St. Petersburg trade unions are facing eviction from the Palace of Labor and struggling to find suitable new premises. The Leningrad Federation of Trade Unions (LFP) has been asked to vacate the Nikolaevsky Palace after it was transferred to the operational management of the House of Music, led by Sergei Roldugin.

The city has offered several alternative locations, but none meet the federation’s needs. The trade unions require a space of approximately 1800 sq. m to accommodate around 200 people, with at least 9 sq. m per workplace, as well as space for visiting delegations and conferences.

Proposed buildings have been deemed unsuitable due to disrepair, mold, or insufficient space. One option, the former building of the Petrogradsky district administration, has rotten beams, leaks, and holes in the ceiling. Another, on Sinopskaya Embankment, is contaminated with fungus and mold and is also being considered for a silver age center.

The LFP claims to have invested over 500 million rubles in the Nikolaevsky Palace over the years and argues that the area requirement is not a whim. They cite recent difficulties with access control, where a delegation from the LPR, including participants in the special military operation, was delayed due to the new security protocols implemented by the House of Music.

The House of Music states that it requires advance notice of visitors but claims a list of seminar participants was submitted late and incorrectly. They did not comment on planned renovations but said tenants were notified of repair schedules via electronic document management.

The federation insists that even if they agreed to a proposed building, they would not have time to move in two weeks, citing the need to relocate decades of archives, a museum, and other property. The Palace of Labor, including the Nikolaevsky Palace, was built in 1861 and has housed numerous trade union organizations.

The transfer of the Palace of Labor to the House of Music and the Rimsky-Korsakov Conservatory occurred after the Prosecutor General’s Office challenged the LFP’s ownership. The court also transferred residential premises, formerly apartments of palace servants, to the state.