08 November 2011, 23:40
In Stavropol Territory, historians stop destruction of ancient burial mound
Staff members of the Pyatigorsk area museum have stopped destruction of the ancient mound in the village of Konstantinovskaya of the city of Pyatigorsk, where a developer started construction work and almost damaged graves.
According to local residents, the land plot behind the cemetery was allocated for construction of residential buildings. Starting on October 31, when construction work began, the builders have destroyed the largest part of the mound. Only one-sixth part of the burial mound was preserved; however, graves remained intact.
"When we received the residents' complaint, we together with the museum's staff members went to the place and saw what was going on: the largest part of the mound had been demolished. If the construction work continues, this monument will be simply destroyed," the RIA "Novosti" quotes Mikhail Semendyaev, the head of the museum's research department, as saying.
The construction work has been slowed down, the "Interfax-Yug" reports.
In the nearest future, it should become clear whether allocation of land plots for construction at the place was legally registered, and then the further fate of the burial mound would be determined, the edition "KVMsiti" reports.