Completion of the sixth phase in the programme of sewerage improvements for the State Hermitage

On 19 October 2001 a press conference was held to present the results of the sixth phase in the programme of sewerage improvements for the State Hermitage.

Work to reconstruct the sewerage systems in the State Hermitage is included in a whole complex of measures aimed at protecting the environment in Eastern and Central Europe and protecting the Baltic from pollution.

Six phases have been implemented within the framework of this programme. Finance for them has been provided by the Finnish Environment Ministry, the Ecological Foundation of Russia, the Committees for the Preservation of Natural Resources of the St Petersburg and Leningrad Region administrations, the European Union's TACIS fund, the Danish Environment Ministry and the municipal authorities of Hamburg and Aarhus.

Work on the sewerage programme began in the State Hermitage in 1993. As a result of the building and reconstruction work carried out between then and 2001, five pumping stations have been created (three for waste water and two for rainfall and underground run-off), 900 metres of pipes have been repaired by the lining method and a further 370 metres by the open trench method, 1700 metres of new networks have been laid, 190 new drainage wells have been created together with a new outlet into the Neva (following the line of the old one), 230 metres of historical canals, 90 existing wells and two functioning outlets into the Winter Canal have been repaired.

The work carried out solved to a large extent the problems of effluent getting into ground water, the discharge of untreated waste water into the Neva and the inundation of the Hermitage cellars during floods.

The work was commissioned by the State Hermitage and carried out by a number of contractors: SCC Viatek, Insituform Suomi, Aarsleff and Yit Yhtyma from Finland, Vista, Vodokanal, Baltvod and ORT from Russia, Per Aarsleff A/S from Denmark and SIREC from Germany.

In 1997 as part of the programme an underground collector drain was constructed under Palace Embankment for the discharge of rainfall run-off from the Winter Palace area into the Neva. The work was carried out by Vista with consultancy services provided by Viatek.

In the following stages of reconstruction of the sewerage system in the State Hermitage, the following work is proposed: repair of the outfalls from the complex of Hermitage buildings, reconstruction of the sewerage systems in the former General Staff building and Menshikov Palace, the construction of a drainage system in the inner courtyards of the Hermitage complex, the improvement of the courtyard areas with the construction of a waterproof apron at the foot of the walls and arranging for the collection of rainfall run-off in wells.

Hermitage director Mikhail Piotrovsky and Kristiina Isokallio, the Finnish Ministry of the Environment director for collaboration with the countries of Central And Eastern Europe

Inspecting the Hermitage's sewerage system

One of the junctions in the sewerage system