IKTR News — English https://www.i-ktr.ru News, research and projects from the Institute for Integrated Territorial Development. en Wed, 14 Oct 2026 05:19:14 +0300 A Glimpse into the Future — 2025: Entries Open https://www.i-ktr.ru/en/en-competition-2025-launch https://www.i-ktr.ru/en/en-competition-2025-launch?amp=true Mon, 01 Dec 2025 15:14:00 +0300 IKTR News Archive: the first A Glimpse into the Future competition opened for entries, with three categories and a RUB 600,000 prize fund.

A Glimpse into the Future — 2025: Entries Open

Archive — first competition season. This article preserves the dates, conditions and plans reported at the time.
Registration and submissions are open until 25 December 2025.
Entrants are invited to submit a concept in one of three categories: Urban Planning; Concept Design for a Building of Any Function; or Design for an Individual Residential Building. Architects, practices and students may enter individually or as teams. The total prize fund is RUB 600,000. The competition is organised by the autonomous non-profit Institute for Integrated Territorial Development together with TransCity LLC. Entry is free.

Source: ARCHITIME

Original resource (Russian)
Русский — original article · IKTR home
]]> Why Tyumen Needs Piers: A Conversation with Ekaterina Zhuravlyova https://www.i-ktr.ru/en/en-tyumen-piers-interview https://www.i-ktr.ru/en/en-tyumen-piers-interview?amp=true Thu, 11 Dec 2025 15:42:00 +0300 IKTR News Ekaterina Zhuravlyova discusses how piers could connect the Tura River with everyday transport, recreation and public life in Tyumen.

Why Tyumen Needs Piers: A Conversation with Ekaterina Zhuravlyova

Today we filmed a conversation that could only have happened in Tyumen: an interview with Ekaterina Zhuravlyova about why the city needs piers and a living river.
We recorded it at Kontora Parokhodstva on the embankment, in a place whose very atmosphere reminds us that Tyumen has always been a riverside city. Outside the windows was the Tura; inside, we discussed how the river could become a fully-fledged urban resource, rather than simply a backdrop.
During filming, we discussed:
• why Tyumen needs to develop its piers now;
• how piers can serve as small urban spaces, rather than merely places to board a boat;
• what new ways of spending time by the water might emerge if the river became part of everyday travel and recreation.
There was no studio gloss — just a lively conversation in a real urban setting.
The interview will be shared soon: 15 minutes on the future of the Tura, piers and a fresh perspective on Tyumen's embankment.
Русский — original article · IKTR home
]]> The Tura: More Than a Backdrop to the City https://www.i-ktr.ru/en/en-tura-river-podcast https://www.i-ktr.ru/en/en-tura-river-podcast?amp=true Thu, 18 Dec 2025 10:08:00 +0300 IKTR News An IKTR podcast explores how piers and river infrastructure can support tourism, mobility and integrated development in Tyumen.

The Tura: More Than a Backdrop to the City

Tyumen's embankment is one of the city's most loved places. People come here to walk, run, take photographs and watch the river.
Yet the Tura often remains a backdrop rather than an integral part of urban life. We look at it from the shore, but rarely use it as a resource for transport, tourism, events or everyday journeys.
In this episode, we discuss why Tyumen needs piers and why river infrastructure is a tool for integrated urban development, rather than simply somewhere to moor a boat.
The host of Dialogues about Tyumen is Karina Astaplyuk, General Director of the autonomous non-profit Institute for Integrated Territorial Development.
Our guest is Ekaterina Zhuravlyova, an urban expert, architect and head of the Flotilia design team. Ekaterina works on integrated territorial development and public spaces. Together with her team, she is developing a concept for a network of piers along the Tura.
We discuss:
• the role a river can play in a contemporary city;
• why Tyumen needs piers now;
• how river infrastructure affects tourism, the economy and urban mobility;
• possible future uses of the Tura;
• the obstacles to development and what can realistically be done today;
• how piers help shape a city's identity.
Institute for Integrated Territorial Development (IKTR)
Website: https://2025.i-ktr.ru
Telegram: https://t.me/iktrRF
Karina Astaplyuk on Telegram: @astapliukkr
Flotilia design team
Website: https://urbanflot.ru/
Telegram: https://t.me/urbanflot
Ekaterina Zhuravlyova on Telegram: https://t.me/eka_divnich
We thank the Kontora Parokhodstva events venue for hosting the recording.
Original resource (Russian)
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Русский — original article · IKTR home
]]> Participatory Design in Novaya Astrakhan https://www.i-ktr.ru/en/en-participatory-design https://www.i-ktr.ru/en/en-participatory-design?amp=true Sun, 08 Feb 2026 14:05:00 +0300 IKTR News IKTR and Flotilia work with residents of Novaya Astrakhan to identify priorities for a new year-round public space.

