In old Baku, modern Herostrati at work

But history will remember them, for sure.

Exactly a year ago I wrote a piece about authorities' plans to demolish a whole historic neighborhood in downtown Baku to make a way for a winter boulevard. I hastily visited the site, (was almost attacked by one resident) and took pictures by a 1.3 megapixel camera. The plan got some sorrowful reactions but came into standstill for unknown reasons. Some were saying "crisis."

These days authorities recalled the plan so quickly that they started to evict the people by force from their houses and demolish the quarters as soon as possible.

Residents on Fuzuli street where houses have mostly an anthropological value started to resist fiercely. To be honest, they are offered a ridiculous compensation and sometime in the future. The residents even tried to stage a protest outside the Presidential Administration. Six got detained.

Unfortunately, residents of Badalbayli street, another one demolished, are silent. But their street in contrast is an architectural treasury, really.

Yesterday, I visited the same area again, though couldn't take my flip camera out - demolishers were everywhere. And the situation is really dire - Fuzuli street lies in ruins as if after a bombardment. The only building of architectural significance - House 58 still survives, but it is already mutilated and fenced (look at photo that I could manage to take by the same 1.3 megapixel).

However, the situation in Badalbayli street is much worse - though the street and as well as famous Melikoff mansion are still intact, they have started to demolish the buildings selectively, and started from most significant ones. They have even demolished my favorite one!

Soon or later, they will start to demolish all remaining buildings in the area and no matter some are in the preservation list of national landmarks. The same list couldn't save a Taghiyev mansion near the Maiden Tower (watch how it was demolished here), nor it can save the "House with Atlases" which is currently being demolished near the historic Molokan Garden (did I tell you that they've demolished another 4-storey mansion there already?).

I have no words, really.