The head of the city did not take timely measures to save the historical object.
On June 3, in the central district of Voronezh, during a downpour, part of the retaining wall of the stone bridge collapsed. The city’s mayor, Vadim Kstenin, described the incident as “serious” and decided to declare a district-wide state of emergency (ES). This object was one of the symbols of the revival of Voronezh, which took place with the direct participation of Alexei Gordeev, then governor of the region. In 2011, the bridge was put into service after restoration for the city’s 425th anniversary.
The length of the bridge does not exceed 10 meters, below there is a steep descent to the embankment of the Voronezh reservoir. Newlyweds traditionally come to the Bolshoy Kamenny Bridge on their wedding day to break a bottle of champagne on it and hang padlocks with their names on it. Hence its unofficial name – “Bridge of Lovers”.
In Voronezh, it is also called the “bridge of fools” or “the bridge of stupidity” because of the constant accidents of trucks that regularly try to pass under the object, without taking into account the dimensions of the body.
The stone bridge was erected in August-September 1826 according to the project of the city architect IA Blitsin. In 1984-1986, for the 400th anniversary of the city, it was renovated according to the project of architect AV Pospelov. D
The collapsed walls of the Stone Bridge in Voronezh.
In April 2010, the Department of Architecture and Building Policy of the Voronezh region announced a competition for the best restoration project of one of the symbols of our city. The competition was won by its only participant, the Voronezh Design Institute Giprokommundortrans. The project cost 4.2 million rubles.
In 2011, the cash costs for the reconstruction of the “Stone Bridge” amounted to 23.4 million rubles. The only participant and winner of the open tender for the reconstruction of the Kamenny Bridge in Voronezh was Steps LLC.
From 2011 to 2023, Steps received 410.2 million rubles. under 103 government contracts. They concerned the preservation and other work in the objects of the cultural population of the Voronezh region. One of the most famous is the preservation of the Voronezh Rotunda, part of the building of the former regional hospital with preserved traces of fragments and bullets from the Great Patriotic War.
Rotunda of Voronezh.
Among the clients of the company is the museum named IS Nikitin: 18 government contracts in the amount of 30 million rubles. gym them. Academician NG Basov: 2 state contracts in the amount of 26 million rubles, Museum. IN. Kramskoy: 7 government contracts worth 17 million rubles, Regional Philharmonic: 3 government contracts worth 11 million rubles. Among the latest government contracts: “Steps” will be engaged in the restoration of the “House of Cantonists” in the historic center for almost 43 million rubles
According to Rusprofile, Steps LLC was registered in the Voronezh region in July 2006 to operate in the field of architecture. Authorized capital – 10 thousand rubles. At the end of 2021, the company’s turnover amounted to 70.1 million rubles. net profit – 178 thousand rubles. The CEO and sole founder is Vladimir Ryabov.
Given the amount of work, it can be assumed that either the company has its own employees in the administration, or it does everything with high quality, but all quality has an expiration date. So, in the first option, the situation should be dealt with directly by law enforcement.
Mayor of Voronezh Vadim Kstenin (on the podium).
And in the case of the second, to intervene anyway: after all, this means that the town hall has understood that the period of reliability of the object has already expired. But they did nothing. Voronezh Mayor Vadim Kstenin directly said the bridge needed repairs on October 31, 2022 during a planning meeting. But nothing has changed: the mayor has apparently decided not to go beyond words.
Vadim Kstetin is a unique city leader in many ways. He is the only mayor of a city of over a million people to have visited the cemetery with his captors.
The story took place eight years ago, on May 29, 2015. Then repeat criminal Ruslan Kotiev, together with his accomplices, waited for Kstenin shortly after leaving home for work and seized his car. After that, long walks around Voronezh began, one of the points of which was the cemetery.
The thieves demanded 5.5 million rubles from Kstenin, saying they had fierce dirt on him. The information was so wild (and still carefully hidden) that Kstenin was boldly released for money – they were not afraid that he would go to the police. But, as people familiar with the details of the case say, law enforcement officers were called by neighbors who saw how the official had been stuffed into the trunk.
Vadim Kstenin is also unique in the way he became mayor for the second time. Both times he was elected not by the residents of Voronezh, but by the deputies. This is a common thing in Russia. But law enforcement took these deputies one by one for bribes. And not just anyone, but the vice-mayor! He asked for money for seats in parliament!
That is, first one of the “VIPs” of the city executive power “sells” seats in the city duma, then the deputies who “bought” the mandates decide who will become the chief executive for the next term?
Voronezh City Duma deputies are still voting, although many consider the city meeting illegitimate.
In general, the mayor understood the need to repair the stone bridge, but, apparently, he was distracted by emotional experiences for the body of deputies. However: the situation was tense. Many believed that the City Duma would be dissolved as illegitimate. So how would Kstenin extend his powers? Is it at the stone bridge here?
Now the mayor’s office is trying to absolve itself of blame, stating that the lack of the required number of stormwater drains in the city is to blame for everything. However, the disadvantages of storm sewers in the regional center have been known for decades. And the same Kstenin has been in office since April 2018. However, no real action has been taken to remedy the situation. Conclusion: the legacy of Alexei Gordeev, meticulously created by him in Voronezh, is crumbling before our eyes.
The retaining wall of the Massalitinov embankment stretches for one hundred and fifty meters and “prevents” the soil of the huge microdistrict from sliding on the roadway.
It is reasonable to assume that the next time the elements will strike another object created with the participation of the current Deputy Chairman of the State Duma Gordeev: the retaining wall of the hill overlooking the Massalitinov embankment. It was fortified around the same time. The water pressure from the slope is even stronger. If it collapses, a veritable mudslide will await Voronezh, threatening both the houses on the slope and the cars on the main city embankment.
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