Russian President Vladimir Putin Visits the Cultural and Educational Complex in Kaliningrad

On September 1, during a work visit to Kaliningrad, the President of the Russian Federation visited the Cultural and Educational Complex on Oktyabrsky Island. Vladimir Putin has personally visited the already constructed part of the cluster – branch of the Central Music School and a comprehensive school.

The work program of the Head of State in the territory of the cluster was very busy. The President held an open lesson "Important Conversations". The meeting was attended by the winners of academic competitions and contests in the fields of culture, art, science and sports.

During the conversation, the Russian President Vladimir Putin supported the idea of ​​a Kaliningrad schoolboy to create a Baltic analogue of the Artek Camp in the very west of the country. The President called it a good idea, but suggested holding large youth meetings in the educational cluster on Oktyabrsky Island thus far.

“The idea is good, but of course we need to complete the construction of the Cultural and Educational Complex here,” Russian President Vladimir Putin replied, noting that the budgetary rules made it difficult to plan funding for building an Artek-scale facility right at the moment.

“However, here, in the Baltic, such a facility would be in demand,” Vladimir Putin said. “If we start thinking about it now, we will have to consider it in the budget for future years, and we will definitely think about it.”

After talking with the youth, the President held a work meeting with the Kaliningrad Oblast Governor Anton Alikhanov. They discussed issues of social and economic development of the region. During the conversation with the Governor, Vladimir Putin shared his expectations from the creation of a Cultural and Educational Complex in Kaliningrad.

Vladimir Putin: “You know, I have been thinking about it, and there are so many works of art in the reserve stocks of the Hermitage and the Tretyakov Gallery. People cannot see any of these. If we create such clusters – and we will do this – in regions: here, in Kemerovo, in the Far East, in Vladivostok, and in Sevastopol, this will simply expand both the museums’ possibilities and people’s access to these masterpieces. We will be able to switch the expositions from time to time, and this would be great.

And then, indeed, the level of specialist training will be completely different, and the quality of people’s lives in the region will improve immediately. When there is an opportunity to take a child to a music school, to a choreography school, to a college, and so on, to go to a theatre together, to listen to an orchestra or watch a ballet performance – this absolutely changes the quality of life.

I hope that we will complete this work in the near future.”

Governor of the Kaliningrad Oblast Anton Alikhanov: “Vladimir Vladimirovich, in fact, we managed to launch the Central Music School at the end of the previous year, that is, we put it in operation in November. We commissioned it by parts, units. You see, there are five buildings here.

Honestly, I thought I went to the future! When I came here for the first time to see the already finished premises, I did not expect to see such level of quality.

As part of the visit, a short tour in the premises of the branch of the Central Music School and the comprehensive school was organized for the President, as well as a presentation of a mock-up of the cultural and educational complex facilities being under construction in Kaliningrad.

Dmitry Rzhannikov, CEO of Stroytransgaz-Zapad JSC, reported to the President on the cluster construction progress.

 CEO of Stroytransgaz-Zapad JSC D. S. Rzhannikov:
The Tretyakov Gallery branch is over 70% complete: the main construction and installation works have been completed, erection of the monolithic frame of the main building and the administrative tower has been 100% completed as well, and now works are being performed on the ventilated facades and internal utilities installation. The Opera and Ballet Theatre is a unique building, constructed in line with the latest architectural designs and solutions. The building foundation will rest on bored piles 1 meter in diameter and 45 m in length, which is unique for the Baltics. The work on the pile foundation installation is 100% complete. The staged concreting of the foundation slab is underway, along with parallel erection of monolithic structures of the first floor. The foundation slab on the site of the Higher School of Arts is 100% ready, there is a significant progress in construction of the ground floor structures. The Culture and Education Complex is a unique project, there are no equivalent facilities, and it requires the use of many latest technologies. Our task is to successfully complete the construction of the cluster. We plan to commence the facility right upon its readiness. At the moment, the construction of the complex is proceeding in line with the schedule.”

The President called the project beautiful. 

“As recently as yesterday we discussed with Deputy Prime Minister Marat Khusnullin the good progress of work at all facilities in all cities. The Government keeps this under continuous control, and I am aware of all issues that need to be resolved, so we will manage everything,” Vladimir Putin said.

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 detailed in the Executive Order on the National Goals and Strategic Objectives of Development of the Russian Federation for the period up to 2024.

Vladimir Putin: “It is extremely important to preserve one’s identity in the age of rapid technological changes, and the role of culture in this aspect cannot be overemphasized, as it is the transnational code of our civilization which accounts for revealing creative capabilities in human. I propose launching a program aimed at creation of cultural, educational and museum complexes in the regions. They shall feature concert halls, theatre, musical, choreographic and other art schools, as well as exhibition spaces where the country's leading museums will be able to present their expositions.”

The entire project owner is a non-profit organization – the National Cultural Heritage Foundation for Social and Cultural Projects. The Kaliningrad project is being implemented by one of the largest construction companies in Russia – the Stroytransgaz Group. The designer is the GORKA Group.

Facilities in Kaliningrad are built on two sites, Eastern and Western, located on both sides of Kaliningrad Stadium erected on Oktyabrsky Island for the FIFA World Cup 2018^TM. All buildings, including the stadium, make up a single architectural ensemble.

Construction of the Opera and Ballet Theatre for 950 seats, the Baltic Higher School of Music and Dramatic Arts, and the Tretyakov Gallery branch is in progress at the Western Site. At the Eastern Site, the construction of the educational part of the complex has been completed. Branches of the Central Music School, the Moscow State Academy of Choreography with boarding schools, and a comprehensive school were put into operation in 2021. The Eastern Site also accommodates five multi-apartment residential buildings. The readiness of service-provided accommodation for artists and employees of the cultural complex on Oktyabrsky Island is rapidly approaching 100%. There are 387 apartments comprised of 1-, 2- and 3-room premises.