Participatory Design in Novaya Astrakhan

The Flotilia and Institute for Integrated Territorial Development teams travelled to Novaya Astrakhan in the Luhansk region. Together with residents, we are identifying the changes the settlement needs and choosing a site to improve through the competition for small towns and historic settlements.
We held several design workshops: with residents as a whole, with young people, entrepreneurs, and representatives of non-profit organisations, culture and sport.
Residents would like a space for year-round recreation that balances quiet and active uses, with places for sport, children's play, concerts, fairs and time alone in the shade of trees.
Young people identified a need for a skate area, a café, a sports court and an open-air cinema.
We are continuing our work for the benefit of local people and will share more about the project on our channel.
Follow us:
Telegram: https://t.me/iktrRF
VK: https://vk.com/iktr_ru
Русский — original article · IKTR home
]]> Five Years of Work with the National Small Towns Competition https://www.i-ktr.ru/en/en-five-years-small-towns https://www.i-ktr.ru/en/en-five-years-small-towns?amp=true Wed, 03 Jun 2026 08:57:00 +0300 Institute for Integrated Territorial Development IKTR News A five-year review: 23 winning public-space projects and almost RUB 1.9 billion in federal funding secured for local development.

Five Years of Work with the National Small Towns Competition

Today I decided to look back and add up the results of our work over the past few years.
Since 2022, I have been supporting and administering entries to the national competition for the best projects to create a comfortable urban environment.
Initially, this work was carried out at the Urban Environment Competence Centre of the City of Omsk, and subsequently at the Omsk Region Urban Environment Development Competence Centre. Alongside projects in Omsk Region, we also supported competition entries from the Luhansk region.
An important part of this journey has been our collaboration with the Flotilia design team on competition submissions. We have been working hand in hand for four years.
During this time, I have worked on projects from Omsk Region to Sakhalin and from Irkutsk Region to the Luhansk region.
The results of five years of work:
• 23 winning projects in the national competition for the best projects to create a comfortable urban environment;
• almost RUB 1.9 billion in federal funding secured for public spaces, excluding regional funding.
These include:
• Omsk Region: 11 winning projects;
• Sakhalin and Irkutsk Regions: 9 winning projects, together with Flotilia;
• Luhansk region: 3 winning projects.
Every winning entry represents months of work: meetings with residents, an exploration of local identity, collaboration between design teams, architects, designers, municipalities and experts, and many hours spent preparing competition materials.
The most rewarding part is returning to these places later and seeing ideas that once existed only on paper become real parks, squares, embankments, visitor routes and public spaces full of people.
The work continues.
This year, I was entrusted with supporting entries for eight places:
• Belovo, Kemerovo Region — Kuzbass;
• Kiselyovsk, Kemerovo Region — Kuzbass;
• Myski, Kemerovo Region — Kuzbass;
• Kartaly, Chelyabinsk Region;
• Biysk, Altai Territory;
• Aksakovo, Ulyanovsk Region;
• Khanty-Mansiysk, Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Okrug — Yugra;
• Kreminna, Luhansk region.
Every place is unique. Some projects focus on tourism potential, others on conserving heritage, and others on creating new public spaces for residents.
Today, submissions to the national competition were completed for every project except Kreminna, where work is continuing.
For most teams, months of preparation, discussion, exploration, approvals, design and documentation are now behind them. The wait for the results begins.
My sincere thanks go to all the municipal teams, architects, designers and colleagues who have shared this journey. I wish every project the chance to represent its town with distinction, and hope to see as many as possible of the places I have worked with this year among the winners.
Русский — original article · IKTR home
]]> Certificates Sent to A Glimpse into the Future Participants https://www.i-ktr.ru/en/en-competition-certificates https://www.i-ktr.ru/en/en-competition-certificates?amp=true Sat, 13 Jun 2026 13:26:00 +0300 Institute for Integrated Territorial Development IKTR News Archive: 523 certificates were sent to participants and winners of the first A Glimpse into the Future competition.

