Talk over morning coffee on Baltic Plus radio about construction in Kaliningrad

Dmitry Rzhannikov, General Director of STG-Zapad LLC, on Baltic Plus Radio

Dmitry Rzhannikov, General Director of STG-Zapad LLC, was a guest at the Morning Coffee program on Baltic Plus Radio once again. Together with journalist Vladimir Kayris they summarized the year 2022 and talked about the large-scale construction of the branches of the Tretyakov Gallery and Bolshoi Theatre, as well as the Baltic Higher School of Music and Dramatic Arts.

During the talk, Dmitry Sergeevich told about the main stages of construction and the challenges faced in the difficult year of 2022: “We have completed the construction of facilities on the Eastern site – these are apartment buildings for performing artists and teachers and a dormitory for students of the Baltic Higher School of Music and Dramatic Arts.” The key construction milestones were the completion of rough finishing work in the building of the Tretyakov Gallery branch and the installation of a mullion-transom system on the administrative tower for its further glazing, as well as the completion of the monolithic grillage of the building for the Bolshoi Theatre branch. A good many significant events took place during the year, which make it possible to erect facilities in accordance with scheduled deadlines. The main challenge we faced was the difficult logistics situation in the Kaliningrad region. The transit of construction materials is a problematic issue for both our company and our colleagues in the region. So the deadline was a little off, but we took the necessary measures: extended the working days, organized the second work shift. At present, the materials have already been delivered to the construction site. Within a month or two, this delay will be eliminated.”

The building of the Tretyakov Gallery branch has almost acquired its design appearance. Residents of the region are wondering when the other two facilities will be constructed. Dmitry Sergeevich told that all the contours and outlines of the buildings will appear by late autumn – early December: “In February, the monolithic frame of the building for the Higher School of Arts is nearing completion, now it is over 95% ready. At this site we also have a concept and a full study of the building’s facades, they are planned to be completed in September-October this year. It is difficult to give a more accurate prediction due to difficulties with logistics. We have also completed the monolithic grillage of the Opera and Ballet Theatre. The monolithic vertical structures of the building is currently over 50% ready. In May we plan to start erecting an outrigger cantilever, a so-called paraboloid, and we are now in the process of delivering the structures.”

The word “cement” is clearly associated in the minds of Kaliningrad residents with such an ironclad concept as “problem”. Are there difficulties with the supply of resources for construction now? – this question was asked repeatedly during the interview. Dmitry Rzhannikov explained: Given the experience and challenges of the summer of 2022, cement supply is not a problem for the company at this time. In-situ casting operations have been completed. About 100-200 cubes are left for the High School of Arts, that are of no importance anymore. The monolithic structure of the Opera and Ballet Theatre is over half completed. We have signed all the agreements with the suppliers of concrete mixes, they have an understanding and schedules of our consumption. The market for steel structures has also been studied. It was decided that we’ll manufacture lightweight structures in our region. During January local manufacturers have already made the first delivery of steel structures. To manufacture more complex curved structures, we have engaged a large factory located in the Moscow region. Their shipment is planned for April of this year. To avoid delivery delays, we have already chartered ships in line with our needs.”

Talks about soils on the island began shortly before the FIFA World Cup, when the stadium was being built on the island, and have not died down to this day. Is it safe to carry construction on the island? Many people think that new facilities will not last long. In the response to this concern, Dmitry Rzhannikov assured us that everything is safe: Couch analysts are present in every field. All our projects have passed the Expert Appraisal with Glavgosexpertiza of Russia. There work smart, clear minds who, if it were dangerous, simply would not give us a positive opinion. All facilities that are being constructed have a positive opinion, so there is no fear. All solutions and techniques used in the construction of facilities, assume the durability of all buildings. All settlement standards have been considered, we are already building on consolidated soil, so we have excluded the risks that have been indicated, and the consequences that we see at the stadium.”

In the final part of the conversation, Dmitry Sergeevich shared the secret of how to manage such a large-scale project: “For the purpose of operational management, a year and a half ago we implemented the Stroytransgaz production system and use its various tools. We created an information centre, where we visualized the state of the facilities at the current moment and what we foresee in a month, two or three. In addition, we hold daily meetings in this information centre in order to make prompt decisions and address emerging issues. We raised the status of this meeting by inviting the top-managers of the company and contractors, designers, construction control specialists. This eliminated all the bureaucratic correspondence that previously took up considerable time. The construction process has accelerated dramatically.’