The daughter of the architect of the Zdorovye plant is waiting for the owner and city authorities to fulfill their promise and invite her to discuss the project
Bulldozers and excavators began a destructive march through the complex of buildings of the Zdorovye plant. The daughter of the architect who designed the building, Anna Medleva, agrees with Kamil Iskhakov’s right to demolish her father’s legacy, but is ready to revive the façade elements from the construction “ashes” in a new project on the same site. The Kazan Executive Committee has already invited her to discuss the new project. “Anna and I don’t have any problems,” says Kamil Iskhakov himself, but for now he keeps the sketches of the future building secret.
The demolition of the Zdorovye plant building has entered the final stage with the participation of heavy construction equipment
“HEALTH” DESTROYED BY 70%
Today it became known that the demolition of the Zdorovye plant building has entered the final stage with the participation of heavy construction equipment. The sidewalks around the buildings along Ostrovsky, Universitetskaya and Pravo-Bulachnaya streets were covered with canopies-transitions to protect pedestrians in case of falling debris from a destroyed building. They block access not only to the health center itself, but also to the tenants who occupied its premises.
All the establishments that once worked in the plant buildings are closed - a cafe at the bus stop, the Flowers store, an orthopedic salon. Before entering the courtyard of the reconstructed building from Ostrovsky Street, two notices hang on the gate: “The office of the ANO “SNVTS “PROTON” has moved and is located at the address:...” and “Bicycle rental has moved. New address:...” It’s unlikely that anything will remain of the gate itself today. Right in front of BUSINESS Online correspondents, a Hyundai excavator was vigorously hollowing out their base from the ground, while also capturing the corner of a neighboring building.
Apparently, builders armed with excavators will begin their destructive march from here towards Universitetskaya Street, breaking into bricks the complex that was once one of the symbols of our city. According to the workers, the “movement” here began last Saturday. Over the past period of time, a couple of excavators have broken down the standing buildings in the yard, and today work begins on the buildings standing around the perimeter. Our interlocutors reluctantly reported that “the work is about 70 percent done,” and it will take them about a month to complete it. No one dared to voice the name of the organization carrying out the demolition work, but one of the drivers said: “We hired private traders...” Judging by the fact that most excavators and approaching dump trucks have the inscription “Rent” on them, perhaps this is so .
Work on the site began several days ago, but a final determination of its type - reconstruction or demolition - was not given. Whether the façade of the building will be preserved or not is also not clear yet.
DEMOLITION OR RECONSTRUCTION?
Serious passions flared up around the future Zdorovye plant in June, when the building ceased operations. The closing of the plant for reconstruction was reported by the Vechernyaya Kazan newspaper with reference to the general director of Kombytservis JSC. Elena Gendelman. In response, a public letter appeared, “Reconstruction - yes, but not demolition,” signed by the architect Anna Medleva and addressed to the Minister of Construction of the Republic of Tatarstan Irek Faizullin. The architect proposed announcing an international competition for projects and not turning the city into a “pump for pumping out money.” “As a professional, I would like to draw your attention to the fact that this facility, built in 1978, is an excellent example of environmental architecture with features of national originality,” Medleva wrote. — The authors of the project are architects L. Ershova and V. Pospelov (Giprokommunstroy, Moscow). But my father, Vladimir Petrovich Medlev, worked on the plasticity of the facades, its national identity, by order of the chief architect of Kazan M. Kh. Agishev, being the chief specialist in the field of architecture at the Remproekt Institute.”
The 100% founder of Zdorovye LLC, registered in 2014, is Karina Kamalova, granddaughter of the ex-mayor of Kazan, and now assistant to the President of the Republic of Tatarstan Kamilya Iskhakova. In a conversation with a BUSINESS Online correspondent, Iskhakov favorably accepted Medleva’s proposal to preserve the appearance of the building. However, as the advance of the builders progresses, the architect loses confidence that reconstruction work is being carried out on the territory, and not demolition, and the facade of the aquarium building will remain intact.
