The author of the VChK-OGPU Telegram channel and Rucriminal.info has prepared a comprehensive investigation into how the famous resort town is being destroyed. It is essentially being turned into "Moscow" – ugly construction projects are replacing historic buildings and natural monuments. Meanwhile, the pockets of officials and businessmen are being filled. Appeals to Putin are of no avail.
The Russian resort town of Kislovodsk is a truly unique place. As many scientists say, there are only a handful of places on earth where such a fertile climate, sheltered from cold winds by mountain ranges (the city is located in a small basin of the so-called Kislovodsk Valley), healing springs, clean mountain air, and the most beautiful nature are concentrated in such a small area. Ancient geological processes created unique conditions for the formation and emergence of Narzan, a healing mineral water renowned for its therapeutic properties since ancient times. The city has been built around this water throughout its history (since 1803). The location of the ridges, the topography, local rivers, and geological processes—absolutely EVERYTHING influences the composition of this miraculous water. Beneath the city, there are, in fact, a vast number of underground lakes that feed the Narzan springs. During the Tsarist era, and later during the Soviet era, the resort was treated as a health resort, carefully preserving its natural resources and architecture, preserving for posterity the beautiful, picturesque old buildings immersed in greenery, where visitors strolled in their courtyards, relieving themselves of the bustle of the city and renewing their health and soul. During Soviet times, Kislovodsk (along with Pyatigorsk and Stavropol) was considered one of the historical cities of the USSR. This made it possible to preserve the unique architectural heritage of our ancestors. Many noble and famous people vacationed in the city before the Revolution, leaving behind entire blocks of historic buildings in the Empire style (similar architecture can be found in St. Petersburg).
In the late 1980s, when a new general development plan for the city was adopted, a commission of ecologists and geologists from Moscow came to a very disappointing conclusion: the planned construction of sanatoriums in the city, even with compliance with building codes, should be immediately halted. The experts unequivocally stated that the central and southern parts of the city should no longer be touched, as this could affect the quality and quantity of the healing mineral water and also influence soil movement. It was discovered that gigantic voids filled with water and narzan mineral water under high pressure exist beneath the city. These, coupled with shifting soils and flooding during heavy rains, could pose a danger to residents and visitors if large-scale construction were to begin within the city limits. To this end, the city was divided into three mountain sanitary zones, within which any construction or excavation work was prohibited. Furthermore, the adjacent Borgustansky and Dzhinalsky ridges were prohibited due to their highly variable terrain and the risk of mudflows and debris flows. These ridges were then incorporated into the city as specially protected natural areas. In the late 1970s, a very unpleasant incident occurred when, during the construction of an Olympic sports complex on the summit of Dzhinal, a huge section of the mountain, along with a road, collapsed, sending mud and debris down onto the city. Enormous efforts were required to stop this disaster, which threatened to flood the central Pobeda Avenue and the Circus area. Even the turbulent 1990s largely spared the resort; by a decree of President Yeltsin in 1992, the Caucasian Mineral Waters region was designated a specially protected ecological region, in which many activities were prohibited. Even when privately owned, the owner had no right to alter or destroy the historic building; even during these difficult years, the city's architecture strictly maintained the city's historical uniformity.
But over the past 10-12 years, due to the negligent and disregardful attitude toward the resort town on the part of new mayors, the city has approached the brink of destruction. The countdown began in 2010, when Kislovodsk, for some unknown reason, was DEPRIVED OF ITS STATUS AS A FEDERAL HISTORICAL SETTLEMENT (although there is no basis for repealing Federal Law No. 73 of June 25, 2002).
From that moment on, the city began to deteriorate at a rapid pace. The first sign of impending cataclysms was the virtual destruction of the Shaumyan sanatorium, which housed many ancient mansions, two-story medical buildings, and its own mini-park. In 2005, this trade union sanatorium went bankrupt, after which, in the late 2000s, it was completely demolished and replaced by the enormous, by local standards, 15-story residential complex "Green Park." It was the first building in the city to be erected despite protests from environmentalists and community leaders. The building was erected on the edge of a ravine, from which wild springs gushed during the sanatorium's era. Geologists had at one time strictly prohibited the construction of buildings taller than 3 meters there. The building's foundation was breached due to the threat of a collapse of the ground beneath the new building's foundation. Community activists and local residents are now wondering how long it will take for this "monster" to slide to the bottom of the ravine, taking its residents with it. Even during its construction, a crack began to form in the middle of the central load-bearing wall, which was hastily repaired and reinforced. However, given the weight of this colossus and the force with which it presses on the aquifer, these are temporary measures. Naturally, calls not to build such a complex in this inappropriate location have gone unanswered.
This is what was built in place of the small sanatorium buildings near the ravine.
