Chekhov's house-museum is being destroyed in Yalta due to another construction project

On the territory of Yalta in the occupied Crimea, the Anton Chekhov House Museum, which is considered a site of Ukrainian cultural heritage, is now under threat of destruction. After the start of earthworks on the neighboring slope, the walls of the museum have now appeared.

This was reported by a Crimean local historian on condition of anonymity in a comment to Krym.Realii on February 14.

According to this report, the developer was allocated a plot on a landslide-prone slope saturated with groundwater, despite the fact that earlier, in 2019, a retaining wall had already collapsed here.

"According to the response of the Ministry of Emergency Situations to a letter from an initiative group of local residents, it has been confirmed that the Yalta administration has authorized drilling operations that cause strong vibrations and displacement of the soil layer on which the Chekhov House Museum is located. Local residents are very concerned, as the construction site under development is held together by an old retaining wall. No technical study or assessment of the retaining wall's stability has been conducted!" the expert said.

In particular, the human rights activist emphasized that, in addition to the museum, the houses of Yalta residents located below the slope are under threat. Also, the construction is taking place in violation of technical standards and warnings of scientists about high seismic risks (predicted earthquakes of 8-9 points). According to local historians, the situation is accompanied by deep corruption in the occupation administration.

The head of the city, Yanina Pavlenko, avoids signing questionable documents personally, which puts her subordinates under criminal prosecution . It is noteworthy that her first deputy and a number of employees recently went on a 'furlough', which the city interprets as a way to avoid prison for economic crimes. Against this backdrop, the fate of cultural heritage sites, including the Anton Chekhov House Museum ("White Dacha"), built in 1898-1899, is a cause for concern.

This monument, where Chekhov wrote such works as The Cherry Orchard and The Three Sisters, is officially recognized as a cultural heritage of Ukraine. At the same time, the occupation administration is seeking through the courts to demolish a popular restaurant-gallery on the Yalta waterfront (known as the Golden Fleece or Orange), which has been a visiting card of the city since 1999.

In addition, the invaders are planning industrial development of archaeological sites in Sevastopol. On the territory of the ancient Taurus Settlement No. 6 (Sakharna Holovka), which has already suffered from economic activity, they plan to set up concrete production and storage facilities, which threatens to completely destroy one of the oldest complexes in the region.

Катерина Глушко