“I really hope that the legislation will be respected, but for now I see demolition, not reconstruction of the building,” Medleva said in an interview with a BUSINESS Online correspondent. — I understand why the building owner does this: reconstruction is more expensive than constructing a new building. But in this case, he has no right to call it reconstruction, he must say: “Guys, we will demolish this house, don’t worry about its fate, because there will be a new one that will take into account all the characteristics of this building.” That would be fair. And when Iskhakov declares that there will be reconstruction, and then they launch bulldozers there, this is an obvious lie, or people simply don’t know the terms, but then consult with experts first.”
At the same time, the daughter of the architect Medlev assured our publication that she intends to take an active part in the fate of the place where the plant is still located. The architect sees the executive committee of Kazan as an ally in this matter. “Literally last week I received a letter by mail from the executive committee of Kazan with an offer to take part in the discussion of the project for a new building,” Medleva added. — From the letter it follows that there will be a new project and it will be agreed upon by the city administration in accordance with all the rules and regulations, as required by law. But there is another side to the coin - there is not a single legislative act that could stop this demolition. The new owner, the gentleman, bought this building, and it is his property, and he does what he wants with it. But this is the territory of the historical development of the city, and it is strictly regulated by law, so they cannot build anything there. From a legal point of view, we also cannot stop the demolition, but we can influence what will be built there later.”
Anna Medleva: “I had one conversation with Iskhakov, and he assured me that he wanted to preserve the design of the facades and include them in the new building”Photo: BUSINESS Online
“I WILL KEEP MY HANDS ON THE PULSE, THE QUESTION IS DIFFERENT – HOW MUCH I WILL BE AUTHORIZED TO THIS PROJECT”
At the request of BUSINESS Online, Medleva made the letter from the mayor’s office available to BUSINESS Online. The appeal was signed by the deputy head of the Kazan executive committee Radik Shafigullin, and in it, in addition to an invitation to discuss the project, it is said that the new owner is now carrying out “a conceptual study of the health center taking into account compliance with the requirements of urban planning legislation, including resolving issues of transport infrastructure and organizing parking spaces for guests and employees of the center.” It follows from the document that a draft proposal for the reconstruction of the plant building was not submitted to the executive committee for consideration. However, construction work is being carried out on the territory of the city, which belongs to historical buildings, therefore, the project will be necessarily considered at a meeting of the town planning council with the participation of the mayor of Kazan, the president of the Republic of Tatarstan and experts. As indicated in the notice from the mayor's office, the development of project documentation will start only after receiving the appropriate permit. After this, the developer can prepare documents to obtain a building permit.
According to Medleva, Iskhakov still declares his readiness to preserve the architecturally valuable parts of the building. “I had one conversation with Iskhakov, and he assured me that he wanted to preserve the design of the facades and include them in the new building,” the architect recalled. - I will keep my finger on the pulse, the question is different - to what extent I will be allowed into this project. I plan to come to Kazan in the near future and arrange a meeting with the owner of the building to discuss the further situation. I would like to know who the developer of the new project is, I would like to consider the possibility of influencing the project.”
In addition, Medleva recalled that she herself is an architect and is ready to offer herself to the owner as the author of the project for a new building. “I can offer my services in creating an architectural project,” the publication’s interlocutor emphasized. “Why not have an open discussion, since such a wave has arisen?”
Kamil Iskhakov: “It’s hard to say when the project will be presented and the discussion will begin”Photo: BUSINESS Online
“WE ARE APPLYING FOR A LINE OF CREDIT, THIS PROCESS IS NOT COMPLETED YET”
Iskhakov himself, in a conversation with a correspondent of our publication, confirmed that work on the site began several days ago, but did not give a final definition of its type - reconstruction or demolition. It is not yet clear whether the façade of the building will be preserved or not, he noted. “We are resolving this issue with the daughter of the building’s architect, Anna, we have no problems,” Iskhakov assured the BUSINESS Online correspondent. - We are doing this together. She called herself, showed up, she wants her father’s legacy to be preserved. But there’s a lot that needs to be decided before that...”
