Tree felling has begun on the eastern shore of Lake Baikal: this was prohibited before the law on clear-cutting was passed.
Video of tree destruction published State Duma deputies Vyacheslav Markhaev и Sergey Levchenko, who are elected from Buryatia and are members of the Communist Party of the Russian Federation.
According to them, the forest in the coastal zone of Lake Baikal is being cut down for the construction of an elite "natural health complex," which will include a five-star hotel with 100 rooms, approximately 20 hotel cottages, VIP houses with a lounge area, a geothermal spa complex, and a congress hall. According to the Siberian Express publication, the developer is a company controlled by a Moscow oligarch To Vladimir Yevtushenkov.
Upon visiting the construction site, State Duma deputies discovered that the law on clear-cutting was being violated: cedars, junipers, and other endangered species had been destroyed on the grounds of the future hotel.
According to Vyacheslav Markhaev, the law promised a special government commission to monitor taiga deforestation on Lake Baikal. It was to include deputies, senators, governors, scientists, and security officials.
“They promised that not a single tree on Lake Baikal would be cut down without a decision from the government commission,” Markhaev reminded. In fact, there is no commission, and the Baikal forests are being destroyed."
He also expressed outrage that the taiga was being destroyed “to the concerted chorus of tenants and regulatory authorities.”
The bill allowing logging and construction in the Baikal water protection zone was accepted The State Duma approved the measure on December 9. Authorities claimed this was being done to restore forests that had fallen into disrepair, allegedly due to the actions of foreign entities.
Of the 21 co-authors of the amendments to the law, at least six have had Connections with businesses in construction, tourism, and logging. Scientists warned that clear-cutting and development would pose a "real threat" to the lake. However, most State Duma deputies ignored their petition.
It's noteworthy that the project's documentation for the future "nature and health complex" in Buryatia lists July 2025 as the official start date—six months before Putin signed the bill permitting clear-cutting of Lake Baikal.
ВVideo and photos: Vyacheslav Markhaev and Sergey Levchenko's Telegram channels
