Civil hearings in Mahiliou: first dismantlement, then discussion

The local authorities are organizing "civil hearings" in Mahiliou. The local residents are proposed to discuss the draft of the construction of a complex of dwelling houses which will be constructed in the center of Mahiliou, in place of a baking factory in Levaya Dubravenka Street.

The peculiarity of the "hearings" is that nobody asked Mahiliou residents when dismantling the bakery which had been constructed before the October revolution.

"Last summer the authorities decided to dismantle the building of the baking factory, and did it so quickly that we managed to publish just one article in the media on this matter. The building was a historical value for the city, as there are no more factories which were constructed before the revolution. Due to some negligence it wasn't given the status of a historical and cultural value and therefore wasn't under the protection of the state," commented the head of Mahiliou regional society for the protection of monuments, Uladzimir Krauchanka.

According to him, there was no need to dismantle the building which was in quite a god state: "About thirty years ago there was built the third store, which means that the foundation was quite durable. Instead of the dismantlement one could do repairs and rent the premises for offices of various firms or use them as a storehouse. However, our vandal officials decided to destroy it in order to construct just another residential area in its place," stated Mr. Krauchanka.

According to a member of the Presidium of the Belarusian Social Democratic Party (Hramada), Ihar Barysau, the collection of signatures for the adoption of the Law "On Civil Hearings" has started in Mahiliou these day, as without such a law the authorities will continue violating the interests of other citizens and destroying historical monuments.