The ex-mayor of Kazan added that work on creating a preliminary design for the new building is moving forward, but he will not publicly disclose the details. “It’s difficult to say when the project will be presented and the discussion will begin,” the publication’s interlocutor warned. “I have no desire to delay [this process], but I also have no desire to move forward with big steps, because we are in the process of issuing a credit line; this process has not yet been completed. Without clarity on this issue, it is impossible to rush through other issues.”
Russian newspaper| Teresa, what is your fate in Khabarovsk?
Teresa Kamalova| I surprised my beloved dad. He now has new worries. This is also a difficult stage for our family, my mother worries about him, and when he left here, my heart could not stand it: I bought a ticket and flew to Khabarovsk, to be with him, to support him, which came as a complete surprise to him.
He is now exploring the area, there is no time to relax, but we spend the evenings together. He talks about the region, about his meetings with people, and I support him in any way I can, trying to surround him with warmth and care. We agreed that the people in the Far East, which has a harsh climate, are very warm and sincere, I noticed this on the plane. They make contact easily.
RG| It is not difficult to guess that the figure of the new plenipotentiary is now of interest to the Far East. What could you tell us about your father?
Kamalova| I have an extraordinary dad. I can honestly say that the residents of Kazan, who recently celebrated the millennium of their native city, where he was mayor for many years, very much regret his move. Kamil Shamilevich is a very efficient person, he can work twenty hours a day, and when Kazan was preparing for its anniversary, he slept only two hours.
For example, we are proud that Kazan was the first to build a metro in two years. First of all, people note Iskhakov’s integrity and ambition, as well as his fierce attitude to work. He has never been a careerist, he is of little interest in material wealth, because he is a wealthy person. Dad respects people very much, he is an example in life for me. He is a very multifaceted personality. In our city, he knew all the streets and delved into everything.
RG| Is he a sports person?
Kamalova| Yes, dad has been involved in sports all his life, he is a master of sports in artistic gymnastics, loves fitness, he has a favorite football team, “Rubin”. He has been on a diet all his life, does not smoke, does not drink alcohol. He knows many poems by heart and reads and sings them during family celebrations.
RG| What is your family?
Kamalova| Very friendly, mom misses me a lot and will come here soon. I also have a sister, she studies at Kazan University and receives her education in Finland. We have one more person - this is my daughter, Karina, who studies at school.
RG| Your father got a job in a difficult district. It’s one thing when there is a city budget and you are its owner, and another thing when there are ten subjects with their own budgets, and all of them need to be controlled.
Kamalova| I can say that he is in a fighting spirit and will never fold his arms. My father went to hospitals, to housing stock and noted that some of the problems that he solved in Kazan - in healthcare, transport - still need to be solved here. I heard that the relationship between the former plenipotentiary representative and the governors was not easy at first, but a huge region cannot exist without control. And my father now needs contacts with people; it is important to know their opinions and aspirations in order to understand how the district lives.
RG| What qualities of his father will help him in his work as plenipotentiary?
Kamalova| Frankly speaking, I don’t want to give him PR, Kamil Shamilevich doesn’t need it, but no matter how many people speak about him, everyone recognizes that he is a very responsible and efficient person who treats colleagues and ordinary people with respect. He never swings a sword or makes hasty decisions, he is diplomatic.
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On Monday evening in Moscow, a KP correspondent unexpectedly ran into the newly appointed plenipotentiary representative in the Far Eastern Federal District, Kamil Iskhakov, at the President Hotel. Having accepted our congratulations, the plenipotentiary remarked innocently: “I have not yet held the decree on my appointment in my hands.” To understand how Putin appoints such high-ranking officials and where he finds them, the KP correspondent took Iskhakov aside and asked several questions “to fill in”...
