Senators are saving Kislovodsk Park

By Vestnik Kavkaza
Senators are saving Kislovodsk Park

Before 1998, Kislovodsk Park was the biggest park in Europe (1380 ha) by square acreage, but since the late 1990s its area has been reduced significantly. At first the territory was decreased to 1046 ha, after which they rented another 100 ha. Today the square of the park is 948 ha, but still it yields only to the Richmond Park (955 ha) in England.

However, Kislovodsk Park has not only suffered from territorial problems. Valery Ryazansky, the Chairman of the Federation Council Committee on Social Policy, thinks that the mismanagement that took place there in the 1990s caused great losses: “This chaotic, unpredictable building, and it is not clear who gave permission for the construction, brought the situation to the point that some potential for discontent has accumulated and this dissatisfaction, absolutely correctly, came to the country's leaders. [Speaker of the Federation Council] Valentina Matviyenko personally, as she is called now, is monitoring the progress of all the decisions and the work that is being  carried out. But the main point of all of these decisions is to ensure that the Kislovodsk Medical Park becomes an object of national heritage which should be protected, in terms of legislation, at the highest level. This higher level of protection is the status of a national park, with all the cultural monuments that are located there.”

Answeing the question of what to do with those buildings that have been built there, Ryazansky noted: “There are trials being held. Many courts have taken decisions in favor of the state. Now the park already has its boundaries. It became a part of the state property. A survey was carried out. And there are trials about the latest facilities that were built there illegally. The presidential envoy to the North Caucasus Federal District pays great attention to this issue. He has taken the situation under strict control. The entire law enforcement system is involved, the trials are proceeding. And as an aid we are suggesting to the Federal Property Management Agency to implement projects of a major overhaul of the cascade stairs, they are in a terrible condition, and the Air Temple as well.”

According to the senator, “residents are really concerned by the delinquent attitude that previously existed towards the park from the side of the local authorities. Unorganized trade, advertising located ridiculously, some stalls spoiling the appearance instead of organizing all this in a cultural mode, and indeed this can be done tastefully. Caucasian Mineral Waters (not only the medical park) is our pearl, it must be protected. The CMW has been prepared in a draft form. I think it will be the subject of our work during the autumn session, it is necessary in order to discourage all those who decided to profit from this rich natural and national heritage."

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