Environmentalists Urge Russian Maestro Yuri Bashmet to Stop Forest Clearing

Environmentalists Urge Russian Maestro Yuri Bashmet to Stop Forest Clearing

LONDON, November 2/PRNewswire/ --

- European Tour by Award-Winning Russian Musician to be Picketed by
Green Protesters

- ATTN Environment and Arts Editors

The International Social-Environmental Union (IS-EU) has urged
the celebrated Russian viola virtuoso and conductor Yuri Bashmet to reverse
his decision to approve forest clearing on protected land on the outskirts of
Moscow. IS-EU spokesman Maxim Shingarkin said today in London that the
Union's activists are planning to take to the streets this autumn in
Amsterdam, Edinburgh and other European cities where the musician's concerts
are scheduled to take place.

Mr Bashmet combines an international musical career with his
duties as head of a village community near Moscow called RANIS. The village
is situated in a prestigious and expensive suburb, Rublyovka, only a few
miles from the residence of Russia's President Vladimir Putin and the homes
of many of Russia's richest oligarchs. An acre of land in the area is
currently valued at about GBP 1 million.

The forest adjoining the village is protected from clearance
by both national law and international treaties. Environmentalists have
learned that a plot of 50 acres of the protected forest was first annexed to
the village headed by Mr Bashmet. Subsequently this plot was transferred to a
private company. The company is now planning to deforest the area and build
elite villas on the site. These villas are expected to be sold at around
GBP10 million each.

The head of the Russian division of the IS-EU, Svyatoslav
Zabelin, says in his 'open letter' to Mr Bashmet: "environmental authorities,
the police and the General Prosecutor's office of Russia have already started
an official enquiry into the transactions you have authorised. It is obvious
that the situation is threatening not only for the ancient forests still
remaining in the area, but also the reputation of the Russian artists who
live there".

German environmental activists joined the campaign earlier
this summer. Protesters led by a Saxon (Sächsischen) Landtag member Elke
Altmann met the musician at several stops on his tour of Bavaria and in the
city of Leipzig. The musician and his representatives have refused to comment
on the dispute.

Maxim Shingarkin said today that if Mr Bashmet does not heed
the demands of environmentalists by revoking his approval of the forest
disposal, his European tour this autumn would be blighted by street protests
in a number of European cities. He added that local Greens would join the
campaign to save the forest by picketing concerts in Edinburgh, Amsterdam and
elsewhere.

Notes to Editors:

The International Social-Environmental Union is a voluntary
organisation founded in 1987 as the first environmentalist NGO in Soviet
Russia. Today it brings together 25 thousand members from 19 countries in
Europe, Asia and North America and has partners in most EU countries. Further
information is available on the web-site of the Union at:
http://www.seu.ru/index.en.htm

RANIS in Russian stands for Village of Scientists and Artists.
It is situated in the heart of Rublyovka on the wooded slope of pictures
Nikolina Gora. Established in the end of the nineteen century it was a unique
please which at different times has been home to such people as the
celebrated Arctic explorer Otto Shmidt, a chess world champion Mikhail
Botvinnik, a author of lyrics of both the Soviet and contemporary Russian
national anthems Sergei Mikhalkov, his son Nikita, a famous film director and
Oscar nominee, and many others.

The village's community web-site (in Russian only) is at:
www.ranis.ru

Source: The International Social-Environmental Union

For further information please contact: Mr Semion Zhavoronkov, International media relations manager, Phone: +7-9262-347-154, E-mail: strategie@mail.ru

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