The legendary prison “Crosses” in the center of St. Petersburg was officially transferred to the state corporation “DOM.RF”. Until that moment, the former pre-trial detention center was under the operational control of the Federal Penitentiary Service.
The complex consists of a land plot of about four hectares and 24 properties, most of which are architectural monuments. The main objects are two buildings of the former pre-trial detention center with an area of 164,000 square meters, the shape of which gave the prison its name.
Earlier, the authorities of St. Petersburg have repeatedly announced plans to adapt the “Crosses” for public functions. They discussed the opening of the museum complex and related organizations, but there was no single approved concept of the project at the time of the release of the material.
In recent years, Kresty has been in a sad state, and the Federal Penitentiary Service did not have the money for such a major overhaul, says Evgeny Vyshenkov, deputy editor-in-chief of Fontanka:
“At the end of the 19th century, when Kresty was built, it was the most modern, humane and luxurious, as such an institution can be, a prison in Russia, and most likely at the level of Europe, because the rest of the world was profoundly different. Then the bricks, the ceilings got tired, they were used very vehemently, and they were never restored, not repaired, they fell apart. It became unnecessary for the state, they were looking for a model of what to do. Then there was a transfer, in the end it went to Domu.RF. Two crosses and several old buildings on the Neva embankment are, of course, a historical heritage, everything else is superfluous, we remove it with a bulldozer, the walls must be left. Engineers come and understand where to fix what, how to make space. I do not think that there will be a residential complex, the place is difficult. But if you create a space where there is fun, a museum direction, and they know how to do this in Russia, then Kresty will turn into a place where you have to go from other cities.”
The transfer of “Crosses” to the company “DOM.RF” may mean that in the future the former prison will be put up for auction. This was discussed at the state corporation in the fall of 2022. In this case, the complex can be purchased by a private investor, who will develop the project. However, there were no volunteers at the time of the release of the material.
