Stop Kharkov Deforestation!
The Verkhovna Rada Committee on Environmental Policy, Use of Natural Resources and Elimination of Consequences of Chornobyl Disaster INVALIDATED the construction of the road in Kharkov Forest and demands to STOP THE WORK. Nevertheless, Kharkov authorities ignore their decision.
On July 2nd, at the construction site builders found numerous human remains of an unknown origin. Under the law, in such a case all work should be suspended. Still, in violation to Art. 36 of the Law of Ukraine ‘On Protection of Cultural Heritage’ and to Aarhus Convention, builders proceed with shoveling soil with bones with a digger and throwing it off in the ravine. This endangers the drinking water source in Sarzhin Ravine as water comes to it through the ravine in question.
It is impossible to let such things happen. Kharkov residents dread to live in an asphalt desert and to see their citizen right to be buried under this road.
We invite you to consolidate our efforts and to stop this terror lawfully!
If you share our standpoint, support the Kharkov Forest defenders who have been resisting
the lawlessness for two months. Show that you really care. We, the citizens of Kharkov, call the attention of the global community to the barbaric and cynical actions of Kharkov city authorities directed both on extermination of the city green belt and on violation of basic human rights. Starting from May 20th, 2010 Kharkov municipal authorities proceed with the scandal deforestation of our city. Under different pretexts, they ceded vast areas in Kharkov Forest called Lesopark, Gorky park, Artem park and the whole area of Zustrich park to business corporations and individuals. Moreover, this squandering process is constantly gathering pace. First, the city authorities made a decision to cut down a substantial part of the central Shevchenko Garden under a ridiculous pretext of building the Kushnarev Library without providing any books for it and with protests on the part of the Kushnarev family. It should be stressed that Kharkov has the Korolenko Region Scholarly Library that still remains in the emergency state. The real aim of the project is to build another business-center in the city heart on the money of the Donetsk businessman Kolesnikov. Second, officials began a brutal devastation of the vast Kharkov Forest territories under the pretext of building a road from Sumskaya street to Novgorodskaya street. To begin with, Novgorodskaya street already suffers from traffic jams. Besides, this road will create an extremely dangerous triple intersection with Dinamoskaya street and a hazardous intersection in Susmkaya street. Moreover, the construction project envisages building of a ‘tunnel’ under the Children’s Railway. In this case, the Children’s Railway will ‘temporary suspend’ its operations. With notice to the city authorities, Kharkov will simply lose its Children’s Railway. The aim of this project is apparent: to allocate the great territory of Gorky park and then of the Children’s Railway area for building of ‘elite’ houses and various malls for the same ‘elite’. Hundreds of trees were fallen in the course of the cutting without any approval from the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources. In view of this fact, these activities are illegal and constitute a crime. Still, the worst thing about the situation is the authorities’ unwillingness to listen to common citizens. Instead of organizing public debates on the question and even without showing any documents on the construction, the municipal authorities chose to force the forest defenders from their campsite in the city park. Fighters hired by the municipal bodies began beating unarmed people. In the course of the fight many people were injured and some of them were hospitalized. Kharkov dwellers desperately need recreational zones and fresh air. On the contrary, Kharkov authorities need a chance to steal several dozens of millions allocated for the road construction; they need new lots for cottages, VIP-clubs and private entertainment centers in place of cutdown age-old trees. Contrary to the officials’ doublespeak, this construction bears no relation to Euro-2012. European countries have distinctly different standards and attitudes to green belts, especially to city parks, while Kharkov green belts, even Gorky Recreation and Entertainment Park, do not even have approved boundaries.
Kharkov community demands the City Council and Kharkov Executive Committee to: 1. Cancel the shameful decisions on devastation of a part of Gorky Central Park, Shevchenko Garden and Kharkov Forest. 2. Define the boundaries of all green zones in Kharkov. 3. Impose an absolute and permanent moratorium on any cession of Kharkov green zones and on their destruction under any pretext. However, our demands are vain without assistance of the global community. In view of this fact we ask you to examine the situation in Kharkov and to help us in our struggle for the future of our city. Please send a letter of protest to: the Kharkiv Major Gennady Kernes Konstitutsiya Square 7, Kharkov 61000, Ukraine and to: the President of Ukraine Viktor Yanukovich Bankovaya Str. 11, Kiev 01220, Ukraine We will also appreciate if you add the following link to your web site or blog: Save the largest urban park in Europe! Public statement - Amnesty International: Letter to the world ecological organizations from the residents of Kharkov: http://community.livejournal.com/gorkiy_park_kh/43222.html Open Appeal from the Ukrainian Helsinki Human Rights Union: Appeal to UEFA management and Euro 2012 committee in Ukraine with the request to stop the destruction in Kharkiv Gorky Park: Open Letter from Scientists of National Science Center to the President of Ukraine: Open Letter from Kharkov Athletes to the President of the National Olympic Committee of Ukraine: Deputies' Inquiry of Immediate Measures on Protection of Kharkov Forest: |