Press Release, 21.02.2024

Photo: the Moscow City Duma / Photo by the Yabloko Press Service

Today at a meeting of the Moscow City Duma, the parliamentary majority did not support the draft appeal of Yabloko deputy Sergei Mitrokhin to the head of the city demanding that authorities must return to Muscovites their right to public hearings on the issues of urban planning. The issue put in the “Miscellaneous” section of the agenda was considered without the active participation of representatives of the pro-government United Russia party and its sister parliamentary association My Moscow. Deputies of these factions also voted against Mitrokhin’s project.

The letter prepared by Mitrokhin to Mayor Sergei Sobyanin runs that deputies are receiving numerous appeals from Muscovites objecting to the construction of various objects in the city, including those that were not submitted to public hearings (public discussions) in the manner prescribed by the federal and Moscow city planning codes. The purpose of land use at a number of addresses was changed without taking into account the opinion of residents of the city, and instead of a museum, kindergarten or convenience store, multi-storey residential complexes emerged in the city plan.

Amendments to the Land Use and Development Rules of the City of Moscow that construction projects do not need public hearings (public discussions) were passed as a result of the implementation of the Moscow Government Resolution No. 438-PP of March 22, 2022 “On the implementation of the provisions of Article 7 Paragraph 2 of the Federal Law of 14 March, 2022 No. 58-FZ “On Amendments to Certain Legislative Acts of the Russian Federation”. Federal Law No.58 gave the highest executive bodies of the state power of the country’s constituent entities the authority to approve urban planning projects without holding public discussions or public hearings. Not all regions cancelled public hearings. However, in Moscow the new rule, depriving Muscovites of the right to speak out against the authorities’ plans for city development, was adopted in the spring of 2022 and remains in force at least until the end of 2024.

In his speech at a meeting of the Moscow City Duma, Sergei Mitrokhin said that by implementing the resolution of the Moscow Government, citizens are deprived of even the opportunity to learn about and read the documents on new construction projects.

“The most monstrous projects fall on their heads suddenly. This is an abnormal situation that we cannot tolerate. I know at least ten addresses where the implementation of certain projects began without public hearings,” Mitrokhin said.

In a draft appeal to the Moscow Mayor, Yabloko deputy Sergei Mitrokhin proposed the following:

– to cancel the provisions of Moscow Government Decree No. 438-PP of 22 March, 2022, which allows not to hold public hearings;

– postpone the construction of facilities whose projects have not been submitted to public hearings for the period necessary for preparing and conducting public hearings;

– publish construction documentation, according to which changes were made to the Land Use and Development Rules for construction purposes without holding public hearings (public discussions).

Commenting on the procedure for discussing the issue and the attitude of deputies towards it, Mitrokhin emphasised that the rights of citizens must to be take away so easily. “This is a right that every Muscovite needs. Because if someone thinks that everything in his yard is good and wonderful, and infill development will not begin, he is deeply mistaken,” Mitrokhin added.

The head of the Yabloko faction in the Moscow City Duma, Maxim Kruglov, spoke in support of Mitrokhin’s project. He noted that even such an imperfect and limited institution of interaction between society and government as public hearings, which did not develop any binding decisions, was eliminated by the authorities.

“This was the only institution within which citizens and the executive power could communicate on specific construction projects. Certainly, this institution was not perfect. Nevertheless, there was some space for live communication and exchange of opinions: officials and developers could listen and hear citizens. It is clear that there is a desire to cancel everything that is inconvenient and uncomfortable for the authorities. The executive branch does not know how to talk with citizens and, apparently, is not going to learn how to do this,” Maxim Kruglov summed up.

Representatives of the Communist Party of the Russian Federation, A Just Russia and non-factional deputies also spoke in favour of the Yabloko deputy’s project. The majority of United Russia and My Moscow voted against.