STG builds the Hermitage Museum and the Tretyakov Gallery in the capital of the Far East

A display of the future educational unit and residential quarters on island Russky

The construction of the museum, cultural and educational cluster in Vladivostok is set to continue. The second largest of the four construction projects implemented by STG under the “Culture” national project is currently at the first stage of construction. The National Cultural Heritage Foundation allocated some RUR 25 billion for the total construction area.

The future cluster in Vladivostok is part of one of the biggest cultural projects in recent years. The task for stetting up new cultural centers was assigned by the Russian President, Vladimir Putin, who announced the opening of multi-purpose complexes in four cities of our country, to enable residents of the regions “to access basic artistic values”, unlock cultural and educational potential, become familiar with art themselves, and also to draw the interest of tourists. Similar centers are being built in parallel in Kaliningrad, Kemerovo and in southern Russia.

Two land parcels have been allocated for the buildings and structures of the cultural, educational and museum cluster in Vladivostok. Culture-related institutions, such as a concert hall, a unique museum complex, higher schools of musical and theatrical arts, utility and administrative spaces will be sited on Aksakovskaya Street instead of the old stadium and inactive educational buildings of the Far Eastern Federal University. The street is located at the highest point in the city center - on the Eagle's Nest hill. Altitude above sea level is almost 200 meters, which makes the construction more difficult due to rocky soil.

Buildings under construction are designed in a harmonious neighbourhood with one of the landmarks of Vladivostok – a viewing platform with sweeping views over the historical part of the city, Golden Horn Bay, Golden and cable-stayed bridges. Also at the top of the hill there is a monument to Cyril and Methodius and the Japanese rock garden with sakura and rhododendrons in honor of the friendship of the cities - Russian Vladivostok and Japanese Toyama.

The main idea of a large-scale museum center is to unite four leading museums of the country on the basis of the “Primorsky Picture Gallery”. Exhibition space of 4 thousand sq.m. will be occupied by the branches of the Tretyakov Gallery, the State Hermitage Museum, the Russian Museum and the Museum of the East.

“No one in the world has ever created a museum that would unite the branches of four central museums. At the same time, we include here the Primorsky Art Gallery, which will become the fifth member of this center. Simultaneously, we seriously elaborate upon our plans here together with the Arsenyev Gallery and Museum,” - the TASS news agency quoted Zelfira Tregulova, the head of the Tretyakov Gallery, as saying by reference to the press center of the Primorye Territory.

It is noteworthy that before the start of construction, the general design contractor submitted to public hearings several architectural solutions so that the residents of the city could agree on the concept of the complex. Since this is not only a viewing platform with a view of the entire city, but also a point well within view from different parts of Vladivostok, which must appeal to residents in the first place.

The design of the buildings of the cultural center on Aksakovskaya street was developed by the SPEECH architectural firm on the order of the general design contractor GorKapStroy, and, according to the chief architect of the firm, Sergey Choban, the complex in the form of a “sailing ship” was inspired by the landscape of Vladivostok and the “famous bridge pylons” of the city .

On Russky Island in the Peter the Great Bay of the Sea of Japan there will be the largest in Russia campus of creative higher educational institutions, including Russian State Institute of Performing Arts, Moscow State Academy of Choreography (MGAH), a branch of the Central Music School at the Conservatory named after P.I. Tchaikovsky (TsMSh). The development site borders on the protected area of the Vladivostok Forestry of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation, the sea coast of Ajax Bay and the campus of the Far Eastern Federal University, the largest international educational institution of Primorye Territory.

The progress of construction on the sites in Vladivostok is set out in the pictorial report:

To facilitate the construction project, STG-Vostok LLC was established - a subsidiary of Stroytransgaz JSC. As known, construction work has been underway since September 2019 and each stage of work is supervised by the “National Cultural Heritage” which is a foundation of Social and Cultural Projects.