Certificates Sent to A Glimpse into the Future Participants

Archive — first competition season. This article preserves the dates, conditions and plans reported at the time.
This year's competition attracted considerable interest from the professional community. A total of 523 certificates were sent to participants and winners across Russia.
We thank every entrant for their projects, creative approach and commitment to shaping a high-quality architectural environment for the future.
Winning projects and entries recommended for publication by the jury will soon be published through the competition's official channels. Many of these proposals deserve the attention of the professional community and will inspire new ideas.
If you have not received your certificate, please email anoiktr@bk.ru. We will check the details and send it again.
Follow the updates:
Competition website: https://2025.i-ktr.ru/
Telegram: @iktrRF
VK: https://vk.com/iktr_ru
The organising committee thanks all participants for their interest and wishes them further professional success.
Original resource (Russian)
Русский — original article · IKTR home
]]> The Future of Cities Begins with a Master's Thesis https://www.i-ktr.ru/en/en-urban-research-theses https://www.i-ktr.ru/en/en-urban-research-theses?amp=true Thu, 02 Jul 2026 20:35:00 +0300 Institute for Integrated Territorial Development Education IKTR joins the assessment of urbanism master’s theses exploring public spaces, heritage, communities and the future of cities.

The Future of Cities Begins with a Master's Thesis

The future of cities begins with research.
This week, Karina Astaplyuk, General Director of the Institute for Integrated Territorial Development, served on the State Examination Commission for master's thesis defences in the Conceptual Urbanism programme.
Today's graduation projects are much more than academic exercises. They are substantial studies of real urban processes, with findings that can inform territorial development and urban policy.
The research covered public spaces, university campuses, suburbanisation and metropolitan growth, neighbourhood gentrification, the transformation of historic areas, creative clusters, architects' professional practices, local communities, relationships between people and nature in cities, and contemporary approaches to urban design and management.
Particularly valuable was the fact that many projects drew on fieldwork, in-depth interviews, archival material, spatial analysis and real case studies. Research of this kind helps us understand contemporary urban processes and find solutions for the cities of the future.
For IKTR, taking part in the education of young professionals is a contribution to the professional community, research and the next generation of urbanists.
Congratulations to the graduates on their successful defences. We hope their ideas and research will soon become part of real projects improving Russian cities.
Русский — original article · IKTR home
]]> Design Discussions and a Rooftop Jam: IKTR Celebrates Flotilia's New Office https://www.i-ktr.ru/en/en-flotilia-office-opening https://www.i-ktr.ru/en/en-flotilia-office-opening?amp=true Sat, 04 Jul 2026 12:11:00 +0300 Institute for Integrated Territorial Development IKTR News IKTR joins Flotilia’s office opening at Cluster 809, with design discussions, professional networking and a rooftop celebration.