- If they didn’t hold the decree in their hands, how then did they know that you were the plenipotentiary?- The president himself told me about this.
- When?- But we met with him. Officially.
- For a long time?- A few minutes before he told everyone about it.
- Seriously?- Yes.
- But before that you went to see him in Sochi...- Yes, there was a preliminary conversation.
- And we were talking about the Far East?- Then - yes.
- And at first you didn’t even guess about anything?- Why was I invited there, to Sochi? No, I had no idea. And then I understood everything.
Do you think the successful celebration of the 1000th anniversary of Kazan influenced the choice of president in any way? You were the mayor... - Guys, you are somehow the same - today you tortured me with such questions... Why should I be responsible for the president? He made a choice, how do I know why?
- Did you immediately agree to become a plenipotentiary?- We discussed everything very seriously with Vladimir Vladimirovich. I explained that I was 56 years old and had been working all the time in Kazan alone. That for me this is a very serious choice, it is very difficult to make a decision. That I don’t know this work of the plenipotentiary representative, in fact I don’t even really know it from hearsay. Because somehow it turned out that in the Volga District the relationship between the plenipotentiary representative and our president (Mintimer Shaimiev - A.G.) developed in such a way that... Well, we did not feel the work of the plenipotentiary representative. So it was difficult for me to make the final decision, and we had a long explanation...
- Where will you start your mission?- From getting to know people, work, the region. There I can fly and fly...
- What tasks did the president set for you? Or is it a secret?- It's not a secret at all. The President really wants the Far Eastern region to become more attractive for people, so that everyone who lives there feels better than they do now, so that others would want to go there too. This task includes a lot of components, and it can take a long, long time to decipher - this is socio-economic development, and good relationships, good prospects, well-being in life and in relationships. It's all together.
- When will you go to North Korea?- Ha! Well, you seem to have some good information...
- We're trying.-...based on the relations that developed with the previous plenipotentiary representative.
- Do you know your predecessor Pulikovsky?- We met. So I will implement all the good things that were achieved by the previous plenipotentiary.
Who's new?
The political elite is scratching its head
The number one topic of conversation in the city is who will replace Kamil Iskhakov. Our source in the State Council named two candidates who could take the city into their own hands.
Many in parliament believe that Rafis Burganov, the current head of the Vakhitovsky district, is ideal for the role of head of the city administration. His colleague, head of the Moscow district administration Guzaliya Minkina, has almost the same chances. But nothing will happen to Iskhakov’s first deputy, Rais Mubarakzyanov - first deputies are usually needed to resolve economic issues.
And the first deputy himself is not eager to take the mayor’s chair.
I don't get involved in politics! - he stated, nodding upward somewhere. - They know who to appoint!
However, many of the political elite do not envy Iskhakov’s successor:
It will be difficult for the one who comes now to the place of the head of the administration, I am convinced Vice Speaker of the State Council of Tatarstan Rimma RATNIKOVA.- Firstly, because Kamil Shamilevich is a very big personality, and he left on the crest of success. If there are ruins all around, whatever you do will be good. And when the bar is high, as it is now... Therefore, I would like Iskhakov to be replaced by a person of “caliber” no less.
Iskhakov will work in a “bad” house?
As soon as Khabarovsk became the capital of the Far Eastern Federal District, the locals began to think: Putin’s henchmen need decent apartments. The regional employment center was unlucky. His employees were just about to move into the new six-story building when it was immediately handed over to the embassy. But this house is “bad”. First, a tractor driver died under the tracks of heavy equipment during construction. And then a scandal broke out with the inhabitants of nearby houses. They began to complain that in winter the embassy's cleaners pile snow on neighboring yards and roads. Then local paranormal investigators spoke up. They were able to prove that the building of the embassy is located in a geopathogenic zone. And the apotheosis of all this was the proposal of the deputies of the regional Duma to sell the building. The six-story building is in regional ownership, and the people’s representatives decided to get rid of this “collar.” And they offered the former plenipotentiary representative Pulikovsky to buy the building or negotiate with the new owner on the terms of the lease.
