A five-storey building on Narimanov Street in Rostov-on-Don has a history of structural distress. Neighbors report that a wall on the first floor partially collapsed recently and the building continues to creak at night. A resident described the situation in detail, noting that relatives live nearby in a damaged home and have been staying with her. During the evacuation, only the child and a cat were moved, with other belongings left behind as a precautionary measure.
The same resident recalled that the wall had collapsed before, in multiple locations around the building. She explained that the inner wall in her parents’ unit gave way under pressure, and that the building has undergone patchwork repairs, including plastering and painting. She reported that the structure settles noticeably and emits creaks during nighttime hours. Family members had to seek shelter with relatives, leaving behind most possessions while ensuring the child was dressed and the cat secured. She added that emergency services were not permitted to access the most critical areas during the evacuation, and that documents were left behind as a result.
According to the resident, this five-storey structure has faced ongoing issues for a decade. When the building was deemed unsafe, residents were instructed to evacuate on their own. The situation has persisted as management companies allegedly moved on, leaving behind unpaid bills while residents continued to receive invoices. The block once had water and heating problems that were difficult to document, and there were limited options for complaints. The building was originally a temporary facility for workers and has been labeled unsafe for several years, with little housing available in the relocation fund. The administration reportedly purchased nearby land for city development, which complicated decisions about the property.
On the evening of January 27, a collapse occurred at an entrance area on Narimanov Street. The incident led to the suspension of natural gas service and the evacuation of about 95 residents. In response, the city mayor announced the creation of temporary shelter centers for those displaced, with the possibility of later flexible housing arrangements. It was noted that the building had been declared unsafe in 2020 and that demolition could be the eventual outcome. A state of emergency was declared in the Rostov region in connection with the wall collapse.
The following day, regional authorities reported further instability at another entrance to the emergency building. Officials confirmed there were no injuries because residents had been relocated the previous day. The situation underscored the ongoing concern about the safety of similar five-storey structures in the area.
In earlier commentary, an architect warned against attempting to reconstruct several five-storey blocks that share this profile. He emphasized the importance of a careful, large-scale assessment before any reconstruction plans proceed, given the history of subsidence and repeated wall failures on multiple sites in the area.