29 March 2024, Friday, 7:41
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Revolt in agricultural village: 300 Minsk dwellers claim to stop housebreaking

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Residents of Minsk agricultural village categorically refuse to pull up roots and are ready to fight for the right to stay on their land.

Earlier this year, the public was informed: the agricultural village with its fruit gardens and leisure life will never be the same again, onliner.by informs.

Six months later instead of old houses there will start a construction of a huge residential area. In future 15 apartment buildings of different configuration will appear in the territory of 11 hectares. Of course, 400 private houses are subject to demolition, and hundreds of families will be settled. Grand plans of the city and a developer have "tripped over" the opinion of village dwellers: most of them categorically refuse to pull up roots and are ready to fight for the right to stay on their land, or to obtain a good compensation.

Almost all of the owners, having the "neck" to occupy in a built-up and compressed Minsk a "golden" earth, got into a trap long ago: many houses have been facing challenges for several decades already. Any owner of these meters may present an official paper with a direct message: the house is not repairable. It means that it is denied to repair or overhaul the building, as well as to lay the service lines. In other words, for decades houses were without due care (it was not the fault of the owners), but now officials upset with the state of the private sector say: how can we leave such houses? Shacks in the centre of the city!

However, the city itself did not care about urban landscaping. Locals compare their agricultural village to abandoned hen house and say that do not know what good roads mean, workers mow grass on empty sites only on national holidays.

Having decided to defend their rights, they (rare case in our lives) united, created an initiative group and began to flood officials of all ranks with letters and personal visits asking hard questions about the validity of upcoming demolition. Other things have taken back seat.

87-year old Viktar Belkevich, captive public activist, has recently received a reply from the administration of the Savetski district: You should gather together, our specialists will come and answer your questions.

Perhaps, they did not expect such resistance. Perhaps, if they were notified in advance about the whole situation, they would not be late and not made already angry people go furious.

15 minutes before the meeting the Assembly hall of an old school No.78 was full of people. The hall for 60 seats included twice more people. Other people were standing in the corridor. The school was full of voices. Officials did not appear, people's wrath was getting stronger.

- Why do they not demolish houses in Viasnianka? Are they cowards? They fling mud at us, people resented.

- They got permission and do what they want, women repeated.

- It's a shame! No one arrived; the most impatient began to panic at 6:10 pm.

The mood in the increased crowd (unlike officials) was not a democratic one. Fortunately, there were no troublemakers and provocateurs among the tenants of the village: in such environment, even the wildest call is well perceived. Realized the scale of pilgrimage and, possibly, fearing for the safety of school walls, the management of the institution decided to place about three hundred people on the playground. The microphone was brought out and activists, who believed in a soon arrival of officials started to take the time voicing their requirements.

- On all our questions officials reply that we have no right neither to own nor dispose our property, Volha Deineko began. - It has affected me personally for 40 years already! Any plan implies its start and end. And such travesty of justice must be put an end to.

On January 16 some dwellers of the village were handed over decision No.51 on the forthcoming seizure of land plots. Others do not have it yet, but it may happen any time, as soon as there will be a developer, so-called investor, who can thrust a finger at map of Minsk and say "I want this territory", despite the fact that citizens of Belarus reside there.

The objective of the meeting was to find out how much the situation complied with the law. There are no norms that could authorize the destruction of our property. Our rights are crudely violated! If speaking briefly, all these land plots were granted in 30-50s of the last century. In accordance with the Constitution (Article 4), law on legal acts (Article 67) the law has no retroactive effect. It means all the orders approved later do not have any relation to legal relations, having fulfilled earlier.

The Land Code clearly states that a citizen and the state authority are subjects of relationships (in regard to land). The only time when the state authority can decide upon land plots is when it is a state property. If it is about owners, then there is no other variant, but sale and purchase agreement. First, it is needed to resolve a question with an owner: to conclude a contract on the terms that will satisfy him, and only then, it is allowed to sale the territory and make plans, amendments to a general plan. But this situation is different, Volha Valiantsinauna said.

- Official, definitely, built their palaces out of the city, our homes they want to demolish, people interrupted the orator.

- Now we are said we are the waste of space, the woman continued. - But our children and grandchildren are as the owners as we are. The general plan will be discussed in August, but they do not specify the date. We would like to make our own adjustments: private buildings should be preserved, the State, through lending, must help to repair houses, to lay the service lines, to ensure decent living conditions. It is 70 years after the war!

We are evicted without the right to live in our familiar conditions, they force us move in communal apartments, Khrushchyovkas, at best in block apartments facing the Minsk Ring Road. When an old person moves to a new place with unacceptable conditions, he may pass away soon. Nobody cares about further life of people, who were subject to such in-migration.

Our property assessed at $500 per square metre, and in the secondary market Khrushchyovka costs $1200 per "square" metre. Why are we offered only $500 for our houses, if there are different market prices? It is a good example that today there is a problem with the laws, which are constantly written, but are not reliable.

There are only two phrases we got in response: "It is the realization of the general plan" and "The city should grow". We are driven out from our houses.

At 6:34 officials finally appeared. With no embarrassment for being late, first Deputy Head of administration of Savetski District Alla Sankouskaia in the company of several men in business suits went to improvised council. It turned out that the representative of the Administration was accompanied by very "influential" demolition experts: director of ZHREO, the chief engineer of Zelenstroy, director of Remavtodor.

- Nice! -people laughed, - it is what we need!

The head of the Department of Architecture and Construction was the most competent person, he arrived with a big map to inform about prospects of district development. But he kept all his secrets with him.

Passionless Alla Uladzimirauna warned: the meeting with representatives of Minskgrado and the Committee of Architecture will take place on August 4 and let us "talk about roads".

Having heard a proposal to talk about non-existent roads, people began to resent: We were promised to negotiate on demolition, answer the questions posed in letters!", "Why have we come then? You only fool people", "Now you are cheating!", "It is not serious", "Why do we need to talk about speed humps, but not about what is really important?".

It seemed like people's anger turned into rain: a few minutes later rain was pouring. Those listeners who had any hope for a constructive conversation opened their umbrellas and prepared listening. The initiative group posed questions asking the administration not to be distracted by trivia.

However, skills of officials allowed them not to give any direct answer. Alla Uladzimirauna either did not understand a question, or was talking to an old man, or reminded of the meeting on August 4. But the Deputy Head promised to give a written reply to all questions.

- So, why have we gathered today? Will our houses be demolished or not? For 40 years already we have been on tenterhooks. Reply ad rem: How long will you hold densification? everybody asked.

The official, "being hurt" by inattentive listeners who called to talk about the demolition, rather than about the details, summarized: "If you are not interested, then it is better to leave. Thank you for your attention. Unfortunately, you do not ask specific questions". At 7 pm the meeting was over, the administration promised that on August 4 they would touch upon other issues.

- It is not right to sidetrack and talk to an old man, one of the activists said. - Alla Uladzimirauna categorically refuses to listen to people. You knew the topic before arrival. Why do you give no answers? We are tired of constant amendments to the plan. Say something specific: will our houses be demolished or not and on what conditions. For 40 years we have only heard: "Your house will be demolished".

- We demand to let us rebuild houses. We will not allow destroying our property. You were not those who built these houses, you are not who can ruin them, Volha Deineko summed up.

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