The representatives of Prague approved the construction of the controversial skyscraper

St. Petersburg - Today, St. Petersburg's city council approved the construction of a giant skyscraper that is set to rise near the historic center of the former capital of Tsarist Russia. This was announced by the AP agency.
The project, backed by the gas company Gazprom, has sparked protests from many local residents. They are unhappy that Gazprom plans to build a 320-meter tall building made of glass and concrete, which would be more than twice the height of the city’s current tallest buildings, which are listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site.
Opponents claim that the building will ruin the picturesque panorama of canals and baroque palaces. Proponents of the project, on the other hand, argue that the construction site is not located in the historic center of the city, founded by Tsar Peter the Great, but about half a kilometer away.
Nevertheless, the pro-Kremlin majority in the council, in an effort to appease opponents, decided that the city would contribute 25 billion rubles (about 19.5 billion CZK) to the project, instead of covering all the estimated costs of 60 billion rubles (almost 47 billion CZK). The remainder is to be paid by Gazprom's subsidiary, Gazpromneft.
The former head of the city's architectural commission, Mikhail Amosov, who leads the opposition against the project, called it a step in the right direction, but insists that the city should not contribute a kopeck to the construction and that the height of the new building should be reduced to less than 100 meters. According to the city hall, however, the already approved plans are final.
The construction is to be completed by 2016.