Design Discussions and a Rooftop Jam: IKTR Celebrates Flotilia's New Office

Flotilia has officially opened its new office.
On 2 July, the Flotilia design team celebrated the opening at Cluster 809, 7 Krasina Street. The IKTR team joined the event to congratulate the residents and see how the vision for the space is becoming a network of real ideas and relationships.
The programme went well beyond a conventional celebration. A design session for architects and innovators formed an important part of the day.
Participants discussed why and how architects should communicate, and whether the architectural community so many people hope for actually exists.
After the discussion, the atmosphere became informal, with a buffet, a rooftop DJ set and a warm-hearted guitar jam.
Creative Cluster 809 itself officially opened on Russia Day. It is the first space in the country whose concept is based on the traditional values listed in Presidential Decree No. 809. Today it brings together dozens of organisations and professionals from different fields. TARKI operates and manages the space, supporting its day-to-day life, while IKTR continues the site's integrated development and attracts new residents.
“Yesterday, exactly what we had dreamed of for so long finally happened! Thank you to everyone who came to celebrate Flotilia's housewarming in our new home. It was wonderful. Your smiles, energy and spirit created that warm atmosphere and made it clear that we are in the right place,” said the leader of the Flotilia team.
The Institute for Integrated Territorial Development warmly congratulates Flotilia on its new home. May the office bring talented people together and provide a platform for bold urban projects.

Photo report

These are memories worth keeping. The Flotilia team has prepared a photo report from the event. See the official photo archive to revisit the opening and its atmosphere.
If you were there, share your own photographs and memories in the comments.
Original resource (Russian)
Русский — original article · IKTR home
]]> Happy Architect's Day from IKTR https://www.i-ktr.ru/en/en-architects-day https://www.i-ktr.ru/en/en-architects-day?amp=true Mon, 06 Jul 2026 13:00:00 +0300 Institute for Integrated Territorial Development IKTR News IKTR congratulates architects, planners, educators and students whose work shapes cities and everyday life.

Happy Architect's Day from IKTR

On 6 July, we congratulate everyone who creates the spaces that shape our cities and the quality of life of millions of people.
Architecture involves much more than designing buildings. It means recognising a place's potential, balancing history and contemporary life, and creating comfortable settings for living, working and relaxing.
Every completed project begins with an idea. Architects turn those ideas into places where new stories unfold, cities develop and the future takes shape.
Today, the profession requires creative thinking as well as a deep understanding of ecology, economics, culture, engineering and human needs. Contemporary architecture brings together technology and nature, respect for heritage and a desire to innovate, helping create sustainable and harmonious places.
We sincerely value the talent, professionalism and responsibility of everyone who dedicates their work to cities and public spaces.
We wish you inspiration, bold ideas, rewarding projects, professional recognition and new opportunities to bring your most ambitious plans to life.
Русский — original article · IKTR home
]]> Tyumen Architects Celebrate Their Professional Holiday https://www.i-ktr.ru/en/en-tyumen-architects-celebrate https://www.i-ktr.ru/en/en-tyumen-architects-celebrate?amp=true Thu, 09 Jul 2026 17:04:00 +0300 Institute for Integrated Territorial Development IKTR News Architects from Tyumen Region gather at Gnezdo to celebrate their profession, exchange ideas and strengthen their community.

Tyumen Architects Celebrate Their Professional Holiday

Where cities begin

Architecture is one of the few professions whose work remains with us for decades.
Every new residential neighbourhood, improved park, school, embankment and public space becomes part of thousands of people's lives. Architects help cities grow while retaining their character and opening up possibilities for the future.
Architect's Day is therefore a celebration both for the profession and for everyone who values a high-quality urban environment.

A celebration in nature

This year, Tyumen's architects chose to celebrate away from drawings, construction sites and meetings.
They gathered at the Gnezdo recreation centre in Tyumen Region, where colleagues could talk informally, share experience, discuss ideas and enjoy time together.
Meetings like these matter because architecture is not created at a desk alone. The best projects often begin with conversations, shared discussions and an exchange of views on what our cities should become.

Architecture means responsibility for the future

Today, architects design much more than buildings. They create public spaces, shape streets, and work with heritage, natural landscapes, transport and the quality of the urban environment. Every decision affects how people live, relax, communicate and raise their children.
The profession therefore requires both creative thinking and a profound responsibility towards future generations.