As of this date, work on the construction site involves about 2,000 people, more than 60 units of own and third party heavy equipment, tower and truck cranes, builder's small powered plant . For the continuous supply of concrete, a ready-mix station was deployed for the construction of cast-in-situ structures with a total volume of more than 63 thousand m³.

According to the director of the project for the construction of the museum, cultural and educational complex in Vladivostok, builders can make use of centrally managed catering, transportation and accommodation. People are provided with good workwear and personal protection equipment for work in two shifts in the harsh winter conditions of Primorye region.

On the site, allocated on the island Russky a simultaneous construction of all 9 buildings specified in the project, is underway with a priority focus on the facilities which shall be commissioned in the first place. As of today, the average readiness of building structures has reached 50% Work is underway on the masonry of the outer walls and interior partitions, preparation for the creation of a "thermal envelope" to proceed with shell & core fit-out. At different points of the facility, drilling is simultaneously carried out to set up engineering protection and retaining walls, also design elevations are created with estimated time lag using filled soil to start improvement of the area.

The education building of the Choreographic Academy, designed for 600 students and 300 teachers, is currently at the second stage of construction. Work is currently carried out there on the installation of on-site utility networks with tie-in to the head structures and main lines. There is also the establishment of driveways and engineering protection.

Reinforcement and concrete casting of vertical structures of the 1st floor of the branch of the Moscow State Academy of Choreography

Reinforcement and concrete casting of vertical structures of the 1st floor of the branch of the Moscow State Academy of Choreography

The remainder campus buildings: an educational center with a canteen and a swimming pool for 550 people, an educational building of a secondary music school for 360 students and 200 teachers, a boarding school for students of a music school for 360 people, 3 apartment buildings with apartments for specialists and teachers (a total of 700 pcs. ), a dormitory of the Higher School and a boarding school for the Choreographic Academy for 250 people, are at the first stage of construction.

The commissioning of high priority facilities, such as an educational center with a dining room and a swimming pool, the educational building and boarding school of the Choreographic Academy, along with improvement of building surrounding grounds and landscaping, will take place as early as September this year. The remaining buildings will be commissioned in stages, starting from December 2020.

Reinforcement and concrete casting of vertical structures of basement - 2nd floor of the General Education Center with a dining room and a swimming pool

Reinforcement and concrete casting of vertical structures of basement - 2nd floor of the General Education Center with a dining room and a swimming pool

It is noteworthy that prior to construction, major efforts were exerted on engineering surveys and decision-making on the design of earthquake-resistant foundations of buildings, because the allocated construction site on island Russky is partially prone to hazardous hydrological processes, such as tsunamis, and medium hazard natural processes with up to 6 point magnitude.

In the meantime, work was carried out on Aksakovskaya Street in the city center , to fence the construction project to ensure the safety of residents and builders so that the access to the viewing platform and other architectural monuments remained free. Also excavation of pit for the museum building is underway as well as work to remove from the construction footprint the existing utilities that provide energy to neighboring residential buildings.

Installation of formwork and vertical reinforcement of the floor slab of the 2nd floor of the dormitory of the Higher School of Music and Theatrical Arts

Progress of the construction of the dormitory for students of the Higher School of Music and Theatrical Arts

Reinforcement of the floor slab of the 3nd floor of the 1st building of the apartment complex

Laying of cinder blocks of the 1st and 2nd floors of the 1st building of the apartment complex

Installation of formwork of the floor slab of the 4th floor and laying of cinder blocks at the 1st and 2nd floors of the 2nd building of the apartment complex

Reinforcement and concrete casting of the foundation slab (grillage) of the music school

Drilling work to establish engineering protection and retaining walls

At the same time, a subsidiary company, STG-Vostok LLC has been working on the installation of external utilities: sewer trench excavation, well development and the laying of water supply mains. The depth of the trenches sometimes reaches 6 meters below ground elevation, the excavated soil is taken out of the construction site as intended, and the builders promise to handover interesting objects that may be of archaeological value to the museum.

Excavation of trenches of storm and household sewage

Earthworks for excavation and denudation of piles in trenches for utility networks