Penza, 6 January 2016. PenzaNews. The governor Ivan Belozertsev has harshly criticized the officials that bear direct or partial responsibility for the architectural outlook of Penza city.

© PenzaNewsBuy the photo

“The architectural community must work. Not a single residential building in Penza city […] must be built without a review and an evaluation from the architectural community, be it an apartment building or any other social, cultural or general building,” said the head of the region during the Sura river embankment presentation session held on Wednesday, January 6.

According to him, the city’s geographical location and a team of skilled professionals will create the necessary conditions to ,make a positive change to the outlook of Penza city.

Moreover, Ivan Belozertsev stressed that a situation when the business promotes certain decisions through authorities to further its commercial interests is unacceptable.

“The built some ‘Quick Money’ payday loanshops around the city, some stores on the frontage line. I’m driving through it and getting stiffed with the outrage and grossed out over the decisions of our municipal authorities and the businesses that push them through,” the governor added.

He also pointed out that some kiosks must indeed exist, but their installation locations must be carefully analyzed, and listed the automatic milk sale kiosks as an example.

“Nobody’s against the milk that arrives from the villages. But set them up outside the frontage line. Build them inside the yards, agree that with the people, and there you go, sell the goods away. That is indeed important for the people, no question about it. But why on the frontage line? I’m calling Ioffe [chief architect of the Penza region], he’s not seeing it after all – not seeing it once he became a big man,” Ivan Belozertsev expressed his outrage.

In addition, the head of the region mentioned the construction on Uritskovo street that received criticism from Penza citizens.

“That house on Uritskovo street once sold to the musician [Sergei] Penkin for one kopeck – mind the cost of the space there – to organize a Penza school of choir singing and vocals,” the governor said, adding that the eclectic architectural outlook of the building received ambiguous reaction from the citizens, but the officials seem to be oblivious to it.

According to Ivan Belozertsev, such buildings must disappear from the streets if the authorities indeed love their city.

“We are driving the ship now after all, we are taking the decisions; so let us be taking these decisions, let us stop being pushed around,” the head of the region concluded.