But for the permanent residence of the president’s man, they chose a two-story mansion, which is officially called the Military Council Hotel. According to the original plan, the commander of the Far Eastern Military District was supposed to live there, but for the sake of the plenipotentiary representative, the mansion had to be vacated. The building, hidden from prying eyes by a high fence, was ideally suited for these purposes. The house of the Governor of the Khabarovsk Territory Viktor Ishaev is next door. You can always meet to resolve important issues.
What will Iskhakov ride in Khabarovsk?
The Presidential Plenipotentiary Representative in the Far East travels in a 7 Series BMW, his inner circle travels in a Mercedes minivan with security, and in front is always a Mercedes patrol car with traffic police officers.
Meanwhile
Kazan is on edge: what to do and what will happen next - this question will occupy the minds of not only officials, but also ordinary Kazan residents for a long time. Attitudes towards our first and only head of administration are different: some of the residents gloatingly wave at the “exiled” mayor, while others are sincerely sorry. One thing is clear: no matter what the former mayor was, there is no one to compare him with yet.
So, while the city government is decapitated, the acting performed by Rais Mubarakzyanov, first deputy of Kamil Shamilyevich. Until a new head is chosen through a competition.
As for the new government body - the City Duma, Iskhakov has not yet written a statement about his voluntary resignation, which means that he is still formally in office. As soon as he does this, his responsibilities will fall on his trusted comrade and deputy on the City Council Lyudmila Andreeva. Apparently, at their very first meeting, the remaining 49 deputies will choose a new head. By the way, Lyudmila Nikolaevna with her managerial experience may well apply for this position.
However, Komsomolskaya Pravda learned that Nail Khairullin, an activist deputy of the old City Council and Duma, and general director of the 22nd plant, also has a great chance of getting this seat. They say that Kamil Shamilevich and Nail Gumerovich are very friendly with each other. And the Kazan helicopters will be useful to the newly appointed plenipotentiary - they will have to fly over a large area.
What was the mayor like?
While the mayor's seat has not yet cooled down, those closest to him are in no hurry to give comments and assessments and answer any question with great caution. And the head of the administration himself was known as a very cautious and politically correct person. However, we still managed to find out something. Among his subordinates, Kamil Shamilevich is known as a tough man, in whom discipline is strictly observed. He does not accept familiarity. They say it took about a year to adapt to the local administration.
With him you go through such a school of life, after which nothing is scary, they say in his circle.
In the garage of the local administration we were told that Kamil Shamilevich is a real workaholic. He has two drivers who work in turns: the mayor himself worked almost around the clock.
In the days of the millennium, the mayor was on his feet from half past four in the morning until half past three at night. He personally supervised everything, toured all the objects. As a boss, he is normal, not harsh, but he respects the chain of command.
And Kamil Shamilevich is an excellent family man, he madly loves his daughters Teresa and Albina, his granddaughter. By the way, Iskhakov will not fly to Khabarovsk alone. The rear of the ex-mayor of Kazan will be protected by his wife. The new presidential envoy for the Far Eastern Federal District announced this himself:
Naturally, I take my family with me. We are a Muslim family, so I don't think there will be any disagreements.
Alfiya Tutaeva, Vice-Mayor of Kazan He has grown into this land
We asked Alfiya Amirovna what prospects await the city and the mayor's office. However, the first vice mayor did not say anything specific regarding personalities.
I am not yet ready to give you any official comments about who will take Kamil Shamilyevch’s post after him. But I won’t spread rumors - your fellow newspapermen have already done their best on this matter. At the mayor’s office, people also think sensibly, don’t talk much, and behave calmly.
- Alfiya Amirovna, won’t life freeze in the city with the departure of Kamil Shamilyevich?- That's unlikely. He gave Kazan a huge impetus! Life goes on. Although I do not rule out that many processes will slow down - the construction of the metro, housing. The city, of course, will not be transformed as quickly as it was under Kamil Shamilyevich.