Creating the cities of the future together

For the Institute for Integrated Territorial Development, architects are key partners in creating contemporary, comfortable and sustainable places.
We are delighted to see the professional community grow, come together and inspire new projects. These gatherings strengthen professional relationships and generate ideas that may soon take shape in real cities.
Happy Architect's Day!
The IKTR team congratulates architects, planners, urbanists, landscape architects, urban designers, teachers and architecture students on their professional holiday.
May your projects always make room for bold ideas and respect for history, contemporary technology and the human scale, creativity and responsibility.
Thank you for creating the cities in which future generations will live. Happy Architect's Day!
Join our growing, welcoming team.
Русский — original article · IKTR home
]]> A Glimpse into the Future Organisers Visit the Bolshaya Semyorka Studio https://www.i-ktr.ru/en/en-competition-organisers-interview https://www.i-ktr.ru/en/en-competition-organisers-interview?amp=true Wed, 22 Jul 2026 09:40:00 +0300 Institute for Integrated Territorial Development Competitions Archive: Karina Astaplyuk and Vasily Greben discuss the first competition season, winning projects and plans for its development.

A Glimpse into the Future Organisers Visit the Bolshaya Semyorka Studio

Archive — first competition season. This article preserves the dates, conditions and plans reported at the time.
At the Bolshaya Semyorka studio, Karina Astaplyuk, General Director of the Institute for Integrated Territorial Development, and Vasily Greben, Director of TransCity LLC, historian and urbanist, discussed the origins of the national architectural competition A Glimpse into the Future, its standout entries and its growing role as a professional platform for young Russian architects.

Architecture should improve lives

The organisers explained that the competition began with a desire to give talented architects an opportunity to be heard.
Russia has many students, young architects and designers whose ideas do not always receive professional assessment or reach a wider audience.
The competition was created to prioritise the quality of an architectural idea, bold thinking and a project's potential, rather than the author's status or experience.
“Architecture that deserves to be built should not remain just an attractive drawing. It should improve life and create comfort for us and future generations. Share your vision of the architecture of the future, and together we will bring it to life.”
According to the organisers, the competition brought students, young professionals and established architects together. It also offered an insight into how designers themselves imagine the future of Russian cities, public spaces and housing.
Why A Glimpse into the Future?
The name reflects the philosophy of the architectural profession. Whether a home, public space or park, a project is designed for more than a single year. Architects shape environments in which people will live decades from now.
The competition's main purpose is to show how emerging and practising architects imagine future cities and the ways people might live in new urban environments.
How were the winners selected?
The organisers stressed that the expert jury assessed much more than visual appeal. The main criteria were:
• originality of the architectural idea;
• strength of architectural expression;
• quality of the design solution;
• feasibility in Russian conditions;
• social value;
• environmental performance and sustainability.
Projects proposing new ways of living and unconventional approaches to territorial development received particularly high scores.

From the city to the home

The first season featured three categories at different scales of architectural design. Urban Planning focused on cities and territories. Concept Design for a Building of Any Function addressed public buildings that shape the city. Design for an Individual Residential Building explored the space closest to everyday life: the home.
Entries therefore covered the principal scales of contemporary architecture, from masterplans to individual housing.

Projects that stood out

During the broadcast, the organisers discussed several projects that made a particular impression on the jury.
METApark in Yuntolovo, St Petersburg, proposes a new relationship between people and nature. Its site is divided into nine distinct park zones, from open marshland and floodplain forest to an embankment and conservation area, each with its own ecological character and uses.
Among the Panel Blocks, Moscow, demonstrates how standardised housing areas can be transformed without large-scale demolition. Its concept uses a 3 × 3 metre modular grid reflecting the dimensions of existing panels, turning a familiar urban environment into the foundation for new public space.
Among the public-building entries, the organisers highlighted Lomonosov 2, a contemporary research and education centre where architecture, public realm and natural landscape form one continuous system.
In individual housing, Smile attracted attention with an unusual home that combines family comfort with opportunities for additional income without compromising the quality of the living environment.

