According to Umuraliyeva, all cultural monuments must be preserved and, at best, restored, whereas in this case, it concerns the demolition of the object.
“This contradicts the president's decree on the preservation of historical heritage. The artist's house is included in the register of monuments, and it is unclear whether it has been excluded from it, and if so, when this happened. No one provides such information. This also violates the constitutional right to private property,” she noted.
Furthermore, the expert added that the presidential administration does not have the authority to interfere in urban development issues.
“The Office of the President is asking to transfer the plot to state ownership, however, the nearby Ministry of Economy building is already state property. It looks like they just want to appropriate everything, including the magnificent Ministry of Economy building, which will stand for another 20 years, as well as the artist's house. We should not forget about the destroyed printing house 'Erkin-Too.' In the case of forced land expropriation, the question of compensation at market value arises, but in this situation, the right to private property is replaced by lease, which is absolutely not equivalent. These monuments must not be touched,” added Kalicha Umuraliyeva.
The deputy mayor Azamat Kadyrov stated that the municipality does not have a project for this land plot.
“The question of depriving artists of their property is not on the table. The transfer of land to state ownership is being discussed. An investment project is planned in this area, which includes requirements for the preservation of the historical object. The municipality is restoring many buildings, for example, the 'Aiperi' building at the intersection of Isanova and Chuy streets, which was previously used for various purposes. This object was transferred to an investor, but its historical appearance has been fully restored,” he noted.
Kadyrov also added that no one will leave the artists on the street. However, what exactly is planned to be built on the expropriated plot was not clarified at the meeting.