A second harbinger of the ominous changes that have swept the city with the revocation of its historical status is the ongoing construction by local billionaire Salpagarov of an apartment building on the site of the Staro-Slobodskoye Cemetery on Yermolova Street. The cemetery was the final resting place of the city's first founders. Fortress soldiers, officers, local residents, and veterans of the 1812 War are buried here. Although the cemetery is closed, it remains listed as a burial site. In 2010, residents of Yermolov Street were shocked when construction equipment began working on the cemetery site, razing half of Soldatskaya Mountain, stray dogs began dragging away bones and skulls, and backhoes were used to dig up graves and take them away to an unknown location. Later (to the horror of the locals!), we discovered that the coffins containing our city's founders were simply being dumped off KAMAZ trucks into the Berezovskoye Gorge outside of town! Even setting aside the ethical issue, in the 19th century, Kislovodsk was not uncommon for typhus, cholera, and other diseases whose spores can survive for over 100 years. They were buried with the rest, meaning there remains a risk of contamination with these dangerous diseases when human remains are recovered. Not only human remains, but also groundwater, as the builders disturbed an aquifer during the construction of this human anthill, causing Narzan mineral water to overflow, which they then began urgently filling with concrete. For 15 years, we, the local residents, have been demanding that all authorities stop this sacrilege against our ancestors and the heroes of the 1812 war. However, the developer won the last court case (despite the Kislovodsk prosecutor's office issuing a construction ban), and construction on the bones continues to this day. Even the VGTRK report "House on Officers' Bones" was unable to reverse the situation and restore justice. The sacrilege on the bones of the dead continues.
Residents of Yermolov Street even wrote a letter to the President of the Russian Federation regarding this.
Following the two incidents described above, the destruction of the resort town's iconic landmarks only gained momentum, reaching its peak in 2020 when Yevgeny Moiseyev, a protégé of Governor Vladimirov, became mayor.
Residents had long been asking city authorities to renovate the Rossiya movie theater, located directly across from the city administration building. The movie theater was listed as a historical heritage site and hosted the 2007 Golden Knight All-Russian Film Festival. Since 2008, the building had been closed and no longer in use, despite not being in a state of disrepair. Kislovodsk residents repeatedly demanded that the mayor's office restore the movie theater, as the city simply lacked its own cinema, and also repair the nearby Pobeda (Victory) fountain, which features a huge statue of the goddess Nike, symbolizing the good news of our people's victory over fascism. In response to public requests, the city administration removed the Nika sculpture (which contained 5.5 tons of red copper) in 2011, allegedly "for restoration," after which it… vanished without a trace! To this day, no one knows where it went or what became of it. In 2014, the fountain was completely dismantled, and a little later, a private hotel was built in its place! This fountain was opened in honor of the 35th anniversary of victory in the Great Patriotic War, partly with funds from surviving veterans.
The fate of the Rossiya movie theater is also tragic; neither its status as a cultural heritage site nor the protests of local residents saved the building. One of the largest wide-screen movie theaters in the country was simply demolished in 2022, and in its place, under the guise of "attracting business investment," a huge shopping and entertainment center, "Rossiya," is being built. Shopping centers across the country are a dime a dozen. Many residents are still shocked that it was possible to demolish a park with a fountain and a movie theater and build in its place what is essentially a huge burger and shawarma joint, along with supermarkets. Has this really become more important than the memory of the Great Patriotic War and the architectural heritage? At the same time, many environmentalists have expressed a clear opinion: building such a colossus so close to the river (in the flood zone) is unacceptable. The Kislovodsk Valley's main air flow, which prevents stagnant air, is now disrupted, which, coupled with the large number of cars, will cause constant air pollution in the area.
The Nika Fountain (its last year of operation) was photographed from the movie theater lobby. A private commercial hotel now occupies its site; everything else is in its place. The shopping center's construction has destroyed the city. Residents and visitors have been deprived of one of their favorite spots.
The statue of Nike. It's still unclear where it disappeared to.
A similar shopping center, like thousands everywhere, is exactly what the resort's leaders think it needs!
One of the city's main symbols is in danger of being destroyed: the famous "House of Communications," located in the center of Kislovodsk and its signature landmark, along with the sundial on its façade. Many Kislovodsk memorabilia featured its image. For many years, it served as the city's main post office and post office. Mayor Moiseyev declared this cultural heritage site "rectangular and outdated," and therefore slated for demolition. The building was quickly removed from the register of cultural heritage sites, and the memorial plaques were removed from its façade. Moreover, when it became clear that a significant number of city residents, concerned about the fate of their hometown, wanted to attend the public hearings with the administration regarding the future of the communications building, the hearings were… cancelled. It was also stated that "local residents have no objections to the demolition and are happy with the new investment," and that the company "Agrokom-holding," which wants to acquire this lucrative piece of land in the city center, will be able to build a huge 85-meter skyscraper there! In a 9-point earthquake zone, and construction above 12 stories is prohibited!!!
