| |
|
|
|
|
|
NTV Television
Company July 13, 2009, Victor Chernoguz
|
|
|
|
|
There is no threat for the Rossi's masterpiece
The crack is not dangerous. Today the journalists could see
it for themselves during an unscheduled excursion around the
General Staff building. The excursion was organized by the
State Hermitage. The main spokesperson was Mikhail Piotrovsky
himself.
The excursion served as an answer to all the questions that
had piled up. The biggest question among those was whether
the classical view of the architectural ensemble by Karl Rossi
would remain preserved. The project implies, among other things,
the glazing of the inner yard of the building and installation
of new windows on the roof.
The city newspapers have recently reported the following:
the facade of the General Staff building has started to crack.
Today the officials have admitted: there are cracks both outside
and inside, but these have appeared not as a result of today's
works, but due to the events that happened to the building
in the past.
Today the officials are demonstrating a delicate approach
to the historical heritage. Even the bricks used in the construction
are the same as in XIX century. The form of the walls and
ceilings is also the same. Thus the Eastern Wing should look
almost exactly like it used to look 200 years ago. It is only
the designation of the building that is going to change. Instead
of state institutions the building shall host a museum.
|
|
|
Mikhail Piotrovsky is answering the questions
of the journalists
Larger
view
|
|
|
Fontanka.ru
(www.fontanka.ru) - July 13, 2009
|
|
|
|
|
The General Staff building opened its doors to the journalists
to show one of the restoration stages. Mikhail Piotrovsky,
Director of the State Hermitage, has kept his promise to adhere
to the policy of maximum openness.
Among the things demonstrated during the excursion around
the General Staff building there were halls where all the
floor decks had been replaced and the plastering works had
been completed.
The reconstruction of the Eastern Wing of the General Staff
building is planned to be completed by September 2010. From
the beginning of the heating season the Intarsia company is
planning to 'shut off' the perimeter of the building; after
the temporary heating system has been installed, the building
will be closed for drying. The finishing works shall begin
in March-April. The status of construction and installation
works progress is 90%, the status of the plastering works
progress is 70%.
The project has undergone several changes - the restores
have decided to preserve the brick wall which is estimated
to be in an emergency condition (its decline angle is equal
to 20°) and a unique strong room; initially the plan was to
dismantle this room made fully of reinforced concrete. The
unique framework system of the attic shall be preserved in
its initial state; the wooden poles shall not be replaced
my metallic ones.
|
|
|
During the excursion around the General Staff
building
Larger
view
|
|
|
Source
- St Petersburg Vedomosti Issue
No. 127, July 14, 2009 Ludmila Leusskaya
|
|
|
|
|
Staff Manoeuvres
Yesterday for the first time the journalists were invited
to the General Staff building to evaluate the scope and quality
of works that have been going on in the Eastern Wing since
last autumn.
I do not know how it was when this Russian masterpiece was
being constructed, but its reconstruction, restoration and
adaptation to the needs of the museum today has required a
'brainstorming' procedure involving many specialists, leave
alone the number of workers.
Every day more than six hundred people work at the building
site. Yesterday the site was also attended by several dozens
of journalists. The guests could be distinguished from the
hosts by the colour of the helmets (white as opposed to orange)
and by their surprised faces. And there were quite a few things
to be surprised with.
Moving from floor to floor of the Eastern Wing, almost every
brick of which has been restored by the building workers,
you can see what a genius building Karl Rossi has created.
All the staircases are unique; there are many rooms with unusual
forms and interesting engineering solutions. Now the work
performed by the designers and builders resemble handwork
done by a jeweller, since they develop individual solutions
for each room.
Under the roof of the arch behind the back of the wagon there
are wooden poles of the old floor decks. The easiest solution
is to replace them; however, as it has turned out in the course
of the analysis, the tree is still 'alive', thus it is being
reinforced and preserved. The metallic constructions of a
new roof covering will bear the load of the original wooden
framework. The lantern lights of the last floor will also
be preserved. They will be integrated into a complicated illumination
system of the halls displaying paintings, including those
from the collections of Shchukin and Morozov.
The most shining example is probably the crack story that
has been mentioned in almost all the mass media in the city.
The crack is more visible from the side of the yard than
on the facade. Nikita Yavein, head of Studio 44, demonstrating
the crack in the brick wall to the journalists, drew their
attention to the fact the wall itself has changed its initial
vertical alignment. According to him, there are several factors
causing this serious defect.
