Support The Moscow Times!

Moscow Plans to Sell Land Overlooking Kremlin for Luxury Residences

City Hall is prepared to sell off some of the most expensive land in central Moscow, a 3-hectare plot across the river from the Kremlin, for the construction of top-flight residences, Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said in an interview with Kommersant.

A construction company could earn more than $1 billion from the sale of luxury properties built on the riverside territory on Sofiyskaya Naberezhnaya, Kommersant reported, citing a construction plan for the area by real estate developer A1.

Originally owned by the city, the land has changed hands multiple times in the past 16 years. City Hall last fall purchased it back from A1, the investment division of Alfa-Bank, at which point experts estimated the value of the sale at more than $150 million.

It was then assumed that City Hall would erect a parliament building on the plot, but that idea has fallen by the wayside, Sobyanin said: "The city had certain plans for developing this plot, but we have abandoned them."

Sign up for our free weekly newsletter

Our weekly newsletter contains a hand-picked selection of news, features, analysis and more from The Moscow Times. You will receive it in your mailbox every Friday. Never miss the latest news from Russia. Preview
Subscribers agree to the Privacy Policy

A Message from The Moscow Times:

Dear readers,

We are facing unprecedented challenges. Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organization, criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution. This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a "foreign agent."

These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia. The authorities claim our work "discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership." We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate, unbiased reporting on Russia.

We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. But to continue our work, we need your help.

Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just $2. It's quick to set up, and every contribution makes a significant impact.

By supporting The Moscow Times, you're defending open, independent journalism in the face of repression. Thank you for standing with us.

Once
Monthly
Annual
Continue
paiment methods
Not ready to support today?
Remind me later.

Read more