The reconstruction of the "red hospital" in Polotsk is planned to begin in September
The issue of the fate of the "red hospital" was raised during the BELTA campaign "Your Question to the President" by a resident of Polotsk. The man was concerned about the fate of the early 20th-century building in the historical center of the city. In 2012, the healthcare facility buildings moved from the territory near the St. Sophia Cathedral to another part of the city. It was planned to place tourist infrastructure facilities in their place. A project was developed for this, but no investor was found, and there are no necessary funds in the district budget.
"We repeatedly showed the project to investors and foreign delegations, but no one showed interest," said Elena Astapova. - The territory behind the St. Sophia Cathedral is very important to us; it is included in the Comprehensive Program for the Development of Polotsk, these are historical lands. Considering that the Polotsk Cadet Corps operated in the city from 1835 to 1920, and the building of the so-called red hospital used to be a dormitory for the corps' teachers, it was decided to restore the facility and house the Polotsk Cadet School there. The necessary documentation is currently being developed, and the first work is planned to begin in September this year."
It is expected that part of the buildings on the territory of the Upper Castle, covering an area of 3 hectares, will house an academic building, a military training center, a dormitory, a drill ground, a sports ground for basketball, volleyball, tennis, mini-football, and street workout, as well as a canteen and utility buildings. The territory of the former hospital complex will also be improved. The work is planned to be completed in 2021. Another issue raised during the "Your Question to the President" campaign concerned the dilapidated former Officers' House, which is adjacent to the district executive committee.
The grand classical building was constructed in 1939. It was successfully restored after the war. In the early 2000s, the building was planned to be transferred from military ownership to the balance of the National Polotsk Historical and Cultural Museum-Reserve and, by Presidential decree, reconstructed into a museum of the city's history. Since 2012, its functional purpose has been changed – the building was intended to be converted into a cultural and business center with a concert hall for 703 seats (it boasts good acoustics and an orchestra pit). Specialists prepared the design and estimate documentation, but funds for the project were not found. At least Br7 million are needed to complete all the work.
Currently, the former Officers' House continues to stand empty and deteriorate (the roof over the auditorium is of particular concern). In 2011, three departments of the Polotsk Children's Art School were relocated from it and distributed among several educational institutions.
"The building is very important, but unfortunately, the city cannot do anything on its own – too much money is needed for reconstruction. We cannot even carry out its preservation because the former Officers' House is not a construction object (due to the lack of financial resources, construction work has not begun). To preserve it during the autumn-winter period, the building is maintained in a heated mode and is guarded year-round. It doesn't look very presentable from the outside, but much has been preserved inside," noted Elena Astapova.
According to her, the issue of transferring the Officers' House to Polotsk State University is being worked on. The "Your Question to the President" campaign by the BELTA news agency took place on the eve of the "Big Talk" on February 27-28. In two days, the editorial office received about 2,000 questions from all over the country on topics and problems that concern residents.