In St. Petersburg, the historic buildings of the Rigel plant are being demolished, despite a court order previously prohibiting this.

A video of the demolition was published on the urban preservation Telegram channel "SOS SPB SNOS." According to urban preservationists, destroy Buildings marked with the letter A, whose demolition was halted this week by the appellate court. Following a lawsuit filed by heritage conservationists, it imposed preliminary protection measures on three historic buildings of the former battery factory.   

According to Bumaga, the project to build a seven-story residential building on the site of the factory was approved back in 2021. All existing structures, except the water tower, were slated for demolition. Heritage activists opposed the plan and attempted to persuade the Committee for State Control, Use, and Protection of Monuments to include the factory buildings in the register of cultural heritage sites. They were certain that construction began in the late 19th century and was completed in 1916, as evidenced by archival materials and architectural details. 

However, the appointed forensic examination concluded that the buildings were allegedly completed in 1948, and therefore cannot be considered historical and subject to preservation. 

Heritage activists, however, also point out that all Rigel's factory buildings are recognized as "environmental" objects, meaning they cannot be demolished, regardless of their year of construction. In February 2024, they filed a new lawsuit. This time, the appellate court sided with them. Apparently, this didn't help.

Video: SOS SPB DEMOLITION