Homel: house of oppositionist Zhukouski to be dismantled. However, officers of Ministry of Emergency Situation say that he should build a wall
Kanstantsin Zhukouski
In 2006 a
Homel opposition activist Kanstantsin Zhukouski built a house in the center of
Homel. The house was in a bad condition after a fire. He reconstructed the
house and wanted to register it in 2010. The rumors that houses in Knizhnaya Street
will be dismantled started circulating at about that time.
The domestic technical inspection refused to register the house because of the
absence of the “permission for the reconstruction”. As a result, Mr. Zhukouski
went to the local architect and showed him the “builder’s case” in which there
were permissions from all interested state services and the plan of the
reconstruction that was approved by them.
The local service of the Ministry of Emergency Situations also stated that the house
didn’t correspond to the rules of the fire safety, because there was no fire-proof
distance between this house and the neighboring one, and stated that the owner
must build a fire-proof wall.
“But, we didn’t build a new house, but reconstructed an old one, in conformity
with the reconstruction plan that was signed and sealed by the appropriate state
officials,” states Mr. Zhukouski.
As a result, the agency which will construct multi-stored houses instead of the
private houses in Knizhnaya Street offered the owner just 120 million rubles of
compensation (less than $40,000), which is equal to the cost of the piece of
land he owns, not the house.
At first, the activist complained to the local state agencies, but got no
results. Now he applies to the Presidential Administration, the Ministry of Housing
Economy and the Ministry of Architecture and Building.
In his complaints he expresses the opinion that the builder of the multi-stored
houses could reach an agreement with the local authorities that the latter ones
would do everything possible to decrease the sum which is to be paid to owners
of the private houses that will be dismantled.
Human Rights Chronicle
