Snowmen in Kostroma staged a picket against infill development

The picket of snowmen was a continuation of an acute conflict between residents of the microdistrict and the local authorities, which gave a private investor permission to destroy a large array of 200 green spaces.

The authorities allowed to cut down the park for the sake of sealing construction on the site of a grove, a ravine and a playground. Residents of neighboring houses stood up against this construction as a "human shield".

However, the developer put fighters from a private security company against them, as a result of which the verbal skirmish in the area turned into a forceful confrontation.

By the end of December, due to the efforts of the developer, a significant part of the grove on Okruzhnaya Street was destroyed. Instead of green spaces, the builders decided to arrange a car park. At the same time, the builders damaged the heating main, disrupting the heat supply of one of the houses closest to the construction site.

“Outraged by the actions of the developers, as well as the city and regional authorities, who did not give a damn about the wishes and requests of residents to save the grove and the usual places of rest for the children, on January 24, residents of Okruzhnaya Street staged a 'rally of snowmen' near the construction fence”, - reports Kostroma.News.

Children and adults stuck a lot of snow figures, painted them with paints, and on the snowmen's chests they hung posters: "Infill buildings - typhoid rash of Kostroma", "And from our window the construction site on Okruzhnaya is visible".

They conferred the titles of "Woodcutters of the Year" to the head of the Kostroma administration Alexei Smirnov and the governor of the Kostroma region Sergei Sitnikov.

“Power, huh? Where did the help for the people come?”, “A garden for children, not hell”, “Do not build a house above our head, leave people with the sun!”, “Who will answer for town-planning mistakes?”, - цrote the residents on posters pinned to the figures of the snowmen...

“Bring back the slide!”, “Save our Khrushchevs!”, “Let's not forget! We will not forgive! We will take revenge in the elections! ”These and other slogans appeared on the snow women lined up in a picket along the construction fence of the future high-rise buildings of infill development. In total, eyewitnesses counted about 20 "protesting" snow figures.

As noted by Kostroma.Today , the action of snow women has caused a great response among users of social networks.

“The townspeople are wondering if the snowmen will be taken away for an unauthorized picket”, - the newspaper notes.

As observers note, the region has recently begun to radicalize protests, provoked by the lack of a civilized dialogue between regional and city authorities, and local residents.

Residents are outraged by the rigging in the formation of the register of green spaces and the neglect of the interests of the townspeople when issuing permits for infill development, which significantly worsens the quality of life in existing houses.

Earlier in Kostroma, pickets were held against the erection of a monument to Ivan Susanin, kneeling before the king.