Statement by the Bureau of the Moscow branch of the Yabloko party, 2.09.2026

Photo: Shukhov Tower / Photo by Yandex Maps

Moscow Yabloko is worried by the news of plans by RTRS (the Russian Television and Radio Broadcasting Network) to begin dismantling the Shukhov Tower, an outstanding monument to early twentieth-century Russian engineering, this autumn.

It should be noted, by way of background:

For more than ten years, RTRS has been seeking the right to carry out a “reconstruction” of the tower which, in reality, means the complete demolition of the historic structure, followed by the erection in its place of a replica that merely reproduces the original external form. According to available reports, plans envisage preserving, at best, fragments of a single section of the original structure.

We consider this approach categorically unacceptable. The value of an architectural and engineering monument lies precisely in its authenticity — in its original materials and structures — not in its external silhouette. Replacing the genuine tower with a modern reproduction is not restoration but the effective destruction of the monument, leaving only its decorative shell intact. Such a precedent is also dangerous for other historic sites in Moscow.

We demand the following:

– that work on dismantling the tower be halted before it begins;
– that plans for its demolition and complete dismantling be abandoned;
– that a broad professional and public discussion be organised, involving independent heritage preservation experts — openly, not behind closed doors;
– that, following this discussion, a restoration project be developed ensuring the maximum preservation of the structure’s original components;
– that this project be implemented under the supervision of independent experts.

The Shukhov Tower is not merely a radio engineering structure but a symbol of engineering genius known throughout the world.

We call on all concerned Muscovites — journalists, tour guides and heritage preservation specialists — to join the campaign to protect the tower while there is still time to save it.

Kirill Goncharov,

Chair of the Moscow branch of the Yabloko party