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 Old Castle may destroy the area’s archeological layers that date as far back as the 11th century, Lyalevich noted. “Our state does not care about archeological heritage. The constriction of new buildings poses a big archeological threat,” he said.