R 021114Z JUL 08
FM AMCONSUL ST PETERSBURG
TO SECSTATE WASHDC 2574
INFO AMEMBASSY MOSCOW 
AMCONSUL YEKATERINBURG 
AMCONSUL VLADIVOSTOK 
AMEMBASSY TALLINN 
AMEMBASSY HELSINKI 
AMEMBASSY KYIV 
AMEMBASSY RIGA 
AMEMBASSY VILNIUS 
AMCONSUL ST PETERSBURG

UNCLAS ST PETERSBURG 000135 
 
FOR /RUS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PHUM SOCI SCUL KDEM RS ECON PGOV
SUBJECT: PANDEMONIUM ERUPTS AT PUBLIC HEARING ON OKHTA CENTER 
 
REF: A. ST. PETERSBURG 0180 
     ¶B. ST. PETERSBURG 0130 
     ¶C. ST. PETERSBURG 0007 
 
 
¶1. (SBU) Summary:  The June 27th public hearing on the proposed 
construction of the Okhta Center degenerated into chaos shortly 
after its start.   An estimated 75% of the audience was 
recruited by authorities in order to stage enthusiastic public 
support of the project.  Civic and political activists who 
demanded cancellation or postponement of the hearing were 
arrested by special police forces. Organizers however,  insist 
that the hearing went as planned and was legitimate. End Summary 
 
¶2. (SBU) Several days before the hearings, civil activists in 
St. Petersburg received information that the hearing's 
organizers were recruiting "stand-in's" through Lenfilm studio. 
By 13:00 on the day of the hearing, approximately three quarters 
of the hall, which can accommodate 620 people, was filled by 
these hired "public representatives". Some groups wore pins of a 
fictitious NGO named "Novy Peterburg," whose web-site was only 
created on June 26. 
 
¶3. (SBU) When the hearing opened at 15:00, activists demanded 
that organizers cancel or postpone it on the grounds that 
participants were not actually members of the interested public, 
but individuals hired by authorities to support the project. 
They also cited procedural violations regarding the exhibiting 
of project documents and informing public of the date and time 
of the hearing.  The organizers ignored the activists' requests 
and attempted to continue the meeting.  At that moment, a group 
of about 20 individuals (members of Dvizhenie Grazhdanskikh 
Initsiativ, Zhivoy Gorod, Yabloko and National Bolsheviks) 
stormed the podium insisting that their leaders be given the 
opportunity to speak.  The organizers refused and called special 
police forces, who brutally handcuffed and arrested about six 
activists. 
 
¶4. (SBU) Despite constant protests from a small part of the 
audience, the hearing went on with the podium now protected by 
police officers. Many of the speakers opposed to the project 
accused organizers of falsifying the results of the previous 
hearings and excluding critical comments from the minutes. The 
organizers did not respond to these comments or react in any 
way.  The hearing ended at 18:00, and according to the 
organizers, was a success.  Activists are planning to challenge 
the results in court. 
 
¶5. (SBU) Several reporters were also planted into the audience 
and later published stories and interviews with other 
"supporters."  Following the hearing, a large line of people 
were seen collecting their payment from buses parked close to 
the business center where the hearing was held.  When TV crews 
discovered what was happening, the remainder were instructed to 
receive money at Lenfilm studio the next day. 
 
¶6. (SBU) Comment:  The hearing was a sorry example of civil 
society in today's Russia.  Required by law, the so-called 
public hearing has now been declared "done" allowing authorities 
to move forward.  Public reaction has been muted thus far. 
Press coverage was light since the hearing was held late on a 
Friday afternoon. 
Despite recent criticism of current urban development policy in 
St. Petersburg by the media and direct accusations that Governor 
Matvienko is ruining the city with uncontrolled high rise 
construction, local authorities seem determined to continue 
forward with Okhta Center project.  More and more observers, 
however, doubt that the Tower will ever be built.  They suspect 
it is likely to follow the path of two other notorious 
construction projects: the High Speed Railway Station and 
Mariinskiy Theater-2, where construction has been halted and is 
likely never to resume.  For now, it's a toss-up. 
 
KRUGER