In Novogireevo, they are trying to save the house of People's Artist of the USSR Alexei Diky from demolition

Residents in the east of Moscow have defended the house of People's Artist of the USSR Alexei Diky, which is in danger of destruction. Kirill Olkov, a correspondent for Izvestia, told why it turned out that the fate of the wooden monument hangs in the balance.

The notification of the demolition of a historic building located in the Novogireevo district caused a wide public outcry. By now, the utilities have already dismantled the fence around the site, which has opened free access to the unattended building.

"The house is now essentially unguarded, it stands abandoned," the correspondent said.

The wooden log house is the only surviving building of the pre-revolutionary village of Gireevo. Despite the dilapidated condition of the roof and cracks in the floors, local residents and activists insist on the restoration of the facility.

"This is a historical site, if we are Ivans who do not remember our kinship and do not preserve our objects, then what is the point?" said Vera Mysina, a resident of the district.

Alexey Dikiy, People's Artist of the USSR, lived and worked in this house, known for his roles as Kutuzov and Nakhimov, as well as as the creator of the images of Napoleon and Boris Godunov in the Vakhtangov Theater.

"He was capable of playing very different roles. He really liked to exist in grotesque forms, looking for a combination of tragedy and comedy," said Maria Chernova, an employee of the Vakhtangov Theater Museum.

The artist's granddaughter, actress Elena Valyushkina, emphasized the importance of her grandfather's legacy for Russian art.

"He was generally considered on the same level as Konstantin Sergeyevich Stanislavsky, because he taught, he had studios, he staged plays as a director," said Honored Artist of the Russian Federation Elena Valyushkina.

After the actor's death, the building housed a museum, but later the house became private property and fell into disrepair. The location of the current owner remains unknown. For a long time, the cottage was listed as an identified cultural heritage site, but in 2025 this status was revoked.

"Now there is nothing to prevent anyone from simply destroying this object if they want to do so," said Konstantin Mikhailov, a local historian.

The Department of Cultural Heritage of Moscow confirmed the fact of lifting the protected status. In response, an initiative group of residents collected more than 500 signatures demanding that the house be restored to monument status, that fencing be restored to protect it from vandals, and that a museum be created in the building.

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