The felling of trees near a cultural monument has outraged Rostov activists.

Activists have protested against development near a cultural heritage site in Rostov-on-Don. According to them, workers have already cut down trees at the site of the planned construction.

Rostov-on-Don activist Elena Khatlamadzhiyan reported that on the evening of May 28, unknown individuals cut down trees near the Surb Khach Church and are carrying out excavation work near the water intake structure (a structure over a spring), a cultural heritage site, to build a refectory, 161.ru reports today.

On June 2, according to Khatlamadzhiyan, she visited the spring with representatives of the Committee for Cultural Heritage Sites (CHS). Workers were on site, but the committee representatives left without issuing a notice.

"I've been working on both buildings and trees for 10 years, and I've seen all sorts of things, but I've never seen anything like this. Everyone comes, throws up their hands, and can't do anything. It turns out that work is being carried out on an 18th-century cultural heritage site, which could worsen its condition because it's in poor condition. And the work is being carried out without any documentation," she is quoted as saying in the publication.

According to Khatlamadzhiyan, construction materials have already been delivered to the spring. She reports that the refectory is being built without documentation, and the investor claimed the work was being carried out with the church's consent. However, a young man who identified himself as the church's lawyer voiced a different version at a meeting with activists: that a parishioner had initiated the work, and church representatives had not given their consent, the publication notes.

The publication is illustrated with a video showing felled trees. The woman filming the video explains off-camera that she is filming near the Surb Khach spring on May 31st.

"Some unknown people came and decided to build something here. Let me remind you that this area is part of the Surb Khach cultural heritage site and is located literally a few meters away. It's a protected area, so building here is strictly prohibited, and cutting down trees without permission is even more so. This is the current situation: people simply came and cut down trees," the woman says in the video.

"Caucasian Knot" also reported that in November 2023, Rostov activists demanded a halt to the felling of trees near Aviatorov Park in the Pervomaysky District. The site is privately owned and designated for individual housing construction. However, district authorities had previously notified the site owner that tree felling and construction were prohibited. The ban was announced following collective appeals from Rostov residents. Rostov-on-Don authorities reported that the logging was stopped because it was carried out without permits.

In May 2025, the Rostov Regional Court found the officials' inaction in allowing the felling of trees and construction on a site near Aviatorov Park, and ordered the site to be restored to its original condition.