New School, New Knowledge

The Cultural & Educational Complex on Oktyabrsky Island has been launched in Kaliningrad. The Central Music School at the Moscow State Tchaikovsky Conservatory (the Baltic branch) and the 550-seat comprehensive school welcomed first students in all-new buildings.

The studies started on 16 November. Stepan Khomenko, a Baltic branch student, shared his first impressions of studying at a new school:

“Today we have already had two lessons in Biology and Russian. Today I begin my studies in violin playing as well. Our daily studies will be arranged as follows: comprehensive studies in the first half of the day and music in the second. I express my deep gratitude to Stroytransgaz and President Vladimir Putin. It is a wonderful project, everything is amazing. The design and interior of the school is unusual for most educational institutions, everything is modern, high-quality and very beautiful."

The Baltic branch of the Central School of Music operates under the approved curriculum of the Central Music School, where gifted children study music from an early age and get general secondary education (1-11 grades).

The License authorizes the Branch to implement integrated programmes of primary, basic, secondary general education, secondary vocational education in the field of Instrumental Performance, further education for children and adults, and further vocational education.

Students at the Central School of Music study in three departments, including:

• Piano department;

• Orchestra string section;

• Orchestra wind (flute, clarinet, oboe, bassoon, trombone, French horn, baritone horn, trumpet) and percussion instruments.

Huge preparations were done so that the children could start their studies in the new comfortable premises: desks were adjusted, teaching aids were placed, meals were arranged, an application was prepared to the Head of Administration on changes to the public transport schedule so that students of the Baltic branch of the Central Music School could get from the place of residence to the Educational Complex.

Librarian Oksana Sergeevna Tishchenko notes that the bright and modern school library have already become an attraction for both young musicians and teachers:

"Our library is a kind of communication centre for children and teachers. There are desks for self-studies where you can read a book and there is a recreation area where you can just relax. In addition to general textbooks, we also have music, theory and notation textbooks and reading books."

The branch has enrolled 63 students from 1 to 11 grades. These are students not only from the Kaliningrad Region, but also from Moscow, the Republic of Crimea, Feodosia, Vorkuta and other Russian cities. Students of the branch who live in other regions and districts outside Kaliningrad will have arrived by 27 November. 14 students will live in the Boarding School, these are children from 12 to 17 years old.

The cultural & educational complex provides a comfortable environment for children to ensure the top level educational process. The cluster has an elaborate infrastructure. The buildings are interconnected by winterized passages. Students can move around the entire educational complex without going outside.

The comprehensive school has a spacious lounge. The entrance lobby reflects the concept of the institution's interiors providing for the use of high quality natural materials with interesting subtle accents. The interior is comfortable and does not distract students from studies, it helps to focus on gaining new knowledge.

The Boarding School will also have comfortable living conditions: the blocks are divided into two sections with a common corridor, bathroom and cloak room. The student lounges will be monitored by duty specialists on a 24/7 basis. In addition, there are rooms for self-training and a medical station.

The cultural & educational complex is being built by Stroytransgaz Group at the request of the National Cultural Heritage Foundation for Social and Cultural Projects.

The task to create four new cultural centres (Vladivostok, Kemerovo, South Russia, Kaliningrad) was set by the President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin in his Address to the Federal Assembly in 2018 and specified in the Executive Order On National Goals and Strategic Objectives of Development of the Russian Federation for the period up to 2024.