Old Arbat vendors sent packing

Friday, August 8 will mark the end an era - Arbat as we know it will no longer exist. It appears that the renovations, which until recently have only touched the stone paving, will leave no room for the street vendors and artists - the people that have contributed to making Arbat more than just a street.

Despite this dreadful prospect, business hasn't stopped over the last week, partly because there has been no official order issued to confirm that the vendors had to go. "No one told us anything," one of the souvenir vendors told The Moscow News, "We will keep working until we're asked to leave." Most occupants of the trading circles of Arbat have been informed of the forthcoming changes by representatives of the press, not the Moscow government. "I have heard about that idea of removing all the painters and street vendors from Arbat. Some journalists have come to us already," Yuri, an artist based on Arbat for several decades, told The Moscow News."But none of the representatives of the Moscow government have warned us or have come to us."

Such an absence of any definite information looks suspicious, especially since the plans for renovation have been in the works for quite a long time.

It seems that uncertainty among city officials is the main reason for all the confusion. Earlier this summer Moscow mayor Yuri Luzhkov an­nounced the decision to clear Arbat of "the vulgar matreshka stands" and populate the street with book stalls instead. Meanwhile Sergey Baidakov, the Prefect of the Central District, made a promise to keep the souvenir stands, though the main focus is going to be on antique and second-hand books. In fact, the official project is to convert Arbat into a "book district," which is just in keeping with the traditional image of Arbat, according to Sigurda Schmidt, academician and one of Arbat's oldest residents.

Still, there's no reason for panic. "Street trading will cease only temporarily," an official from the depart­ment of consumer markets and services told The Moscow News. "Since the conditions in which the street vendors are operating are not in accordance with modern standards, it was decided to construct a variety of new stalls and shops. As soon as the construction is finished, all the vendors and artists will be able to come back."

Athough this issue seems to be a topic of concern for many observers, the traders in question show a remarkably relaxed attitude to the problem. "We artists are not scared of anything," declared Yuri. "Frankly speaking, we don't give a damn. We know we will get by somehow, just like Leonardo [Da Vinci] did. And another thing, it will be Moscow's loss, not ours."

By Katya Vinogradova