- But still, you are a very close person to Kamil Shamilevich. How do you feel?- On the one hand, pride - Kamil Shamilevich earned such an appointment with great difficulty. Few Russian mayors have done as much for their city as Iskhakov did for Kazan. But it couldn’t be any other way - he is a strong, strong-willed, quite tough person. And he was used to getting his way, and his entire biography is proof of this. So everything is natural. On the other hand, of course, it’s a pity that he is leaving. I worked with him for so many years. Of course I'll miss him.
- Do you like him?- Well, I don’t know about myself, but he’ll miss the city, and how. He is an absolute, true Kazan citizen. And his connection with his homeland cannot be interrupted. This is his land, and he has simply grown into it.
Verbatim
What the ex-mayor said when he returned from Moscow
Far Eastern airlines - Dalavia - already have our TU-214 aircraft, and the company will probably replenish its fleet. These planes are needed because they are suitable for long-distance flights.
I think that Tatarstan oil workers are also needed there, and there is the possibility of interaction in this industry. Oil refining and construction of oil pipelines may be promising areas of cooperation.
First, I will look at what kind of people work there, at what points we will converge, whether we have a common vision of how we can together implement the tasks set by Russian President Vladimir Putin. Residents of the Far East do not need to worry about personnel changes in the district.
When I have fully studied all the materials, and this will be quite quickly, I will outline some specific measures.
I consider one of the priority tasks to be the implementation of a serious gasification program in the district, following the example of Tatarstan, so that gas is supplied to every village.
From Iskhakov’s answers to journalists at yesterday’s press conference at Kazan airport.
My dad, Vladimir Petrovich Medlev, was a co-author of the project of the Zdorovye plant: he worked on the facades. The other co-authors of the project are Muscovites (architects L. Ershova and V. Pospelov, Giprokommunstroy - Inde's note), and I would really like them to be alive. In this case, demolition of the building without the permission of the living author, according to Russian law, as far as I know, is impossible. My dad worked on the facade of this building by order of the chief architect of Kazan Agishev (Munir Khasyanovich; he held this position from 1971 to 1990 - Note "Inde") in 1978. At that time, this building was certainly very innovative and valuable for the city: similar institutions did not yet exist in Kazan at that time. In the city, and especially in its center, there were a large number of apartments that did not have water. People used the baths, but in addition to them, the plant also had a swimming pool. It was a good health center. In addition, it fits well into the urban environment of the center of Kazan in terms of high-rise buildings and scale. Today, the building, which has existed for almost 40 years, is, of course, outdated in terms of functionality and content.
Most of all, in the situation with the Zdorovye plant, I am outraged by the attitude of the new owners towards what they call demolition and reconstruction. If they are threatening demolition, then what kind of reconstruction are we talking about? If they want to reconstruct the object for the city, then let’s decide on its value, because the facades in this case turned out to be unique and interesting. They do not cause any irritation among the townspeople. I am outraged by this shameless attitude of the new owners. We need to decide: either it’s demolition or it’s reconstruction. If it’s a reconstruction, then I, as an active architect, as the daughter of a man who had a direct connection to this building, would with great pleasure take part in the project, even at the level of consultations - what can be done, how to renovate the building, what is valuable, what is not valuable.
The danger of demolition is that without any design and preliminary hearings, some high-rise building, hotel or luxury residential building could be built on this site, which, of course, will be discordant with the surrounding buildings and will not add beauty to the city. The Zdorovye plant is not an architectural monument, and it does not pretend to be. Maybe another ten years would have passed, and he would have been able to get on the list of monuments. Local historian Sergei Sanachin has a book “Excursion into the architectural life of Soviet Kazan”, and the Zdorovye plant is included in the list of interesting objects of the Soviet period. I wouldn't want to destroy it so mercilessly. I would like both the city authorities and the people who own this facility to treat the previously created urban fabric more carefully and act more thoughtfully.
