to pay the general contractor — the Repair and Construction Company of the Presidential Administration — 12.2 billion. With the actual fulfillment of obligations only 2.7 billion.
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During all this time, the basic decree of the government of the Russian Federation of 2016 on the construction of a complex of service and residential buildings of the Supreme Court and the Dance Palace on this site was neither canceled nor changed. The government of St. Petersburg has not released any documents indicating a change in the fate of this territory. The inquiries that Novaya sent to the UDP and Smolny — about concrete steps taken to implement Putin's announced decision to give this territory for a city park — remained unanswered. Which added arguments to the skeptics, who initially saw the trump card presented to Beglov for the elections in this story.
» Tuchkov Buyan «park project. Photo: gov.spb.ru
Alexander Beglov himself first announced that the buildings of the Armed Forces and housing for judges would be built on Smolnaya Embankment, on the site of the «Garden on the Neva». This 2.85-hectare garden was removed from the list of public green spaces, despite violent protests from the townspeople. Then the understanding came that the site was too small, and they found another place for the judges' housing — across the Neva, on Okhta.
In 2020, a couple of weeks before the elections, the governor once again remembered the park at the Spit of Vasilyevsky Island, announcing that a “unique concept” for it would be chosen based on the results of an international competition. Its organization cost 90 million, the tandem of the St. Petersburg bureau «Studio-44» Nikita Yavein and West 8 (Netherlands) won. The competition task was based on the presence of the only capital structure on the territory — the Dance Palace, and the park covered 9.9 hectares. At the same time, the foundation pit and piles of the court complex did not disappear anywhere.
To the Neva — sideways, to the bushes — in front
In the fall of 2019, construction projects were divided into two stages. The first is the Dance Palace with its underground parking and the building of the engineering and technical block. The second is court buildings and a residential complex. The division allowed (if it comes to fulfilling the president's promise) to build the judging part of the project elsewhere. The process of preparing for a «divorce» with the judges is reflected in two contracts for adjusting project documentation (dated November 29, 2019 and December 20, 2021, for a total of 185 million). The second one looks very much like a document drawn up in retrospect: an impressive amount of design work is required not only to be done, but also to be agreed with various departments in 10 days — until December 30. In this case, the customer is obliged to pay for it no later than a day before the end of the financial year, that is, right on the day of acceptance. And in the Appendix to the December contract, it is generally stated that the start of work is October , and three months are allotted for them.
This is how the area looks in January 2022. Photo: Elena Lukyanova/Novaya Gazeta
But towards the end of last year, the court buildings are being returned to their original place — where Putin promised a megapark. This is reflected in the terms of reference for the third contract for adjusting the project (another 273 million). This contract was signed by the Property Manager on December 29, 2021.
According to the contract documentation, the buildings of the Supreme Court are returned to the Petrograd side. But not on the spot that was assigned to him by the initial project, but on the one allocated for residential buildings for judges. The terms of reference ordered to place the buildings of the Supreme Court «on the foundation previously made for the placement of the residential complex.» — try to ask the Department of Affairs yourself, it did not respond to Novaya's request.
And now it would be more correct to call the park a square. 5.7 hectares remain free from building (with a total area of 9.9 hectares). At the same time, according to the terms of reference attached to the contract, only 2.6 hectares are allotted for “parks, gardens, squares, boulevards”. And they still need to accommodate 4 children's sports and recreation areas ranging from 375 to 800 square meters. m, bike paths and a promenade (1380 l. m.), sludge platforms and accumulators, ponds and a fountain complex.
In fact, the promised park will be comparable to a regional park and will be almost three times smaller than the capital's Zaryadye (13 ha), which they threatened to surpass.
For comparison, the area of gardens and parks existing in the center of St. Petersburg:
- Petrovsky Park — 29 hectares
- Alexandrovsky Park — 14.7 hectares
- Mikhailovsky Garden — 10 hectares
- Parterre Garden near Smolny — 7.6 hectares
< li> Summer Garden — 11.7 hectares
Where and how the judges will live
Apparently, in order for the judges to get to work in a state of extreme brutality, they were assigned to live on the other side of the city — Sverdlovskaya Embankment on Okhta. Where there are eternal traffic jams. As, however, and on the Petrograd side. So the road in both directions is a nervous one.
One hope for a pacifying view of the Smolny Cathedral is exactly opposite it, on the other bank of the Neva, and two plots were allocated for 4 residential judges' houses up to 10 floors high. 600 apartments will be built for judges. Each house provides underground parking for 436 cars, in the built-in premises — a grocery and non-food store, a bar for 20 seats and a cafe for 30, consumer services (laundry and dry cleaning, repair of clothes and shoes, etc.). The territory of the residential complex will be fenced, and inside will be equipped with recreation areas, children's play and sports grounds, as well as storage space for bicycles. Each apartment should be «equipped with furniture, televisions, office equipment, household appliances, textile window decoration, floor coverings (carpets), dishes, kitchen utensils, cleaning equipment and bedding.»
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Everything is thought out to the smallest detail. But there is still no approved project for the planning of this territory, without which it is impossible to undertake the design of houses. And the plots allotted for them are still owned by the city — so it is not clear on what legal basis the Department of Affairs concludes contracts for their development.
St. Petersburg is not a pity
In February 2020 When meeting with Putin, the governor announced that the project of the city park at the spit of Vasilyevsky Island would be completed in 2–2.5 years. Recognizing that the idea was not cheap (the necessary investments were estimated at 6 billion rubles), the mayor pressed on the unprecedented scale of the idea: “Thanks again from all residents … Even in Soviet times, no one could afford …”
“ It’s not so harmless for the federal budget, ”the president nodded, but agreed generously. “It's not a pity for Peter.”