Century poplar in St. Petersburg sawed down because of rot, diseases and pests

The century-old poplar on the embankment of the Griboyedov Canal in St. Petersburg was cut down because of diseases, rot and the threat of falling. This was announced by the chairman of the city committee for improvement Sergey Petrichenko at a press conference in Interfax.

According to him, after complaints about the condition of the tree, the specialists of the Committee together with representatives of the Committee for the Protection of Monuments conducted a survey and found rot and pests.

“Based on the fact that the thickness of the trunk at the base decreased significantly, there was a rotten core, and the tree cover itself was exuded by beetles, it was decided to cut down the tree – residents and an object nearby, which is an architectural monument, could suffer from its fall,” Petrichenko said.

The improvement committee clarified to Fontanka that the poplar was asked to be removed by the St. Petersburg State Economic University (SPbSEU). The tree grew next to the object of cultural heritage of regional significance "Fence" on the embankment of the Griboyedov Canal. The university considered that his fall could damage the historical fence, which is planned to be restored.

According to the committee, the survey revealed stem rot, hollows and signs of settlement with stem pests. On the basis of the conclusion, experts issued a logging ticket, after which the tree was cut down.

RBC asked for a comment in the press service of the Committee for the improvement of St. Petersburg.

The fact that the Berlin poplar was cut off at the Bank Bridge became known in the evening of October 19. In the community “Trees of St. Petersburg” published a photo of fresh sawing. In 2019, the age of the tree was estimated at 109 years – by the time it fell, it could be about 116 years old.

Poplar was the last surviving tree of the alley planted in the 1910s along the Griboyedov Canal from Spas on Blood to Gorokhovaya Street.