Mass Demonstration Opposes St. Petersburg Highrise

Thousands of people marched on Nevsky Prospect in St Petersburg on March 3, 2007, protesting against the policies of city governor Valentina Matvienko and calling for a halt to the proposed Gazprom City project.

Gazprom City would include a new headquarters building for Gazprom, Russia's energy monopoly, which would be taller than New York's Empire State Building. St Petersburg has been designated a UNESCO heritage site because of its classical character. The glass-clad tower, designed by the British architectural firm RMJM, would change the city's character drastically.