Question for native Russians (feel free to delete if inappropriate)

[sarahbrowneyes.livejournal.com]

Hey all, I am a grad student in a Historic Preservation program and I am going to be giving a presentation on preservation efforts in Moscow in the near future. I was just wondering what the general feeling of Muscovites and Russians in general was concerning preserving historic buildings and etc?

My class is on international preservation and we have studied how different countries have different ideas as to what lengths they will go to and exactly how they preserve their heritage. Through my research so far, it sounds like many buildings are being destroyed without regard for their importance, but there are those that have been restored and adapted for a different use than they originally had. My main basis for my information has centered around one group, called MAPS. Their website is maps-moscow.com if you'd like to explore it.

Any insights or thoughts are much appreciated!

Comments

[ilia-yasny.livejournal.com]

The main problem is that under the cover of building preservation various groups of people try to take control over the buildings in the center of Moscow. The cost of square meter there is extremely high (I dare not even suppose, how high). So, after receiving the control over some building (for the purpose of "preservation", of course), the winnig group of people begins to lend the building to small companies for offices or to derive benefit from possessing this building otherwise. Corruption of bureaucracy and backstreet intrigues of the authorities play a huge role in these processes.
I think, nobody in the government is really interested in building preservation, power and money is all they are interested in, and "the heritage" is used only as a cloak.