In Vologda, a city in northwestern Russia, a rally to protect the city’s appearance was cancelled due to pressure on the organiser.

In Vologda, after pressure was exerted on the organiser, a rally in support of preserving the city’s identity and greenery was cancelled. The 7×7 outlet reported this.

The rally, “For a Green Vologda,” was supposed to take place on 6 September in Mira Park under the slogans: “For the preservation of a green Vologda,” “For a halt and review of redevelopment projects that harm cultural identity,” “For the return of public discussions on redevelopment projects,” and “For compliance with cultural heritage protection laws.” The event was organised by activists from the local urban preservation movement “Real Vologda.”

Originally, the activists wanted to hold the rally in the city centre, but the city administration only approved the event for the city’s outskirts, in Mira Park. The organisers then noted that access to the park was complicated by bridge construction and the considerable distance from central Vologda.

However, on the evening of 5 September, the “Real Vologda” group on VKontakte announced that the rally had been entirely cancelled. “The organiser was subjected to pressure,” the group wrote, adding that they could not reveal any details.

“We are keeping the idea of holding an urban preservation rally alive, but will see what steps the authorities take towards dialogue. The fact that the rally was cancelled even on the outskirts, in Mira Park, shows the authorities will have to find a way to address interaction with Vologda residents,” the urban preservationists stated.

On 6 September, the mayor of Vologda ended up meeting with the organisers and members of the public at the Salut cinema. The meeting lasted several hours, with urban preservationists and city administration representatives speaking. The “Real Vologda” group expressed hope that this would be the start of a dialogue, and published a petition for engaged members of the public.