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Historic St. Petersburg skyline threatened by giant skyscraper

by Sean McLachlan (RSS feed) on Oct 11th 2009 at 2:30PM

Residents of St. Petersburg are protesting plans to build a giant skyscraper that they say will ruin the city's historic skyline.

Russia's powerful gas company Gazprom plans to build a 400 meter (1,312 ft.) office building in the shape of a twisting glass needle. It would dwarf the historic buildings and churches that have made Russia's former imperial capital famous.

While Gazprom usually gets its way, some powerful forces are aligning against the building. St. Petersburg is one of the biggest tourist attractions in Russia and a lot of money could be lost if the city's skyline is blighted. The Cultural Ministry is calling for a legal investigation to see if the building is legal. UNESCO has warned that the building could make St. Petersburg lose its status as a World Heritage Site.

It's unclear who will win this battle, so if you're planning a trip to St. Petersburg, it might be a good idea to do it sooner rather than later.

Filed under: Arts and Culture, History, Europe, Russian Federation, News

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