"The fight makes sense": Heritage activists have developed a plan to combat amendments to the law on monuments.

Regional heritage conservationists will present their plans for protecting historical monuments at a press conference in Moscow on August 15. Afterward, they will give journalists a tour of the crumbling cultural heritage sites (CHS) that are already deteriorating. 

"Ancient traditions are an integral part of love for the Motherland, and there are people at the top who understand this. I think there's debate there about this law. And we must act to protect our ancient traditions, otherwise it will be completely shameful! So that the country's leadership can say, 'But the people are against it!'" said Olga, journalists Chairman of the Novosibirsk branch of the All-Russian Society for the Protection of Historical and Cultural Monuments (VOOPIiK) Natalia Shamina.

In her opinion, the amendments to the law, which will take effect at the end of January, can still be repealed. To do this, regional authorities need to gather information on cultural heritage sites lost in recent years and, based on these facts, draft a memorandum for the State Duma. The main thing is to demonstrate to the authorities that Russians care about the fate of their historical heritage. 

According to activists, the vast majority of the country's immovable cultural heritage is under threat: more than 84% of monuments, registered in the state register, are regional objects. This is stated in a press release from the All-Russian Society for the Protection of Historical and Cultural Monuments (VOOPIiK). 

Previously, decisions to exclude regional monuments from the list of cultural heritage sites were made by federal authorities. This prevented local officials and developers from deciding the fate of historic buildings.

After introduction of The amendments will allow regional authorities to remove such sites from the register themselves. Heritage activists fear this could lead to the loss of heritage protections to make way for new construction.

At the end of July, Shamina went out to protest against the amendments. She was taken to a psychiatric clinic and soon released.