In December 2024, Moscow's City Council approved revised legislation regarding cultural heritage sites, stipulating that architectural monuments failing to undergo evaluation by July 1, 2025 will lose their protected status. This development was reported by the preservation initiative "Arkhnadzor."
Critics argue this provision violates federal regulations, which only permit removing monuments from the registry based on state examination outcomes. Moscow's new law, however, automatically delists any unprotected structures that miss the July deadline.
"Currently, Moscow has over 1,700 recognized heritage sites," explained Rustam Rakhmatullin, Arkhnadzor's coordinator, in comments to "Ekho." "With only 120 buildings assessed by July, authorities will effectively consider the remaining 1,600 structures as non-existent under law. While not all face immediate demolition, their unprotected status leaves them vulnerable."
Legal proceedings began recently as Arkhnadzor challenged the controversial clause in Moscow City Court, filing suit against both the City Duma and Mayor Sergei Sobyanin. The preservation group encourages public support through petition signatures (detailed instructions here) and attendance at upcoming court sessions.