Thousands support campaign to save Soviet industrial 'castle' in Moscow

MOSCOW, July 31 - A campaign to save a Soviet-era industrial landmark in Moscow from redevelopment has attracted thousands of supporters in an increasingly rare example of civic protest in Russia.

With brickwork crenellations and colourful mosaics, the neo-Gothic Elektrozavod factory has loomed over its eastern Moscow neighbourhood for more than a century. It once produced electrical devices for the whole Soviet Union, including lamps for the red stars on top of the Kremlin, but has stood empty since a fire in early 2025.

"We learned that there was a demolition threat a year and a half ago after the fire," said Alya, one of the organisers behind the campaign to block the construction of high-rise buildings on the site.

"There is a great deal of outrage and rejection, because of these dull development projects and skyscrapers that are springing up everywhere," she said.

Two petitions to protect Elektrozavod have together collected over 21,000 signatures, a notable show of support at a time when public opposition to official decisions, including heritage activism, has become increasingly risky.

One woman was briefly detained on July 24 during her lone protest over a new bill that would allow Russian regions to strip sites of official heritage status, according to news site Ostorozhno Novosti. Reuters could not independently verify the report.

Both Alya and fellow campaigner Galina, who set up one of the Elektrozavod petitions, asked to be identified by their first names only.

Real estate and construction firm Etalon Group told news agency TASS last month it planned to preserve Elektrozavod's facades and historic features, while "integrating them into a modern urban environment," but campaigners are sceptical.

"It is still unclear what their intentions are," said Inna Krylova, a historian and industrial architecture specialist, who stressed the importance of protecting the factory's legacy. "A huge number of people worked here, 23,000 workers. It was a city unto itself."

The fight to save the landmark is part of a broader drive to protect the capital's historic sites, under threat since another change to heritage laws in 2024, according to civic group Archnadzor.

"Under the current legislation, we have fewer and fewer opportunities to build a dialogue with other developers in the future," said Krylova. REUTERS