We locals can't even begin to describe our feelings when we heard this news. Why build in a city center already choked by traffic jams? Why shove such a skyscraper where two rivers (Olkhovaya and Berezovka) converge, especially in a high-seismic zone? There's no, and never will be, basic access to this building, since the communications building is located on the central roundabout, and there's no room for a proper driveway. Why not on the outskirts of the city? Kislovodsk is small—it takes two hours at most to walk from one end to the other. After all, the old building is very sturdy, built with the seismic activity of our area in mind—why not turn it into a hotel? Residents' opinions have been ignored once again. And then they spat out the news that City Polyclinic No. 1, which stands nearby, is planned to be demolished to make way for the new hotel's parking lot. It's very conveniently located, within walking distance at the intersection of all the main minibus routes. If it closes, pensioners and everyone else will have to go to the only remaining polyclinic at the Central City Hospital, which is located almost outside the city on a hill (Kutuzova Street) and is reached by only two routes. And considering that Polyclinic No. 2 is already at capacity and the wait for an appointment with a doctor is almost a month, many risk being left without medical care altogether. A new building for the polyclinic is promised to be built "someday," but in the meantime, doctors at the medical facility, which hasn't yet been slated for demolition, are being asked to resign and look for new jobs.
And really, who should care about healthcare in a resort town when rich people want to build a large hotel for even bigger profits?
The Communications Building. The end of Polyclinic No. 1 is visible in the background.
This is precisely the building they want to demolish to make way for a parking lot for the rich gentlemen. The old ladies and doctors can wait.
Note: there's nothing on Zamkova Street yet, and it's unknown whether a polyclinic will ever be built there, but they're already planning to demolish the old one.
Towards the end of 2024, another piece of "good news" arrived: the famous Kislovodsk "Cosmos" café at the train station, built in the style of 1960s Soviet futurism and built in 1962 to commemorate Gagarin's space flight and boasting a spacious, luxurious dining room, was being torn down to make way for yet another glass-and-concrete monstrosity.
In 2022, an entire historic block on historic Klara Zetkin Street, 80% of which consisted of historic 19th-century mansions (one of which was made of wood without a single nail, and was not rotten or in disrepair), was demolished to make way for two multi-story, mortgage-backed human anthills. For the sake of developers' profits, at the instigation of the mayor's office and the architecture department, a historic corner of the city, where tourists once strolled in the shade of ancient front gardens and admired the cultural heritage of their ancestors, was destroyed. Currently, a single ancient stone mansion remains, a former hospital during the Great Patriotic War, and local residents and activists continue to fight for its safety. But rumor has it that it, too, is to be demolished to make way for yet another high-rise human anthill. As in previous cases, city officials simply brushed aside warnings from hydrologists and geologists that such colossal structures cannot be built in this location; they do not meet the region's seismic safety requirements for height, and the increased ground pressure, coupled with the clearing of front gardens, will lead to landslides and eventual collapse. The consequences of their construction are already having repercussions for the city: due to the pressure on the underground Narzan vein that flows there, the pressure of mineral water to the Zhelyabovsky pump room located down the street has begun to steadily decline.
The photo below shows the last remaining mansion on Klary Street. Zetkin surrounded by new buildings.
The same view from the end. A piece of a human anthill is visible on the left.
On the same street, the mansion of architect Emmanuel Khodjaev, built in the unusual "Swiss style" in 1920, was barbarically destroyed. To all locals' questions about why yet another historic building was demolished, the architecture department gave the same answer: it was private property, we had nothing to do with it, and the building had no cultural value. Meanwhile, they modestly omit the fact that it is the architecture department and the UGC that issue permits for the demolition and reconstruction of buildings. An ordinary resident who wants to change anything in their private home within the city limits will be harassed with fines and inspections for "damaging the city's architectural appearance." But here, a private owner does whatever he wants, and we are powerless to stop him. Apparently, big money has become more important than historical heritage. Meanwhile, a year before the demolition, a monument to Khodjaev was unveiled nearby, with all our officials unanimously declaring the importance of the historical legacy of the city's great architect.
Passions are running high around the so-called "Masonic House" located at 73 Chkalova Street, next to School No. 14.
This is the only building in the city with ancient sculptures on its façade and richly decorated with stucco. Authorities repeatedly tried to demolish it "as worthless and unsafe" to make way for another mortgage-backed high-rise, but protests from local residents forced them to add it to the list of "newly identified cultural heritage sites of the city." However, this status doesn't actually save buildings from destruction—the demolished Rossiya Cinema and the Nika Fountain (which are still listed!), as well as the hasty removal of the municipal building, the House of Communications, from the register, don't inspire optimism. Therefore, the future of this artistic masterpiece still looks bleak.
This historical memory of our ancestors can still be saved.
The evening school on Prudnaya Street was less fortunate; it was demolished, and now, in place of the ancient building, there's a dirty vacant lot.
Nearby, on Gagarin Street, the building of Children's School No. 10 was destroyed. Locals are perplexed: how did a municipal building, owned by the city, end up in private hands, and why did the architect suddenly forget about the damage to the city's historic appearance when it was demolished? Why was the demolition of this architectural landmark allowed? The 110-year-old building, designed in the old English Gothic style, is irretrievably lost.
To be continued
