showCASE 28: The Moscow renovation trap

On May 14, over 20,000 people gathered in Moscow to protest an extraordinary renovation plan aiming to demolish over 4,500 Soviet-era prefabricated apartment blocks, known affectionately as khrushchyovkas. Local authorities argue that the vast majority of these aging buildings (constructed in 1960s) are slowly becoming inhabitable and plan to resettle approximately 1.6 million Moscovites who occupy them. While 74% of the renovation zone-dwellers support the initiative, the “bill on renovation” that forms the legal basis for the project is highly unpopular, as it is believed it does not guarantee that the rights of residents will be respected. And with the local municipality and presidential elections upcoming next year, unpopularity is not something the authorities are rushing to create.

Read about the Moscow renovation trap in the latest showCASE