The reconstruction of the Shukhov Tower in Moscow has raised concerns among historians and urbanists

The upcoming reconstruction of the Shukhov Tower in Moscow has caused a wave of indignation among historians and urbanists. They fear the iconic engineering monument could be lost. So, in particular, says architectural historian Airat Bagautdinov, who shared his opinion in a conversation with a Lenta.ru correspondent.

The expert believes that replacing the metal in the Shukhov Tower is the same as scraping off da Vinci’s paints on the Mona Lisa and instead painting the same image with modern materials, claiming that the famous painting remains the same. Bagautdinov called this approach to preserving the monument absurd. According to Bagautdinov, it is necessary to strive to preserve at least 70-80 percent of the original elements.

For his part, Moscow expert and author of the excursion project “Walks around Moscow” Alexander Usoltsev recalled that the tower is an iconic object in the city and determines not only the appearance of Shabolovka, but also many other locations. “The loss of this monument will be a great loss not only for the city, but also for world heritage,” he emphasized.

Reconstruction of the Shukhov Tower in Moscow is planned to begin in October. According to the plan, it will be disassembled, examined and reassembled. Those elements that cannot be restored are promised to be replaced with modern analogues.