MOSCOW, December 16 - RAPSI. A court of appeals has affirmed a veto on the use of land within Arkhangelskoye Estate Museum's preservation area by Gradostroy, the court told the Russian Legal Information Agency (RAPSI/rapsinews.com).

On August 16, Gradostroy won the Defense Ministry's auction for the sale of 20.67 hectares near the estate museum for 754.493 million rubles ($23.7 million). Pursuant to tender documents, the land plot had a number of encumbrances.

The plaintiff believes the ministry was not entitled to auction the land plot as most of the land (12 hectares) is within the museum's preservation zone, while a smaller area (0.78 hectares) is the estate's territory. Therefore, the State Property Management Committee, but not the Defense Ministry, should dispose of the land.
Arkhangelskoye Estate Museum sought to invalidate the August 22 land purchase-and-sale contract between the defendants, the Defense Ministry and Gradostroy.

The Tenth Commercial Court of Appeals has rejected the Gradostry's appeal against the October 4 court order on interim relief in a lawsuit against the Defense Ministry and Gradostroy.

Earlier, the Moscow Region Commercial Court postponed until January 19 the Arkhangelskoye Estate Museum's lawsuit to quash the land auction.

The Arkhangelskoye Estate is a historical palace and park established in the late 18th century near Moscow.