Sochi residents are on round-the-clock watch in Plane-Tree Alley

While the number of commercial construction sites and erected fences in Sochi goes up, the city dwellers are holding their day-and-night defence of the general-use green zones in the Plane-Tree Alley.

According to Evgeni Zakharov, a Sochi activist, at night on Sunday, April 11, he walked along the Plane-Tree Alley and saw gastarbeiters fencing a green general-use zone of the landscape area Venchagova in the vicinity of the "Philately" shop with another four-meter high fence.

He told that even in the historical central Sochi no more green zones remained. "The new fence in the last green corner in the city centre became the last drop," said Zakharov. "I believe," he continued, "that it was all deliberately done on days off - on April 10-12, when there was nobody to address with a demand to stop the arbitrariness."

When Zakharov asked the gastarbeiters about what they were doing and who had sanctioned the works, they kept silent. On Sunday in the morning, according to his story, he came to the place and saw that the general-use territory of about 0.1 hectares, where the rare exotic trees are growing, was already completely fenced; and no information boards or posters were present.

Evgeni Zakharov and chairman of the ecological board Vladimir Ostapuk began acting together. The former, according to his story, asked the workers not to do anything until all the circumstances of the case were cleared out. Mr Zakharov said that he had called the head of city Anatoly Pakhomov, but he said that everything was done legally and upon his permit.

As reported by Vladimir Ostapuk and Liudmila Shestak, a deputy of the Sochi City Assembly, they could not get the answer about the grounds of the above permit, as Mayor Pakhomov refused to receive them in the working day - on April 13.

Starting April 11, Evgeni Zakharov takes part in daily pickets with the demands "Stop construction terrorism in city-resort Sochi!" and "Green zones - to the city!"

Activists Svetlana Pletnyova, Nina and Valery Rogachov and others stayed throughout their weekend in the place fenced by unknown builders. They organized signing-in against the larceny of green zones from the city for the sake of commercial buildings. Hundreds of passers-by signed the petition, which was placed by the activists in the websites of the head of the city Anatoly Pakhomov, Governor of the Krasnodar Territory Alexander Tkachov and President of the Russian Federation Dmitri Medvedev.

Several dozens of calls have already arrived to the city's telephone hotline with a demand to remove the fence in the green zone in the Plane-Tree Alley.

According to Igor Shakhov, head of the city's forestry and park division, he could not remember, whether the developer had been granted a sanction to cut or replace trees in that area.

The workers told the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent that the customer of the construction is Vladimir Oskero and gave his telephone number. Mr Oskero has confirmed to the correspondent that he is director of several companies engaged in purchase-and-sale of their own real estate objects.

When asked by the correspondent about development of the Plane-Tree Alley, which, according to the rules of land use and development, was referred to recreational zones, which are not subject to town-planning changes, the businessman answered: "The building of the 'Philately' shop belongs to me as property for a very long time. I don't remember from whom I bought it and how much I paid. The building is very old and needs reconstruction."

"I have a reconstruction permit, but I don't remember who had issued it. The reconstruction assumes demolition of the old building and erection of a new two-storey building a bit larger than the existing one. The existing shop will be reconstructed into a shopping centre. The green plantings will not be destroyed but removed. The new place is not yet known," said Oskero.

He said that the fenced land plot with area of 0.08 hectares is in the lease for 49 years. In August 2007, by the results of public hearings, the removal of green plantings was allowed. The decision was signed by P. Velichko. Initially Deputy T. Chernovalova objected, but then she recalled her claims; thus, everything was done legally.

According to the businessman, he was doing everything lawfully, under the permit of the city administration and the courts. Vladimir Oskero did not try to realize to what extent they were legitimate, believing that the issue is beyond his competence. He finds the protest reaction of certain Sochi residents inadequate, as the city needs beautiful and modern buildings.

However, he was unaware that under the rules of land use and development the general-use places and green zones, like the one where his private shop was, are not subject to privatization and development.

Meanwhile, the protest action continues. Sochi residents are on duty at night, replacing each other in the Plane-Tree Alley. The main claims, as the activists believe, should be addressed not so much to businessman Oskero, but to the head of the city, who, like his predecessors, breaks the law and encourages capture of general-use green zones, privatization and development thereof.

Sochi residents are also going to complain about Mayor Pakhomov to the public prosecutor on the facts of the latter's arbitrariness and abuse of service position, which damages a lot the city-resort and its residents.