Thousands of Petersburg residents protested against the skyscraper

St. Petersburg - Yesterday, according to the AP agency, around three thousand people gathered in St. Petersburg to protest against the planned construction of a giant skyscraper. Critics of the project argue that the structure will irreparably damage the atmosphere of the city on the Neva, known as the Venice of the North.
    The demonstrators called on President Dmitry Medvedev to ban the construction of the 77-story building that the influential Russian state gas company Gazprom wants to build. They also urged the Kremlin chief to dismiss St. Petersburg Governor Valentina Matviyenko, who this month gave her approval to the proposal.
    The skyscraper, to be named Okhta Center and costing 60 billion rubles (about 34 billion CZK), is seen by its supporters as an important step in the development of St. Petersburg. Conversely, opponents argue that the 400-meter tall building with a glass façade has no place in the center of the former imperial metropolis, famous for its river canals, drawbridges, and centuries-old palaces.
    According to current regulations in St. Petersburg, buildings higher than one hundred meters are not allowed to be built so as not to disrupt the exceptional historical panorama. However, Governor Matviyenko signed a decree granting an exception and stated that the skyscraper "will be a masterpiece of architecture that future generations will be proud of." Her stance remained unchanged even after warnings from the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), which stated that the construction of the controversial object could lead to St. Petersburg being removed from the list of World Heritage sites.