June, 15-16. About 250 pine-trees were felled in Novosibirsk (Koptug prospect).

The session of the Public Chamber of the Russian Federation on the problem of the construction in Akademgorodok was held in April, 26, 2007. The representatives of Akademgorodok delegation asked the Public Chamber to promote the expert examination for awarding the Sibirian scientific center "An object of Cultural Heritage" status. The press-center of the Public Chamber informed that initiative had got support.

The Public Chamber will make a request to the Government of the Russian Federation to make a complex expert examination of the Technopark project which is going to be realized in Akademgorodok of Novosibirsk in May, 2007, since the problem "has exceeded its regional significance".

"We should apply to the Government with the aid of the Chamber Counsel for their giving commission to make an expert examination, to prepare a project specification and its certificate", said Grigory Tomchin, a member of the The Commission on Competitiveness, Economic Development and Entrepreneurship, on the meeting of The Commission on Preserving Cultural and Spiritual Heritage.

Citizents of Akademgorodok appealed to the Public Chamber for support to prevent the construction of so called Technopark. In accordance with the joint resolution of the Administration of Novosibirsk region and the Sibirian branch of the Russian Academy of Science a production and business complex for 10 thousand employees is going to be set in the centre of Akademgorodok on intact forest area.

Igor Jimulev, a member of the Russian Academy of Science, declared that the initiative group had suggested moving over the construction site to outskirts of Akademgorodok for only 1 km. But the Regional Administration is still insisting on the designated site.

Inspite of the fact that 65% of citizens of Akademgorodok oppose the construction the Deputies of all levels do not respond to the problem. According to Tatyana Kunina's statement the regional mass media is promoting a large-scale popularization action of Technopark. At the same time the initiative group has failed to publish even builders' plans for cutting down within the forest area.

Grigory Tomchin, a member of The Commission on Competitiveness, Economic Development and Entrepreneurship, accented that "the federal authority should indeed become an initiator of the expert examination but not public organizations. When the whole world recognizes the unique character of the complex, it really can change the situation, but the regional authority will not".

Galina Melanicheva, a Deputy Chair of The Commission on Preserving Cultural and Spiritual Heritage, said that the letter would be sent to the Administration of Novosibirsk region to inform the regional authority of the attitude of the Public Chamber to the situation.

On February, 20 the protest action took place in the centre of Novosibirsk aiming to prevent wood cutting in Akademgorodok.

The participients of the action proceeded to the the Palace of Culture "Stroitel" where the public hearing on the construction of Technopark in Akademgorodok were held (the place was changed due to numerous entries with recommendations had been sent to the City Administration).

The authors of the construction project presented a new planning of the future technological center which would satisfy the claims of ecologists.

According to a new construction project some buildings woud be constructed on open spaces and total area of cutting trees would be lessened.

The representativies of Mocscow company "RosEvrodevelopment" stated the possibility to declare off the project of Technopark's construction if the documents of a new planning were not be ready for a short time and the ecologists continued the protest actions.

Citizents of Novosibirsk sent more than 1000 claims to the organization committee of public hearing that will take place in February, 20, at 11 a.m. in the City Administration.

The initiative group "Protect town-forest Akademgorodok" advised the City Administration of two protest actions that will take place on Lenin square and at the Palace of Culture "Stroitel" on February, 20, at 9 a.m.

On December, 2^nd the meeting of Akademgorodok citizens and deputies has been held in the conference-hall of the District Administration. All the participiants of the meeting had a chance to get acquainted with the texts of proclamations and meeting resolutions, calling for conservation of forest area of Akademgorodok, during 2000-2006, signed by the people of Novosibirsk.

The City council board of the town planning committee took place on November 13, 2006. One item of the agenda sounds as ?The construction projects of the Technological park in the central part of Akademgorodok?. The initiative group handed out information bills on the construction area in the wood lots of Akademgorodok. It was notified that the realization of that building up projects would result in loss of 135 ha of Novosibirsk city forest area.

Delegates voted solid for the motion made by the committee Chaiman V.V.Ilyukhin ? not to adopt the resolutuion on that problem till results of the public hearing would be declared.

Stop Vandalism

World-famous scientific centre and a unique forest town - Novosibirsk Akademgorodok (Academy Town) - is planned for extermination

Akademgorodok near Novosibirsk was built in the 60s of the XX century as a scientific and university centre of the Siberian Branch of the Academy of Sciences. This event paved the way for a unique experiment in nature-saving (environmental) architecture which was completely new for Russia: natural forest was involved as a town-planning component. The principles on which the architectural arrangement of its territory was based included: complete involvement of the natural conditions of the territory and conservation of the natural landscape as a valuable structural element of urban environmental arrangement; clear zoning of the territory. Conservation of natural forest areas, alternation of the areas occupied by research institutes, shelter forest belts and residential territories were the governing principles in the laying out the forest town. With this approach, the zone of research institutes, the University town and residential areas are separated from each other by large forest belts. Zoning kept the existing forest areas and open green space unaffected. The value of such a structure is confirmed by the fact that Akademgorodok served as a clear example for academic centres in many countries of the world.

The traditional worker's demonstration took place on November 7th, 2006. The initiative group "Protect town-forest of Akademgorodok" made up a column of marchers with its slogans: "Not only forests are cut down but our rights", "Stop illegal cutting", "The City Administration are destroying town forests", "Stop blandishments, take legal steps" etc. Nearly 300 persons took part in the demonsration.

The protest meeting against the building-up of forest areas in the Novosibirsk scientific center and the Central Sibirian garden took place in Novosibirsk Akademgorodok. The main slogans of the protest action were «Protection to Akademgorodok of Lavrentiev», «Akademgorodok is the «World Heritage' site», «The City Administration is destroying city forests» etc.

The meeting was organized by the representatives of Novosibirsk scientific society, the official organizator is Doc.of ph., professor Y.G.Markov. Among the speakers there were Doc.of ph.math. prof. V.I. Schmiryov, Doc.of ph.math. A.V. Pinaev, Doc.of biology D. N.B.Shamina, Doc.of ph.math., a head of NSPU Physics Fuculty O.N.Chaschin, a deputy of the City council A.A.Medvediev, a head of public organisation «Woman voters? league T.V.Kunina», E.I.Karpovskaya, a teacher of a high category and many others.