UNESCO discussions in Brasilia will see no "sensations" concerning the construction of a 403-meter skyscraper in historic St. Petersburg's city center, Russia's Permanent Delegate to UNESCO, Eleonora Mitrofanova, has said.
The issue has been a focus of public attention since St. Petersburg Governor Valentina Matviyenko gave approval for the Gazprom-led project last September despite the city's historic center being a UNESCO World Heritage site.
A UNESCO World Heritage Committee's session is under way in Brazil's capital since July 25. Discussions on St. Petersburg are expected to begin later on Thursday.
Opponents of the Okhta Business Center project pin hopes on the meeting, believing that UNESCO can stop the construction of the skyscraper, which they say will spoil the city's historic skyline.
"This will be a completely routine discussion," Mitrofanova said.
She said the St.Petersburg issue is included in the UNESCO session's agenda under the title "Historic Centre of Saint Petersburg and Related Groups of Monuments." This means that the Okhta Business Center will not be a major focus of discussions and that no resonant decisions on the issue are expected to be made, she said.
Earlier this month, the Russian Constitutional Court issued an official statement criticizing the construction of the skyscraper.
The Court backed the view that the tower will spoil the city's historic panoramas. It said that local authorities should recognize both Russian and international law on cultural heritage preservation, pointing out that this includes "natural landscapes and the relation between city areas."
Russian President Dmitry Medvedev and Director of UNESCO's World Heritage Centre Francesco Bandarin have also criticized the project.
BRASILIA, July 29 (RIA Novosti)