Probably, the easiest solution was to dismantle the problematic
wall, causing so much trouble, and build a new one. However,
the constant monitoring of the wall shows that it is not getting
wider. The emergency wall will be preserved, reinforced and
unloaded.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Television
Channel 100 TV (www.tv100.ru) - July 13, 2009
|
|
|
|
|
The main architect of the reconstruction project for the
General Staff building has also stated the following: the
crack in the facade is not dangerous for the work of Karl
Rossi. Today the journalists have taken part in an excursion.
The excursion has proved that the crack is about 30 years
old.
In St Petersburg there will be a first exhibition hall with
glass floor decks. The same construction is now being tested
at Moscow Institute of Aeronautics. In the meantime all the
dismantling works in the building of the Eastern Wing have
been completed. Why is this reconstruction programme called
the most ambitious reconstruction project through the history
of the General Staff building, and what is going to happen
with the crack which frightened the activists fighting for
the preservation of the historical centre?
This crack has frightened everybody. Varying in its width
from a hardly visible line to a line almost as wide as a pack
of cigarettes, the crack has altered even the work of the
great Rossi. As a result, we have a lot of fuss in the mass
media and extra difficulties for the workers. A lot of extra
effort had to be put into the wall of the General Staff building
facing the river Moika.
According to rough estimations of the specialists, the crack
appeared about 30 years ago. It was caused by the fire and
re-planning carried out by the former owners. Another factor
is the construction of buildings nearby. The crack is now
being compared to an arm fracture that is going to be sensitive
to weather, something we will have to live with.
Mikhail Piotrovsky, Director of the State Hermitage:
"It would not have been preserved at any other place,
and here we have a jeweller's work. It is a handcraft, an
extremely delicate work."
What Mikhail Piotrovsky calls handcraft, includes, among
other things, floor decks of the future enfilades on the top;
this work is mostly performed by women. The mortar is being
applied to the brick by big strokes; here there will be an
attic, right above the exhibition halls. Several halls shall
display the works by Matisse and Picasso. The following conditions
are unique: the paintings shall be protected from direct sunlight,
and they will be displayed in the street light, being the
best light for this purpose. It was Rossi who came up with
the idea of locating the windows in this manner. One of the
windows, however, now is locked with a bolt, and resembles
a sun eclipse.
The dismantling works in the Eastern Wing of the arch of
the General Staff building have been completed; a new foundation
has been installed around almost the whole perimeter of the
building. The finishing works are yet to be carried out -
27 stoves are going to become decorative; the ancient ceiling
lamps, that have been discovered accidentally, are going to
be restored. A place has been found even for an unplanned
decorative element, a birch that has grown in the granite
foundation of the column. It is going to planted in the nearest
park. The cabins for workers will be removed in 2010. This
reconstruction project is regarded as the most ambition reconstruction
project throughout the whole history of the General Staff
building.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Gorod
812 Magazine, No. 6, July 20, 2009
Vadim Shuvalov
|
|
|
|
|
This week the Hermitage has demonstrated the progress of
the reconstruction works of the General Staff building. The
fact that the Intarsia company, the general constructor of
the project, will probably manage to complete the first stage
of the works (installation of new roofs, replacement of the
windows, shutting-off the yards) by the beginning of the heating
season has served as a good reason for demonstrating the results
of the already performed work.
The works have been delayed by the fifth yard. The inner
wall of the building has cracks and has diverged from its
vertical position. It cannot bear the load of the atrium roof,
and that is why a new load-bearing wall is being erected nearby.
For that reason the foundations had to be reinforced.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Source
- gorzakaz.org (St Petersburg information portal Gorzakaz) - 04.05.09
|
|
|
|
|
Reconstruction of the General Staff building is to revive
the message by K. Rossi
A sample of classicism by K. Rossi looks solid and symmetrical
on the outside. But inside it appears to be the work of a
tailor with thousands of secret seams.
Having taken off the roof the builders observed the seemingly
chaotic pattern of bars and walls.
However, the fact is that each supporting element is based
on complicated mathematical calculations. A wrong solution
can result in a failure. For this reason the restorers see
Rossi's authentic project found in the archives as their basic
document.
Repeated repairs have distorted the initial appearance of
the rooms and the author's message. The restorers are currently
searching by touch for the chimneys plastered, and for the
arches and windows blocked with bricks.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Source
- 100 TV (www.tv100.ru.) - 19.05.2009
|
|
|
|
|
The Hermitage awaits its 250th anniversary
The Eastern Wing of the General Staff is to become a new
major exposition site of the State Hermitage. Its reconstruction
is scheduled to be completed by the 250th anniversary of the
museum - in 2014.
Valery Lukin, Chief Architect of the Hermitage:
"Here we have a chariot, a kind of attic space. We
made an effort to apply it for exhibition too. Here we plan
to display photographic and graphic works. We retain large-span
frames, install bridges around them and show the exhibition".
