Cultural and Educational Complex in Kaliningrad. Year Results

We present to your attention a review of the construction of a cultural and educational complex in Kaliningrad, the western outpost of Russia.

The facilities are built on two sites, Eastern and Western, located on both sides of Kaliningrad Stadium that was built for the FIFA World Cup 2018.

An important event took part at the construction site – the first brick was laid to build branches of the Bolshoi Theatre and the Tretyakov Gallery at the Western Site.

“Kaliningrad is becoming a real cultural lighthouse. For more than six months, our young talents have been receiving training at two leading cultural institutions. I am sure that when opened, both the Bolshoi Theater and the Tretyakov Gallery will be much in demand not only with residents of Kaliningrad, but also with tourists travelling in our region,” pointed out Anton Alikhanov, Governor of the Kaliningrad Region, at the event.

"It is important for us that this is a cultural and educational centre, that is, it will be possible to enroll in an education establishment in Kaliningrad, without having to traverse the country, and try to compete only in the two cities, as was previously the case. These complexes are being created just to enable people in their region to acquire education in keeping with the best traditions of our country, almost centuries-old, as regards choreography,” said Olga Lyubimova, Head of the Russian Ministry of Culture.

The branches of the Bolshoi Theatre and the State Tretyakov Gallery will begin work by the end of 2023. To date, over 26% of reinforced concrete structures of the Tretyakov Gallery framework has already been completed. Over 4,500 pile sets have been loaded on the museum foundation. Each set consists of two piles 10 and 12 meters long connected with pins according to the unique Finnish process of Leimet. The poured foundation slab is underlain with heavily reinforced structures: 1 cubic metre of the structure contains over 100 kg of rebars. This is due to the design requirements which take into account the soil specifics of Oktyabrsky Island and seismic loads: the Kaliningrad Region is included into the list of seismic areas approved by the Ministry of Construction of Russia.

The branch of the Bolshoi Theatre is designed for 950 seats (big hall) and 300 seats (small hall). The museum complex with a total floor space of 17,600 square meters, in addition to the showrooms, will include two auditoriums with 276 and 98 seats, respectively.

As conceived by the authors, the theatre building is divided into three zones: public spaces, a stage complex, and service premises. During the warmer months, another performance area can be equipped on the roof. A water space will be arranged in the park between the museum and the theatre – it is planned to use it as an ice rink in winter.

As the Kaliningrad architects noted, theatres are not built every day, which means that it is necessary to choose architectural solutions that will look original and interesting even after several centuries. “The concept was unanimously supported and sent for consideration to the regional Council for Architecture and Urban Planning.”

Visualization of the Bolshoi Theatre Branch

Visualization of the Tretyakov Gallery Branch

The Eastern site facilities shall be commissioned in 2021.

Educational buildings of the Moscow State Academy of Choreography (MGAH) will be opened here as well as that of the Central Music School at the Moscow State Conservatory named after P.I.Tchaikovsky (Central Music School) with concert halls and boarding schools. The complex also includes a comprehensive school with 550 seats with a swimming pool and a student dormitory.

Monolithic and roofing works, building of external and internal walls and partitions are completed in all the five educational complex buildings. Over 31.5 thousand cubic meters of concrete have been used to erect the reinforced concrete frames of the buildings, over 260 km of power supply networks, electric lighting, and low-current networks have been laid at the facilities of the educational complex. Work is underway on facades, internal utility networks of buildings of the educational complex. Interior decoration of buildings is being actively carried out. Premises of the boarding music school have been the first to undergo final finishing at the Eastern site facilities.

The educational complex facilities have been permanently connected to the central city heating network since mid-December. An automated control and dispatching system will monitor and control utility and process systems of buildings including water supply, general ventilation, metering of energy resources.

Landscaping and arrangement of sports grounds sub-bases are in progress. The construction of five nine-storey apartment buildings for actors and teachers and a dormitory for students of the Higher School of Music and Dramatic Arts continues.