New Environment Minister: 'House of Moscow' in Vilnius must be demolished

Lithuania's newly appointed Environment Minister, Ieva Andriulaitytė, has declared that the controversial "House of Moscow" in Vilnius must be demolished. The building, owned by the public institution "Moscow Cultural and Business Center – House of Moscow," has been subject to a demolition order since late 2022, but the process has stalled.

Andriulaitytė expressed her commitment to addressing the issue, stating, "As with probably every Lithuanian citizen, this is not even a debatable issue that the House of Moscow must disappear. What is stuck and where it is stuck, I don't want to improvise for now, I will start my work, get acquainted, and I believe that we will definitely cooperate with the Vilnius City Municipality on this issue." She indicated a willingness to collaborate with the Vilnius municipality to resolve the situation.

Vilnius Mayor Valdas Benkunskas has previously proposed amending the law to allow businesses to fund the demolition, thereby relieving the municipality of the cost. A proposal currently under consideration in parliament could enable state institutions to accept support in the form of work, not just services. Several major construction companies, including "Naresta," "Kalvasta," "Yit Lietuva," "Gilesta," and "Tilsta" (part of "Fegda Group"), have reportedly responded to the mayor's call to contribute to the demolition.

The demolition project has faced legal hurdles, with a previous tender by the State Territorial Planning and Construction Inspectorate getting stuck in court. If a solution for free demolition by businesses is not found, the inspectorate will have to announce a new public tender. The "House of Moscow" project was initiated in 2004, with 75% of its shares held by stakeholders from Moscow. The plot of land in central Vilnius is slated to be transferred to a Ukrainian religious community in the future, with verbal agreements already in place.

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As with probably every Lithuanian citizen, this is not even a debatable issue that the House of Moscow must disappear. What is stuck and where it is stuck, I don't want to improvise for now, I will start my work, get acquainted, and I believe that we will definitely cooperate with the Vilnius City Municipality on this issue.