Historians alarmed by Hrodna redevelopment plans
The district lost its status of historical heritage subject to protection “for
some unclear reasons” a few years ago and the city authorities later announced
their plans to pull down what they called “decrepit” buildings in the area,
according to Lyalevich.
Developers have eyed the district since then, he said. “Together with the
authorities they want to demolish or rebuild most of the houses and create an
upscale district in our city,” the historian noted.
However, he added, the redevelopment plans have hit a snag over the country’s
economic crisis.
Local history enthusiasts are determined to fight the plans and call for
entering the area into the state list of protected historical heritage, Lyalevich
said.
He also expressed concern over the preservation of the city’s archeological
layers that have come under the threat of destruction as increasingly more buildings
are being constructed in Hrodna.
In particular, the construction of a residential district near Hrodna’s
