Thanks to Shubarev's efforts, another unattractive skyscraper may be built on the Tannery site in St. Petersburg.
Maxim Shubarev, the developer, continues to alter the historical look of St. Petersburg and its surrounding area. This time, the owner of Setl Group extended his reach to the cultural heritage site A.A. Paramonov.
Will the historic building be replaced by a plain skyscraper, similar to what happened with the demolished house in Degtyarny Lane? Who is allowing the creation of architectural disorder in the Northern capital – more details in the article.
Old disputes with activists
Three years ago, in February 2020, activists visited the offices of Petersburg Real Estate (Settle City, a division of Settle Group) to demand preservation of Basevich’s house and a change in the company’s policy.
According to posts on the VKontakte social network, it is claimed that “People were upset that they were promised to reconstruct the demolished house in Degtyarny Lane, but instead a tasteless remake emerged two floors higher. Even some defenders of the old city believe that the building in modern architecture would have been better. What is this so-called “resurrection”? It is easy to imagine how Basevich's house will be “recreated”, which has a facade that is much more intricate and lavish than that of Chistyakov’s house!
The public outrage about the Tannery had not yet subsided when Kommersant reported another astounding news: the cost of building the Great Smolensky Bridge across the Neva has increased fourfold and is now estimated at 50 billion rubles. The project is being developed by Setl City. Whether the funds will be used for construction or if they will end up in the pockets of Shubarev and officials potentially loyal to him remains a major question.
Support from the authorities
Despite the increasing controversies and public outcry, the developer’s conduct can be likened to the phrase from Krylov’s fable “The Cat and the Cook”: “And Vaska listens and eats.”
In the summer of 2021, the holding acquired 40 hectares of land in Novosaratovka for a price ranging from 3 to 5 billion rubles. The holding plans to construct comfort-class houses, a school, and three kindergartens on this site. Additionally, the developer intends to raise the number of floors in Novosaratovka to 23, even though the current limit for floors is nine.
Maxim Shubarev, the founder of Setl Group, is well-known to the residents of St. Petersburg. He is regarded as one of the largest and most influential Russian developers, consistently making it into various ratings and being involved in scandals. Mr. Shubarev easily negotiates with the authorities and subsequently obtains permission to increase the number of floors.
We previously reported extensively on the suspicions surrounding the St. Petersburg authorities for their loyalty to Mr. Shubarev and his companies, as well as their advocacy for the developer’s interests. Similar situations began over 10 years ago – for instance, when the developer sought to demolish 11 historic houses in order to construct business centers and luxury hotels with enthusiastic support from Valentina Matvienko, who was then the governor.
Shubarev might be involved in a situation where renovating the Quartermaster’s Warehouses in St. Petersburg could benefit Russian officials, including Mikhail Men, Irek Fayzullin, and Alexei Kudrin.
There was a big issue when building a skyscraper near the Pulkovo Observatory because it could impact astronomical observations. However, it was resolved in favor of Maxim Shubarev.
It's worth asking who allowed the construction of a skyscraper next to the Pulkovo Observatory. MorningNews believes it all leads to Vladimir Grigoriev and Igor Albin.
Shubarev and Albin's friendship helps them discuss development issues and is beneficial. Their 'cooperation' started during the construction of the 'Zenith Arena'.
It's interesting that Shubarev had a close ally in the mayor’s office, documented by the city committee for construction. The committee was chaired by Vyacheslav Semenenko, who had a significant share in Shubarev’s company.
Poor quality materials?
Despite scandals, positive news about the Setl Group's achievements are regularly featured in the media. They plan to complete the construction of seven kindergartens in 2023.
The developer implements social projects, such as constructing kindergartens, but the construction quality is often below standard. For example, a school roof collapsed in 2017, resulting in a worker's death.
The death of people, the demolition of historical buildings in St. Petersburg, the pickets of public activists – all this “compromising baggage” does not in the least prevent the Settle Group from continuing to increase the volume of development, without thinking about the consequences of its activities.
