David Sarkisyan, director of the Schusev...
museum is named, is memorialized in an online exhibit on the museum"s web site.In the wake of the 2004 fire that nearly destroyed the Manezh next to the Kremlin, Sarkisyan published an open letter to the Russian authorities calling for "immediate action for salvation of the architectural heritage of our country."
He warned of a "cultural catastrophe" that would rob Russians of their historical memory, saying that the disruption of Moscow"s architectural past was having a destructive influence on other cities, which were also losing their appearance.
His latest campaign, against the planned demolition of the Central House of Artists on the Moscow River near Gorky Park, seems to have failed to save that building, with the city apparently pushing ahead with plans to redevelop the site.
Sarkisyan was not universally critical of the development of the Russian capital, however, praising the creation of the Moscow-City business district on the edge of downtown.