Preserve don't Destroy!

This beautiful historical Samaran structure is in imminent danger of being torn down. There are many such extraordinary wooden houses here in Samara in derelict condition- the ones that remain. Samara is quickly changing. It's a familiar story. Tear down the old to build the new. Erase your city's history, build the ubiquitous ugly glass skyscraper, make a quick buck. I've heard many stories here of developers burning the wooden buildings at night, mysterious nighttime demolitions, or residents being forbidden to make improvements. Such stories are not unfamiliar to New Yorkers such as myself. But we have become much more mobilized, perhaps having learned from our mistakes, Penn Station for example. Russians need to learn how to organize, set up watch dog groups, and empower themselves. I first fell in love with these beautiful wooden houses last year on my first CEC Artslink project. The first one I saw was in the Russian Museum in St Petersburg. It would be a shame if one could only see these structures mothballed in a museum. Later that same trip, I saw many similar type buildings in Nizhny Novgorod. Unlike Samara, Nizhny Novgorod has received Unesco World Heritage Status to protect their architectural heritage. The wooden ornamentation includes symbols to protect the dwellers inside. It's beautiful architecture which should be preserved, if not for cultural heritage and civic pride, then for future tourist revenue.