Many of us love children very much, almost everyone loves good music, and absolutely everyone loves money. These three wonderful passions can complement one another perfectly. But when one comes into conflict with another, nothing good can be expected. In today’s story, everything is here. There is a kindergarten in Prechistensky Lane. Children attend it. There is a great deal of money at stake in the value of the land on which that kindergarten in Prechistensky Lane, attended by children, stands. And there is Iosif Kobzon, who sings songs and would not mind building a cultural center named after himself on that very plot in Prechistensky Lane where the kindergarten attended by children now stands. On August 17, everything came together in time and space at a meeting chaired by Vladimir Resin. There were no children at the meeting. But Iosif Kobzon was there. History does not say whether he performed any of his magnificent songs there. But in any case, he convinced Moscow’s chief construction official that the city urgently needs an “I. D. Kobzon Cultural Center,” and that this center should be located in Prechistensky Lane. At that very moment, the 95 young Muscovites who attended this kindergarten were quietly playing with their toys, unaware that in the hard-fought battle between preschool education and the Russian pop stage, pop had won. Here is what Viktoria Molodtsova, a journalist with Uchitelskaya Gazeta (Teacher’s Newspaper), who was the first to learn of this remarkable case, told us. V. MOLODTSOVA – There were probably about 10 people listed in the minutes of the meeting with Resin. Among them was I. D. Kobzon. They were discussing a future plan to build the Kobzon Cultural Center there in Prechistensky Lane, and several buildings slated for demolition were listed. It starts with the kindergarten, then a departmental hotel, then a residential building, then a school building. So I went to this kindergarten, looked around the whole block, the Mukhina house. There is also, by the way, a monument in the lane. We spoke to people at the kindergarten, and they had absolutely no idea. The kindergarten is attended mostly by intelligentsia families. There are even children with disabilities there; they have social programs. In other words, it’s a very good, quiet little kindergarten that functions well. Someone did tell me something definite—I called the prefecture of the Central Administrative District. I found one person there, I spoke with him, but he said: don’t quote me. He told me yes, and more than that, he said that the Central District is a juicy prize for everyone, and that from time to time there are attempts to take over sites occupied by kindergartens or schools. This kindergarten serves children who live in the surrounding buildings. There are no other kindergartens nearby. This is the only one. I asked the director: if this kindergarten disappears, where will the children go, where could they be transferred? It turned out: nowhere. In fairness, it should be noted that the kindergarten is not supposed to be simply demolished and lost forever. The Kobzon Center is supposed to be designed in such a way as to include space for the kindergarten as well. It is unclear how this could possibly be done. Apparently, the comrades in the construction complex have forgotten that a kindergarten is not an office, not a convenience store, and not even a warehouse. It cannot just be placed anywhere. There are strict regulations governing everything—from the number of floors the building may have, to whether cars may be parked nearby, to the provision of an outdoor play area. And judging by everything, it was precisely this play area that became the main attraction for those selecting the site. Apparently, the idea was that the children would be so invigorated by the life-giving energy of Kobzon himself singing next door from time to time that they would no longer need walks in the fresh air. Still, it is unlikely to come to that. Moscow practice shows that such matters are usually handled as follows: for the duration of construction—and that will be about two years—the children will be moved out anyway. Then, quietly, the project will be revised, and with the approval of the education department, the kindergarten will disappear from the plans altogether. All of this is, of course, very sad. But it is still too early to despair. The project is at an early stage of approval, and Viktoria Molodtsova believes that everything can still be changed, and that Kobzon himself may refuse to take part in this dubious undertaking and ask for another site to be found for his cultural center. Perhaps in a less prestigious location. But at least somewhere that requires neither demolition nor eviction. V. MOLODTSOVA - If possible, Iosif Davydovich himself should come to the kindergarten and speak with the children. I think they might be able to persuade him. And I personally believe that he should have a cultural center in Moscow and that it should be built. I think such a center should be built, because he is a very active person, he does a great deal for the development of culture, for education, and for children as well. But the whole question is: where should his center be built? Why specifically in old Moscow (the historic city center)? Why does everything have to be demolished? And where are the children supposed to go while construction is underway? I did ask: where could these children from this kindergarten be relocated? Are they supposed to be driven somewhere? You know, I don’t understand why school buildings have to be demolished—where the Moscow Institute of Open Education is currently located. I went in there; it’s packed, there isn’t a spare corner. Teachers are studying there. Why does that building need to be demolished? Why does a residential building need to be demolished? We too hope that the Moscow government will come to its senses and reconsider this outrageous decision. It looks especially ugly in light of the fact that our mayor publicly laments that over the past few years Moscow has lost many kindergartens and is now struggling to find sites for them. And Yuri Mikhailovich (Mayor Yuri Luzhkov) threatens all manner of punishments against those who quietly repurpose and demolish children’s institutions. This is exactly such a case. From the Kremlin to Khimki: nonstop isn’t working out. Moscow City Hall has once again presented its triumphant project for organizing uninterrupted traffic along Tverskaya Street and then further along Leningradskoye Highway all the way to Khimki. At the same time, the authorities modestly fail to mention that at least two of the most important interchanges remain up in the air. The first is at Pushkin Square, and the second at Tverskaya Zastava Square. The first met with outright obstruction from Moscow architects and was struck down at the expert council under the city’s chief architect. As for the second, there is serious doubt about the need to build yet another giant shopping center near Belorussky Station, since as a result the traffic situation there could go from bad to very bad. In addition, local residents are vigorously protesting both projects, fearing for the safety of their homes. Some Muscovites have become the enemies of defrauded co-investors. It appears that the problem of defrauded equity investors may create new and unexpected complications. The Moscow government has decided to complete the apartment buildings belonging to these investors on an emergency basis. This is entirely logical, since people who invested tens of thousands of dollars in housing and never received it are in a desperate situation and capable of the most extreme actions. A special decision has been adopted stating that, in order to speed up construction, initial permitting documentation may be processed without the usual long bureaucratic wrangling over approvals. And this is where the problems began. Some of these projects fall under what is known as infill development. Residents of nearby buildings are fundamentally opposed to the construction, and in any case they insist that the paperwork be processed properly and according to law. This is exactly the situation, for example, on old Petrovsko-Razumovsky Passage. The defrauded investors say: give us our housing quickly. Local residents say: no, let everything be done legally. But legally, that will take months, if not years. How the government will get out of this situation is still unclear, but the task is obviously not an easy one. These excesses on the ground were denounced by me, Alexei Navalny, executive secretary of the Committee for the Protection of Muscovites. The program was prepared with the help of Yevgenia Ten. If you have something to tell Urban Development Chronicles, write to echo@echo.msk.ru with the note “For Navalny.” Until next Saturday. http://www.echo.msk.ru/programs/hroniki/