Lanterns are already being brought together to the attic,
they are intended for lighting the enfilade of the museum
rooms. Big metal structures are to be covered with glass on
top and lighting appliances are to be placed inside.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Gorod
812. 23.03. 2009. Vadim Shuvalov
|
|
|
|
|
Can archeology prevent the builders from building?
"A cultural layer was found in the General Staff Building,
Carlo Rossi had not taken everything down. Particularly, there
are the remains of XVIII century structure in the fourth courtyard.
Initially Nikita Yavein suggested covering the courtyard with
transparent flooring, I tried to dissuade him, but he appeared
to be right. Now in order to stop the construction works and
to carry out excavations (according to my estimates, it will
take one month of digging) it is necessary to record the found
structure as a revealed object".
Oleg Ioannisyan, head of the architecture
archeology sector of the State Hermitage
|
|
|
Excavations in the territory of the fourth
courtyard of the General Staff Building
|
|
|
Delovoy
Peterburg. 11.03 2009.
|
|
|
|
|
Restoration will Wait for Better Times
The General Staff is one of a few projects that has not been
effected by the financial crisis yet.
The reconstruction cost is approximately US $113 million.
The works are executed at the expense of the federal funds
(51%) and the loan from the International Bank for Reconstruction
and Development.
The first stage of reconstruction should be completed by
2010, the second - by 2014.
The means for the first stage of the reconstruction were
allocated.
|
|
|
Draft of the restoration project of the Eastern
Wing of the General Staff Building.
Studio 44
|
|
|
Portal
BN.ru (Real Estate Bulletin) - 06.02.2009, Veronika Arkhipova
|
|
|
|
|
Foundation is Being Changed in the General Staff Building
The most important stage of the restoration process, underpinning,
has started in the Eastern Wing of the General Staff Building
at Palace Square.
The works are carried out very carefully since vibration
is contra-indicated for the architectural monument. Rotten
oak piles are substituted with new titanium ones. As explained
by the director of the State Hermitage Mikhail Piotrovsky,
other works will not start until there is full confidence
that the foundation is underpinned securely.
Over a thousand of new exhibits (calculators, bricks with
the Imperial stamp, Stolovaya Khlebnaya vodka bottles
and so on) were found in the General Staff Building from the
beginning of the restoration. Specialists are sure that when
the works continue in the courtyard of the building, there
will be more findings.
|
|
|
Findings of the restoration works
Findings of the restoration works
|
|
|
Kommersant
(St Petersburg) - 02.02.2009, Anna Pushkarskaya
|
|
|
|
|
At the end of last week Deputy Minister of Culture Andrey
Busygin inspected the progress of restoration and reconstruction
of a number of museum objects that are financed at the expense
of the federal budget involving the loan from the World Bank.
At the meeting that took place in the Hermitage it was decided
to specify the estimated cost of the reconstruction of the
Eastern Wing of the General Staff Building that was given
to the Hermitage due to the world financial crisis. In accordance
with the current Loan Agreement signed in July of the previous
year 4.4 billion roubles were allocated for the realization
of the first stage of the project. As Mr. Busygin reported
to the"Ê" magazine, "there were no surprises
at the object". As explained by the customer of the project
Alexey Vasiliev, director of the Foundation for Investment
Construction projects (FICP), the works in the General Staff
Building are going ahead of schedule.
|
|
|
One of the enfilade rooms facing the Moika
River
Enhanced door way
|
|
|
Delovoy
Peterburg 16.01.2009
|
|
|
|
|
The Second Stage of the reconstruction of the General
Staff Building
St Petersburg Foundation for Investment Construction projects
announced a competition for project organization for realization
of the second stage of the reconstruction of the Eastern Wing
of the General Staff Building for the Hermitage use.
Application for participation should be submitted no later
than January 30, 2009. As stated before, it is planned to
allocate US $120 billion for the whole reconstruction of the
second stage. The amount of the tender itself is not known
yet. As reported by Alexey Vasiliev, director general of St
Petersburg Foundation for Investment Construction projects,
since 49% of the means were allocated by the International
Bank for Reconstruction and Development (the rest 51% is taken
from the federal budget) the tender will be held according
to international norms and its amount can not be disclosed.
The price that will be paid to the winner depends on the cost
of works indicated in its application. The General Contractor
of the Second Stage Competition, according to his version,
will be announced no earlier than mid-August 2009. Since 2002
pre-project engineering, development of documentation of the
Project stage and its coordination for the General
Staff Building was executed by the Architect's Workshop Studio
44 Ltd. As stated by the company, Studio 44 will
be sure to take part in the new tender.
|
|
|
The General Staff Building. View from above
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
