On November 16th, 2016, a time capsule placing ceremony was held at the innovation cluster Technopolis GS (the town of Gusev, Kaliningrad region, Russia) to start construction of the Art Center, one of the largest social and cultural facilities in the region. Among the guests of the official ceremony – Acting Governor of the Kaliningrad region, Mr. Anton Alikhanov, President of the GS Group holding company, Mr. Andrey Tkachenko, and Director for Strategic Marketing of GS Group, Mr. Andrew Bezrukov.
The time capsule with the message to like-minded people of the future was laid in the foundation of the Art Center in Technopolis GS, and will be opened in 25 years. This is a symbolic gesture: the content of the message communicates the core values of the Smart city of the future, which is being created in the territory of the innovation cluster. The crucial role in this process belongs to the creative class: support for the innovators is today a top priority for the cluster development. These are specifically the people, the strength of their creative energy and range of their ideas that make Technopolis GS a recognizable and competitive city on a global scale. New residents are the key component for building a comprehensive urban ecosystem.
The Art Center, a place for the creative self-expression for all residents, will complement the industrial and residential areas of Technopolis GS and will turn into one of the major cultural facilities in the Kaliningrad region. Its multifunctional space is created on the basis of a new-type public library model developed by the Ministry of Culture of the Russian Federation. Two floors with total area of 682 m2 will house mobile zones, which can be reconstructed easily and quickly depending on the activities: exhibitions, concerts, workshops, and sports activities. Total investment in the construction of the Art Center will exceed 50 million rubles.
“The construction of the Art Center, where the creative energy from our residents can be concentrated, is the harmonious continuation of the integrated development of the Technopolis GS territory. I’m convinced that such a modern public space will attract new professionals to us and will allow us to make a large step towards creating the innovative city of the future. This is an unprecedented project in its scale within the region. It doesn’t matter if somebody wants to relax with a good book or put together a team for a common goal, the Art Center will always let the individual be a principal character and find like-minded people and a friendly inspiring environment” – Mr. Andrew Bezrukov, Director for Strategic Marketing of GS Group.
The GS Group holding company – the initiator and investor of the Technopolis GS project – pays special attention to the development of the Kaliningrad region residents. The GS Creative Platform Fund supports the best social and cultural initiatives; the social infrastructure for a comfortable living environment is being created (roads, European-level cottage settlement, hotel, Early Childhood Development Center, sports and recreational facilities, and a memorial park). Large-scale festivals and educational, sports, and cultural events are held on an annual basis to build a creative atmosphere. As of today, total investment in the social facilities at Technopolis GS exceeds 1 billion rubles.