HOW TO DEVELOP SARATOV

                                                                  ‘WE NEED TO WORK REALLY HARD’                                                                                THE WINNER OF THE PROJECT COMPETITION COMMENTS ON THE CHANGES AWAITING THE CITY RESIDENTS

‘To the village, to your aunt, to the to the middle of nowhere, to Saratov’. How often do local residents use this phrase written by a classic at the beginning of the 19^th century? Despite technological progress and urban development, the quote is still popular among the population. Whether this is due to the fact that citizens are really not satisfied with the improvement of the surroundings is unknown. However, now Saratov has the opportunity to wash off the almost 200-year-old seal of the “middle of nowhere” and become one of the most attractive modern cities in Russia.

Last July, there was announced the start of the Open International Competition for the best architectural and urban planning projects for the integrated development of the territories of the central part of Saratov City Municipal Structure. This competition was established by the DOM.RF Foundation by agreement with regional and local authorities. The architects were tasked with defining the "future appearance" of five historical territories of the regional centre: Victory Park, Glebuchev Ravine, Green Island, the territory of the former airport, and Pokrovskiye Sands Island. The total area of ​​all territories is almost 680 hectares.

The Citymakers consortium should deal with the transformation of Pokrovskiye Sands Island, Green Island, and the Victory Park memorial complex, and the Karres en Brands consortium – the Glebuchev Ravine and the territory of the old airport.

To participate in the competition, a working group of three people was created from the Faculty of Biology, SSU, which was coordinated by Dean of the Faculty, Doctor of Biology, Professor Olga Yudakova. The team included: Assistant and Leading Engineer of the Department of Botanics and Ecology, Candidate of Biology Mikhail Lavrentiyev, as well as Associate Professors of the Department of Animal Morphology and Ecology, Candidates of Biology Maksim Voronin and Ekaterina Mosolova. The participation of environmental specialists is necessary for environmental protection measures during the construction and reconstruction of facilities. They selected plant species that, on the one hand, would objectively correspond to the nature of the Saratov region, and on the other, could be a variety of ecological niches for many species of animals.

Mikhail Lavrentyev told about the participation of the Faculty of Biology, SSU, in the development of the project.

 

                                    ‘NOBODY BUT ME DECIDED TO GO THROUGH IT’:                                         HOW THE COMPETITORS STARTED WORKING ON THE PROJECT

Active work on projects began in the fall of 2020. On October 21 and 22, a Strelka Design Bureau operator and the Saratov City Hall organized a meeting with the participants of the competition. Representatives of the teams came to the regional centre to get acquainted with the territories. The goal of the university specialists was to study the ecological state of the territories and determine the species composition of plants and animals living within them. Mikhail Lavrentyev told us how the teams studied the competition objects,

‘At the first meeting, the architects of the consortium set a task for biologists to help develop a project that would help preserve the flora and fauna of the territories and select plant species for landscaping that would require minimal maintenance and at the same time would be as decorative as possible.

On October 21, representatives of the five consortia that made it to the semi-finals of the competition went to inspect the "ground" facilities. First, the territory of the former airport was studied, and then the Victory Park, in which natural and artificial vegetation had long been mixed with each other. After that, we went to inspect the Glebuchev Ravine, which shocked the members of all teams with its condition. No one but me dared to go through it. I still had to do this in order to form a list of plant species.’

The contestants examined the pond formed in the gully. In the developed projects, both finalists preserved and refined it. During public discussions, the townspeople asked the organizers of the competition why it was decided to leave the reservoir. Our interlocutor explained that in this place there is a collector and there are water treatment facilities - from them water flows out, which accumulates on the surface and forms a so-called "pond", which is difficult to deal with.

‘The next day we went on a “water” excursion. The weather was great – the temperature that day dropped to +4°С. First, we visited the Green Island. It is one of the most interesting areas in terms of landscape and biodiversity. The largest number of plant and animal species is observed there in comparison with other areas. After that we made an excursion around the Pokrovskiye Sands Island. The ship was unable to moor to the beach. We were dropped off at a remote point on the island. We walked along a wild sandy beach while looking at the local landscapes. I noted the presence of peat formations with mosses there, which is rare for Saratov Region, and even more so for such places, therefore I recommended my colleagues to save them.’

Based on the results of the study, biologists developed recommendations for the preservation of habitats of plants and animals and compiled a list of plant species that can be used for landscaping slopes, plains and water bodies. Particular attention was paid to biofilters capable of treating waste water.

                             Environmental issues of the center of saratov:                              'issues of anthropogenic pollution can be solved'

Mikhail Lavrentyev notes that the environmental problems of the centre of Saratov do not differ from the problems of other large cities in Russia. All of them are characterized by a low species diversity of both plants and animals. However, each Saratov territory offered to the contestants has its own characteristics. According to our interlocutor, Pokrovskiye Sands and Green Island are located quite far from anthropogenic impact, which determines the increased level of preservation of their environment in comparison with other objects.

‘Where there is anthropogenic impact, there is poor vegetation, but this area can serve as a habitat for small mammals, birds and insects, which is important to preserve. Such, for example, is the territory of the former airport. In the Victory Park and the Glebuchev Ravine, there is also no particular phyto-diversity. At the same time, due to the large number of tree vegetation and low pedestrian traffic, many bird species can be found in Victory Park. The problems of anthropogenic pollution of soils can be solved by using woody and herbaceous plant species for landscaping, contributing to soil cleaning.’

 

how will saratov be changing? 

Mikhail Lavrentyev believes that there are interesting moments and imperfect places in the concepts of both finalists. They are acceptable because they are concepts, not ready-made solutions. According to the participant of the competition, the ideas of Citymakers are thoughtful and detailed, while those of Karres en Brands are modern and European.

‘The finalists themselves agreed that it was necessary to look for intermediate options, this would be optimal. It is clear that everyone will oversee their own territory, but the teams agree to apply individual ideas of their colleagues. The territory of the former airport, which was taken over by Karres en Brands, is quite extensive. Everything will be globally reworked there. For example, in the presented project of colleagues, it is planned to make the runway a walking area, which is modern, in my opinion, but not entirely correct. The runway is a ready-made basis for a good road that will not require major repairs for several decades, which is important for the city.’

On Green Island, the finalists have an idea for a nature park and ecological trails. The revival of a yacht club for children is also possible there. Leisure on the water is one of the parts of the Volga culture, which, most likely, will be in demand among local residents and guests of the city.

In the future, before the official start of construction work, biologists will have to conduct engineering and environmental surveys.

When asked how many years it will take for the townspeople to be able to see the completely renewed territories, Mikhail Lavrentyev replied, ‘This will undoubtedly take many years. We need to do global work, including building roads and constructing new buildings.’

The government of the Saratov region, the mayor's office of the regional centre and the winning consortia will be involved in the implementation of the projects. On March 19, the DOM.RF Foundation signed a tripartite agreement with the Creation Charitable Foundation for Supporting Civil Initiatives and Saratov Administration. The document guarantees funding for the development of territorial planning projects based on the proposed concepts.

               Text and photos by: Ekaterina Savina

Video from: © the Saratov Competition YouTube channel

Translated by: Lyudmila Yefremova