According to her, all cultural heritage sites must be protected and ideally restored. However, in this case, the possibility of demolition is being discussed.
“There is a contradiction with the president's decree on preserving historical heritage. The House of Artists has already been included in the register of monuments. But has it been removed from this register? When did this happen? There are no answers to these questions, and no information is being provided. The rights to private property are also being violated,” Umuraliyeva added.
She noted that the presidential administration does not have the authority to interfere in urban infrastructure projects.
Read more on the topic Demolition of the House of Artists. The decision of the Bishkek mayor's office has been challenged in court
“The Office of Affairs is requesting to transfer the land to state ownership, even though there is a building of the Ministry of Economy nearby, which is already state property. It looks like they are trying to seize everything for themselves. The demolition of the Ministry of Economy building, which will serve for another 20 years, and the destruction of the House of Artists is unacceptable. The issue of compensation for the forced acquisition of land is also being raised, but the right to private property should not be replaced by lease agreements, which is completely disproportionate,” the expert emphasized.
Deputy Mayor Azamat Kadyrov noted that at the moment the municipality does not have a project for the specified land plot.
“The question of depriving artists of their property is not on the table. We are discussing the possibility of transferring the land to state ownership. There is an investment project in this area that includes requirements for the preservation of historical sites. The municipality is restoring many buildings. For example, the 'Aiperi' building, previously used for various purposes, was transferred to an investor on the condition of fully restoring its historical appearance,” he reported.
Moreover, Kadyrov assured that artists will not be left unsupported on the street.
At the meeting, it was not clarified what exactly is planned to be built on the expropriated territory.
