Historic St. Petersburg skyline threatened by giant skyscraper

by Sean McLachlan on

Residents of St. Petersburg are protesting plans to build a giant skyscraper that they say will ruin the city’s historic skyline.

Russia’s powerful gas company Gazprom plans to build a 400 meter (1,312 ft.) office building in the shape of a twisting glass needle. It would dwarf the historic buildings and churches that have made Russia’s former imperial capital famous.

While Gazprom usually gets its way, some powerful forces are aligning against the building. St. Petersburg is one of the biggest tourist attractions in Russia and a lot of money could be lost if the city’s skyline is blighted. The Cultural Ministry is calling for a legal investigation to see if the building is legal. UNESCO has warned that the building could make St. Petersburg lose its status as a World Heritage Site.

It’s unclear who will win this battle, so if you’re planning a trip to St. Petersburg, it might be a good idea to do it sooner rather than later.

How great is the Great Wall of China? Very!

by Tom Johansmeyer on

I bet you thought the name said it all. A recent survey by of this World Heritage site – billed as “technologically advanced” – puts the original length of the wall at 5,500 miles, much further than the previous estimate of 3,700 miles. That’s a difference of almost 50 percent!

This effort took more than two years of surveying with GPS tools, infrared technology and other mapping techniques, and the outcome is the most complete view of the wall ever seen. Since perfectly restored pieces comprise no more than 20 percent of the original wall, this new perspective will help with efforts at conservation.

Erosion and war impeded protection in the past, but the current threat is construction, as China embraces (parts of) a capitalist economy. In some cases, roads exist in places once occupied by the Great Wall of China. Almost a third of the structure has disappeared completely.

More research is on the agenda, with completion expected to come in 2010.

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