Railway administration is unaware of old building’s decay

«I was going by Sabunchu railway station built in 1926 upon the project of N. G. Bayev. Began looking at a building’s face narrowly … I wish I hadn‘t», - wrote architect Elchin Azizov on his FB page.

He is known for collecting and maintaining architectural monuments after decay of the ancient buildings of Baku. The other day, he offered his collection to the executive power of the capital for creating a Baku architecture museum. With that end in view he staged one-day showground.

Among others, Elcjin Aliyev saw conditioner control units on railway building’s face which was inadmissible for civilized state, he maintained. And the worst thing: muzzles of stone lions decorating a clock tower proved to be broken.

The architect placed photographs on his page. Baku residents responded:

-  This is because there are no fixed regulations in municipalities, including those responsible for specifying the state before restoration; responsible for control over working results, etc. It is, perhaps, duties of a team leader who is responsible for recruitment  while the money has long been siphoned off.

- Lost for words. An impression ist hat everything has been done intentionally for many years. Nothing can be done, and vandalism will go on? FB is an excellent ground for debates; however, our indignation won’t change the situation. So what is to be done? To sign a declaration abot protection of architectuaral heritage of our country? Or creat a board to fight vandalism?! Otherwise we’ll lose everything...

Asked about reasons of vandalism on the railway station‘ building, head of public relations department of the railway administration of Azerbaijan, Natavan Bayramova said in a long telephone conversation that the administration was not responsible for preservation of building’s externals while major repairs were provided inside building only to thus create an interesting museum of railways of Azerbaijan. They emphasized  railway administration’s great care for protection and maintenance of architectural and historical monuments of jurisdictional buildings. In so doing, she added that they were not responsible for externals of architect Bayev’s creature.

Bayramova is unaware of those having destroyed the structure of stone lions. She repeatedly invited journalists to visit a museum of railway transport in order to make sure how the head of the railway administration, Javid Gurbanov cares for protection and maintenance of monuments.

«I sent photographs of the building’s face to our staffers; however, they had known nothing about the state of the building’s face, so they were surprised at what they saw», added Bayramova.