Principal of the Russian State Institute of Performing Arts Visits Construction Site in Kaliningrad

Principal of the Russian State Institute of Performing Arts Natalya Pakhomova, Director of the Baltic Higher School of Music and Dramatic Arts Yulia Aleinikova, and Director General of STG-Zapad Dmitry Rzhannikov

During the Baltic Cultural Forum, which took place in Svetlogorsk, the construction site on Oktyabrsky Island was visited by the principal of the famous Russian theatre school (Russian State Institute of Performing Arts) Natalya Pakhomova, and Yulia Aleinikova, the director of the Baltic branch of the Institute under construction in Kaliningrad.

At the meeting with Dmitry Rzhannikov, Director General of STG-Zapad, the discussed the work progress and inspected the building of the Baltic Higher School of Music and Dramatic Arts. Currently, the cast-in-place building frame, main stairway and staircases, exterior and interior partitions are completed. Installation of utilities is going at a high pace. After inspection of the building’s facade finishing sample, the parties also discussed the use of corten steel* becoming a trending solution for exterior finishing of modern buildings in Kaliningrad.

Initially, standard-looking steel without any traces of chemical corrosion will be installed over the prepared building frame. But its composition includes alloying additives of chromium, copper and phosphorus creating a layer of patina (rust) on the surface. ‘In July, when we start full-scale facade finishing works, this sample of corten steel will look differently’, explains Dmitry Rzhannikov, Director General of STG-Zapad. ‘The oxidation process will be gradual and will last for several years of exposure to weather. This material is regarded as one of the strongest and most corrosion-resistant materials, which is very important in the context of the Baltic climate. The steel surface will need no additional painting, protection or restoration. Corten steel is a material that will last virtually forever, and it is suitable for all seasons.’

The delegation also visited the campus for future students of the Baltic Higher School of Music and Dramatic Arts which is completed already. The campus is a fundamentally new type of facility creating a balanced modern environment to accommodate both day-to-day and professional needs of the students, and featuring individual and common spaces for study and recreation. Each floor features spacious co-working areas and computer workstations, lounge sets, projector and screen, and Internet access. These co-working areas can be easily transformed into master class hosting facilities.

Premises of the campus for future students of the Baltic Higher School of Music and Dramatic Arts

Proposals of the future end user of the facility have been considered during the campus construction, and it now features a system of waste separation (both for living spaces and adjacent territory), and parking spots for alternative transport, such as bicycles and electric scooters.

At the end of the event, the Principal of the Russian State Institute of Performing Arts Natalya Pakhomova summarized it as follows: ‘From the very start of construction, the Institute’s team, the National Cultural Heritage Fund and the developer were in continuous close contact which benefitted the project a lot. You can already see the results, the constructed campus and the residential building, and the conditions there exceeded our expectations, and even the parent Institute is a little bit envious about these facilities. While the construction works are actively proceeding in the educational building, the Institute is preparing to start teaching under higher education programs, completing its teacher roster, and reviewing the inquiries from the regional cultural institutions. I would like to express our gratitude to the Administration of Kaliningrad region and everyone who supports us, assists us in overcoming the challenges and looks forward to the opening of the Baltic Higher School of Music and Dramatic Arts in 2024.’

Background:

One of the four new Russian Culture and Education Complexes is being built on Oktyabrsky Island in Kaliningrad. The need to create four new cultural centres (in Vladivostok, Kemerovo, Kaliningrad and South Russia) was expressed by the Russian Federation President Vladimir Putin in his Address to the Federal Assembly in 2018, and elaborated in the Decree on National Goals and Strategic Objectives of Development of the Russian Federation for the period up to 2024. The created clusters will allow for development of a contemporary cultural space throughout the country.

The construction site in Kaliningrad is comprised of the East and West part. Development of the eastern part has already been completed. It comprises the educational part of the complex. On the western site, the buildings of the Tretyakov Gallery Branch, the Opera and Ballet Theatre (a branch of the Bolshoi Theatre), and the Baltic Higher School of Music and Dramatic Arts (a branch of the Russian State Institute of Performing Arts) are under construction.