The legendary Kazan bathhouse on Pravo-Bulachnaya, where party bosses liked to relax in the 80s, and the leaders of criminal groups in the 90s, stops operating on July 1. Visitors to the steam rooms and swimming pool are alarmed: will the plant be closed forever? There are rumors in the bath complex itself that the building will be completely demolished, and another Luciano spa will be built in its place. “Evening Kazan” found out what will happen to the “Zdorovye” plant. One of the steam bath lovers told VK about the closure of the Zdorovye complex, built in the 1970s in the center of Kazan: “The bathhouse attendants were upset, they say, we’ve been working for the last week.”
Tenants of premises in the health complex, who today received notices asking them to vacate their space, are no less upset. For many of them, the news of the plant's closure came as a complete surprise.
We are shocked! How can we find a new premises in the same area in ten days? We rented a gym and locker rooms here for seven years. “We have an established clientele here,” the administrator of the Milton fitness center shared with VK an unexpected problem.
They urgently call their regular clientele: “We’re moving!” - and employees of a small hairdressing salon on the ground floor.
They say that the plant will be demolished, and a beauty institute will be built here, plastic surgery will be performed, fat will be pumped out, faces will be tightened, the upset tenants speculate. According to others, the plant was transferred to the Luciano hotel and spa chain, controlled by the wife of the President of the Republic of Tatarstan. One of the Luciano hotels is located literally a few meters from the bathhouse.
However, as it turned out, “Luciano” had nothing to do with it.
The fate of the “Health” plant “Evening Kazan” was clarified by the general director of JSC “Kombytservis” (97 percent of the shares of this company belong to the ex-mayor of Kazan, and now assistant to the President of the Republic of Tatarstan Kamil Iskhakov) Elena Gendelman.
The plant will close on July 1 for large-scale reconstruction. City authorities have repeatedly pointed out to us that it is necessary to improve the appearance of the building. This was the case before the 2013 Universiade, and now, before the Confederations Cup. The updated complex will open in about a year. The reconstruction was initiated by the new owner of the plant, Zdorovye LLC, which had previously rented the bath and health complex from Kombytservis for several years. The transfer of property to “Health” took place in May of this year, Gendelman said.
As Vechernyaya Kazan found out, the founder of Zdorovye LLC is Kamil Iskhakov’s granddaughter, Karina Kamalova. Consequently, the bath complex remained part of the family business.
Kamil Iskhakov himself told Vechernaya Kazan that the old building of the plant, which has long been in a deplorable state, will be almost completely demolished, and a new one will rise in its place - probably with underground parking and additional floors.
We have long been planning the reconstruction of the Zdorovye plant and now we have found an opportunity and are opening a credit line,” Iskhakov explained. - Let Kazan residents not worry, the profile of the new complex will not change: there will be swimming pools, Russian and Finnish saunas, Turkish baths. I also want to make a Korean one so that city residents can try this unique bathhouse - it has an interesting steam supply system. In general, there will be many new products.
According to the former mayor, in the coming days, builders will surround the plant with a high fence. But after reconstruction “to the highest European level”, the bathhouse will regain its former glory of Kazan “sanduns”, a cult place of meetings and relaxation.
In turn, Elena Gendelman assured VK that during the renovation, regular visitors of the Zdorovye plant will be offered, as an alternative, the services of other city baths, which are located at a relatively short distance and also belong to the Kombytservis company:
We are now completing renovations at the oldest city bathhouse No. 3 on Bolshaya Krasnaya. Residents of the historical center will soon be able to go there. In addition, our bathhouse No. 5 on May 1st Street is in excellent condition. The 7th bathhouse on Pavlyukhina, which was overhauled four years ago after several years of inactivity, the 10th on Yugo-Zapadnaya and the 12th on Tovarishcheskaya are ready to welcome new visitors. If necessary, we will organize a transfer for clients from the Zdorovye plant to these baths...
Photo by Alexander GERASIMOV
