While St.-Petersburg authorities press forward to legitimate privatization of cultural monuments, the descendants of aristocratic families that owned these palaces till 1917 assert their rights to the buildings confiscated in the Soviet era or at least to a certain compensation from the state.
       Thus, Duchess Vera Obolenskaya, now living in apartments in St.-Petersburg, is sure about her right to the mansion of the Obolenskies, which is on the territory of Peter and Paul Fortress. “Of course we cannot claim for return of all the confiscated property; one of the houses that my family once owned would be enough"- she says.
      
       ”Everything depends on what is going to happen with the houses that once belonged to our ancestors. If there are communal apartments in those houses and people have no place to move to – God bless them. But when officials sell what has never belonged to them – it cannot be justified. Such deals should be prosecuted”, - says Professor of History Igor Shaob, whose family also suffered from repression and confiscation. Yet he has to acknowledge that there are no chances for success as political and financial oligarchs are involved here. Gif.ru