In "Minsk Mir," the city signs have been found to serve promotional purposes instead.
In a recent twist, residents of Minsk World have been issued demands to remove or pay for the city names displayed on their buildings, which they believe are mere signs helping navigators get around, not advertising.
Our platform received a complaint from Nikita, a resident living at Kiжеvatova Street, 3b. Initially, the developer's renders depicted his house with the name "Vancouver" but it didn't make it to the final project.
Residents at Kiжеvatova 3a, 3b, and 3v share the same floor plan and exterior design. The confusion often arises among guests, couriers, and even residents themselves as a result. Last year, the apartment owners decided to install a "Vancouver" sign at their own expense, which was agreed upon with managing company "Happy Planet" and the Architecture and Construction Committee of the Minsk City Executive Committee.
Now, the city executive committee claims these signs with the developer's branding and city names found on house facades are advertisements. Approximately 60 houses in the complex, housing about 20,000 residents, have received similar demands. Confusingly, the city names do not mention the developer, refer to any legal entity or brand, nor contain commercial elements.
According to Nikita, these names can be likened to address indicators as they aid in orientation without serving an advertising purpose. However, the Minsk City Executive Committee maintains that such designations are placed for generating interest and identifying capital buildings. The law stipulates that signs with the name of a trading object are mandatory information.
Interestingly, the city names were only recognized as advertising now. Irina Letnyak, head of the department for controlling advertising and protecting consumer rights at the main department of trade and services of the Minsk City Executive Committee, attributes this to repeated discussions on the issue in meetings related to the Ministry of Antimonopoly Regulation and Trade several years ago. The candidate house "Vancouver" was not considered a sign in the eyes of the regulator.
The developer, Dana Astra, claimed the decision to classify the name of the house as outdoor advertising is based on the explanations from the Ministry of Antimonopoly Regulation and Trade. However, MART did not decide on the advertising of any specific goods, services, or person the name of the house is promoting.
The costs of dismantling or obtaining permission for the placement of signs as outdoor advertising will be borne by the residents. Surprisingly, the necessary permit costs around Br300 and a monthly fee for the information is required, making one "square" of advertising cost around Br7 to Br10. It seems that residents of Minsk World are not the only ones affected, as similar house names in the form of signs are found in the "Northern Shore" complex.
Dana Astra asserts that the naming of houses and quarters was intended to simplify navigation and orientation within the housing complex. Yet, the company accepts the regulator's decision as final. Nevertheless, they believe the decision affects all developers, managing organizations, and homeowners in Belarus.
- The ongoing dispute over house names in Minsk World, such as "Vancouver," is not limited to just one residential complex, as similar signs can be found in the "Northern Shore" complex as well.
- While residents see house names, like those on buildings at Kiжеvatova Street, as mere navigational aids, the Minsk City Executive Committee considers them as outdoor advertisements, subject to policy-and-legislation related to advertising and consumer rights.
- Residents in Minsk World have been informed that they must either remove or pay for the house names displayed on their buildings, as these signs are now being classified as part of home-and-garden policy-and-legislation, and are subject to general-news regulations regarding outdoor advertising.
