Polish builders demolished French chateau 'by mistake'
PR dla Zagranicy
Nick Hodge
06.12.2012 12:43
A Russian businessman has claimed that Polish builders demolished his French chateau after misunderstanding instructions.
The chateau prior to demolition: wikipedia
Dimitry Stroskin told local French paper Sud-Ouest that he was “in shock” after discovering that the Chateau de Bellevue in Yvrac, south west France, had been levelled.
Stroskin, who was not in Yvrac when the work was carried out, says that the Polish builders had been instructed to demolish a smaller building within the grounds of the property.
Former owner Juliette Marmie is among those appalled by the situation.
“The Chateau de Bellevue was Yvrac’s pride and joy,” she told the Associated Press.
“The whole village is in shock. How can this construction firm make such a mistake?”
Speaking to Le Figaro, Stroskin said that he would build a faithful copy of the chateau.
However, one local has implied that the Russian oligarch's regrets about the demolition are not entirely genuine.
“This wasn’t a slip of a digger, it was blatantly done on purpose,” a resident told the M6 television channel.
Stroskin has already signed a contract with a Polish architectural firm to rebuild the property, although he claims he would have liked to have worked with a famed Parisian firm. (nh)