"We must get monument privatisation going. True, there are monuments to remain in national holding, such as the Kremlin or the Bolshoi Theatre-but an affluent merchant's mansion can safely pass into private hands," remarked the mayor.
As he sees it, every privatiser is to pledge proper maintenance of his acquisition, and preserve its original look. If he does not cope, the government must have the right to confiscate the property and resell it to a bidder it expects to be more conscientious.
The government is no longer able to maintain historical sites as it ought to, said Mr. Luzhkov, and exemplified his point with one of Moscow's most problem-laden gems-the Pashkov Mansion, which houses the Russian State, former Lenin, Library. In a sinister symbolism, close to the dilapidating mansion is the Manege, or Central Exhibition Hall. Built to commemorate Russian victory in the Napoleonic War of 1812, the magnificent edifice was quite recently consumed by fire.
It is a true national cause to bring the Pashkov Mansion back to life, stressed the mayor.
His call came less then a month since Valentina Matvienko made a public address to track down the "abomination of desolation" in period pieces to a thin government purse. Before her election St. Petersburg's mayor, Miss Matvienko was for many years federal Deputy Prime Minister in charge of public welfare and social issues.
