Russia (bbabo.net) - On Karl Marx Avenue under state protection there are more than 30 buildings - objects of architectural heritage. In some of them, the premises are rented by entrepreneurs. Six months ago, they received a resolution demanding to remove "illegal" signs from the facades. But what signs are considered legal, they were never explained.

“This is our building. There was a sign "Lombard", and there - "Loans". The sign "Women's Shoes" was recently dismantled in the neighborhood, and now the store owner is barely making ends meet, ”says Inessa Petrenko, director of the rental company. - We met with entrepreneurs who received instructions. Everyone is ready to make new signs, everyone wants to maintain the style so that the avenue looks impressive.

She points to number 66, built in the first half of the 19th century. In Soviet times, there was a cafe "Minutka" in it, but now you cannot tell right away. Remains of fastenings stick out above the entrance instead of a signboard.

Signboards cost money - up to 100 thousand rubles, for dismantling, too, I had to pay out of my own pocket. But most importantly, entrepreneurs lose 30-50 percent of their income, since passers-by now do not know what exactly is inside. Some businessmen could not stand it and left Karl Marx Avenue.

“All our tenants moved out because they could not identify their activities,” says Svetlana Chirkova, a representative of the owner of the building built in 1880.

The former apartment building is now empty. Chirkova notes that because of this, not only the owner does not receive income, but also the city remains tax-free.

The entrepreneurs have not yet been able to get an explanation of which signs will be correct from the point of view of the authorities. It is only known that projects and examinations should be ordered from specialists accredited by the Ministry of Culture of Russia. Their services cost hundreds of thousands of rubles. There are no more specific instructions yet.

Social activists were persistent, now and then publicly speaking about the problem with signs on Karl Marx Avenue. And it worked - Of course, it shouldn't be that way. Logically, they first develop documents, and then they demand the removal of the sign, ”says Stavropol lawyer Sey Vladimirov, who participated in negotiations between entrepreneurs and the authorities.

He notes that the regional administration for the preservation and state protection of cultural heritage sites understands the problem and meets businessmen halfway, extending the term of work without signs until the spring of 2022. Those who have already dismantled structures are out of luck. Most of them are still working under signs, which is why the historical avenue still looks like the facade of a shopping center.

According to the head of the regional department for the preservation and state protection of cultural heritage sites Anna Koneva, the decree, which is now being developed in the department, will help to get out of the situation. The draft document can be found on the website of the department. For example, signs up to three meters long and 40 centimeters wide are allowed on areas of the facade that are free of architectural elements. At the same time, the new law prohibits the placement of signs above the ceilings between the first and second floors. The quality of materials and the procedure for approving the project have been determined.

Anna Koneva does not deny that city activists, including the head of the Caucasian Urban Laboratory Public Organization Ivan Samokhvalov, helped to get things off the ground.

As Samokhvalov told the reporter, he had been offering officials ideas about Karl Marx Avenue for two years, but in vain. The public figure was persistent, every now and then he spoke about the problem publicly, including in the presence of senior officials of the region. And it worked - after the hype in the media and on the Internet, the authorities began to develop regulations for signage in the center of Stavropol.

Samokhvalov is confident that after the regulatory documents are adopted, they will create a design code for the center of Stavropol, thanks to which the historical streets will acquire aesthetic and tourist appeal.

According to him, Rybinsk in the Yaroslavl region can be considered a successful example of such transformations in Russia. In 2018, local authorities ordered businessmen to replace ordinary banners with retro-style signs. The idea was supported by the owners of large retail chains, and recently the couriers delivering products changed into uniforms of the late 19th century.

- A design code of this level is an expensive job of good specialists. It is advisable to hire them only after all legal issues have been resolved. When this by-law is approved, it will be possible to declare that there are rules, but no design code, - says Samokhvalov.

The department for the preservation and state protection of cultural heritage sites in Stavropol cannot yet name the timeframe for the adoption of a new decree. At the same time, the department warns that even after that, entrepreneurs will have to order expensive examinations.- There are articles of the federal law on the protection of cultural heritage sites. We cannot cancel the necessity of their observance by our decree, - says Anna Koneva.

However, few entrepreneurs working on Karl Marx Avenue will overpower all the associated costs.

- Pedestrian traffic has dropped, this is noticeable in terms of revenue. Compared to other years, the work has become harder. Small firms have to compete with shopping centers, says Svetlana Chirkova.

City activist and entrepreneur Lada Dubinina is sure that the problem cannot be solved by design code alone. In her opinion, the shops and retail establishments located on the avenue attract neither tourists nor townspeople. For shopping, locals go to large shopping centers or use the services of online stores. There are few other reasons to spend time on Karl Marx Avenue. The historic center offers a limited range of entertainment, and for tourists interested in history and architecture, dilapidated buildings covered with advertising signs and air conditioning do not make a good impression.

- Now there is no concept at all for the reconstruction of this part of the city. While the buildings are in private hands, it is difficult to create some kind of uniformity here, says Dubinina.

Lada believes that this problem can be partially solved if the architectural monuments and buildings that make up a single ensemble are returned to the regional or city property. Then over time they will be brought into a decent look.

Commentary

Nikolay Okhonko, Director of the Stavropol Museum of Local Lore named after G.N. Prozritelev and G.K. Prave:

- I call Karl Marx Avenue the main historical axis of Stavropol. According to my calculations, the avenue had 14 different names. People called it Main Street, Boulevard Street, and Pochtovaya Street, because the postal road ran here. For a long time it was Nikolaevsky Avenue, then Stalin Avenue.

The avenue is an object of historical and cultural heritage. Almost all old houses and mansions on it are considered architectural monuments. Facades should be brought in line with their historical appearance. And of course, it is necessary to resolve the issue of signs and advertising.

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