The desperate residents of a disputed village...
The Moscow authorities say the dwellers of the Rechnik settlement on the bank of the Moskva River built homes on the land of a specially protected city park illegally. Demolition of houses already started following court rulings, but the residents argue they were granted the land during the Soviet era and insist that their right to live there be recognized.
In 2006, environmental watchdog Rosprirodnadzor launched checks into the legality of some 400 buildings constructed on the land, and hearings have continued ever since. Courts have ruled most homes should be demolished.
The residents or their ancestors received land plots in Rechnik in western Moscow from Soviet authorities in the 1950s. They reportedly have documents confirming that they were allowed to build homes on the land, so it would be logical to assume they at least are entitled to compensation even though current laws ban any residential construction in the area and the authorities want the buildings razed.