Press Release, 1.02.2024

Photo: The Chelyabinsk City Forest / Photo by Alexander Sapozhnikov, Wikimedia

The Sovetsky District Court of Chelyabinsk began considering the claim of the regional branch of the Yabloko party against the administration of Chelyabinsk. Yabloko is represented in court by Andrei Talevlin, environmentalist, Deputy Chairman of the Chelyabinsk Yabloko and member of the Bureau of the Yabloko Green Russia Faction. Talevlin is challenging the permits issued by the Mayor’s Office for the construction of a high-rise residential complex on the site of the city forest.

The Chelyabinsk branch of Yabloko is challenging nine construction permits issued at different times to an OOO Tekhservis. The company plans to build four high-rise buildings of 24 floors and five auxiliary facilities on the territory of the destroyed Polet swimming pool and additionally “annexed” site.

The natural monument the Chelyabinsk City Forest is a specially protected natural area, the property of Chelyabinsk. Officials together with entrepreneurs are purposefully reducing the area of the natural monument and its protected zone in the interests of commercial development. However, sometimes it is possible to defend the integrity of a unique natural complex through the courts. Thus, in 2020, members of the Chelyabinsk Yabloko managed to return four hectares of the forest to the specially protected natural area.

“Unfortunately, in today’s turbulent times, developers are easily pushing through the city administration projects to build high-rise buildings in the former special protection natural zone and the lost territory of the forest,” Andrei Talevlin, Yabloko’s representative in court, says.

To the plaintiff’s surprise, at the first court hearing, which took place on 31 January, the Chelyabinsk Public Prosecutor’s Office, which had been involved by the court, petitioned to withdraw from the process. Considering that protecting the rights and interests of citizens, including the constitutional right to a favourable environment, is the responsibility of the Public Prosecutor’s Office, the demarche of law enforcement officers is strange, environmentalist and human rights activist Andrei Talevlin notes.

The Chelyabinsk branch of Yabloko thanks all the Chelyabinsk residents who supported the party in court, and reminds that the next hearing in the case of defending the Chelyabinsk Forest will take place in the Sovetsky District Court on 13 February at 10 a.m.