The Sholya Case: Residents of a dilapidated building are being asked to pay 110 million rubles for its restoration.
Residents of the old house at 44 Chicherin Street in Orenburg For many years, there had been demands for its renovation. It was recognized as a cultural heritage site, "G. Shol's Estate 1870-1910," and the residents were charged with all costs associated with the restoration.
The building was designated a cultural heritage site in 2020, and now the courts have demanded that it be completely renovated to reflect its protected status. Meanwhile, due to its dilapidated condition, the building is half empty; only six of its 14 apartments are occupied.
"This is a very strange story. We didn't see any historical or cultural examinations; we were informed after the fact. We still don't understand who this Shol is; there's not a single mention of this character in open sources! We even went to the Orenburg Region archives."- surprised resident of the house Elena Burlakova.
Regional and federal cultural heritage sites are mostly abandoned ruins, for which the state lacks funds to restore. Digging into the pockets of citizens who are unable to move out of dilapidated buildings is an interesting approach, but unlikely to be effective.
According to residents, the building has never undergone any major renovations (or any, really), even though, according to the paperwork, major renovations were completed in 2020. Meanwhile, the Capital Repairs Fund has scheduled renovations for 2037. While the court is sorting out this mess, the building continues to deteriorate.
The building was 70% deteriorated in the early 2000s. Ideally, it should have been vacated and people were provided with alternative housing. Now, according to the current legislation, the object can simply be confiscated from the owners, as from unscrupulous owners of cultural heritage sites.
Photo: Orenburg Media