Exceeding expectations

The organisers said the first season met their expectations and exceeded them in many respects.
They particularly welcomed the broad understanding of architecture shown by entrants. Many projects looked beyond striking buildings to address ecology, the social environment, cultural heritage and quality of urban life.
The wide geographical reach was another important result. Entries came from almost every part of Russia, demonstrating the professional community's strong interest in such initiatives.

International ambitions and new categories

The competition's development continues. The organisers are already working on the next season and plan to take it to an international level.
New categories are also being considered, including Apartment Buildings, focused on contemporary residential architecture, and A Glimpse into the Future Through the Past, bringing together heritage conservation, revitalisation and contemporary reinterpretations of historic sites.
The first season showed that the Russian architectural community is ready for open professional discussion and new solutions. A Glimpse into the Future will continue to develop as a platform for ideas that could become part of real cities.
Русский — original article · IKTR home
]]> IKTR Launches Nationwide Research into Municipal Territorial Development Practices — 2026 https://www.i-ktr.ru/en/en-municipal-research-2026 https://www.i-ktr.ru/en/en-municipal-research-2026?amp=true Fri, 02 Oct 2026 12:27:00 +0300 Institute for Integrated Territorial Development Research and Analysis IKTR studies municipal territorial development practices across Russia. The survey is open through 30 November 2026.

IKTR Launches Nationwide Research into Municipal Territorial Development Practices — 2026

IKTR is launching its 2026 nationwide study of municipal territorial development practices.
Our aim is to understand the real conditions in which municipal teams work, the main difficulties they encounter when preparing and implementing projects, and the professional support and tools they need locally.
The study focuses on strategic and spatial planning, project preparation and support, access to baseline data, funding, participation in government programmes and competitions, collaboration with design organisations and contractors, and municipal teams' staffing and education needs.
Information about the study has been sent to Russia's regions, with a request to share it with municipalities and encourage relevant professionals to complete the questionnaire.

What the study will deliver

The data will help identify municipalities' most common barriers and needs, reveal differences between places of different types and sizes, and clarify the practical solutions municipal teams require.
IKTR will prepare an analytical report. The findings will also inform the development of practical guidance, educational resources and digital tools for territorial development.
Selected municipal projects may be chosen for further expert analysis as part of the Institute's research.

Who can take part

We invite municipal representatives and specialists working in territorial development, architecture, urban planning, public-space improvements, project delivery, investment and funding.
The survey remains open through 30 November 2026.
Completing the questionnaire takes approximately 8–12 minutes.
Take part in the study: https://www.i-ktr.ru/research2026
The questionnaire is in Russian.
Русский — original article · IKTR home
]]> Aksakovo in Focus: A Path to the Cherished Flower https://www.i-ktr.ru/en/en-aksakovo https://www.i-ktr.ru/en/en-aksakovo?amp=true Sat, 03 Oct 2026 11:30:00 +0300 Projects and Places Discover how Aksakovo combines literary heritage, historic landscape and public space in a project planned for implementation in 2027.

Aksakovo in Focus: A Path to the Cherished Flower

The village of Aksakovo in Mainsky District, Ulyanovsk Region, is preparing to implement Aksakov's Radonezh: A Path to the Cherished Flower. In 2026, the project won the 11th national competition for the best projects to create a comfortable urban environment. Implementation is planned for 2027.
For IKTR, this case matters for more than its competition success. Aksakovo demonstrates a different approach to development. It begins by asking what is already valuable here, and how that value can be preserved, revealed and made part of contemporary life.

A place that cannot begin with a blank slate

Aksakovo is associated with the family of the writer Sergey Timofeyevich Aksakov. His ancestors lived here, and he visited the family estate many times. It was from the local housekeeper, Pelageya, that he heard the story of The Scarlet Flower, which he later adapted into literature.
Parts of the historic estate landscape survive, including a lime-tree avenue and mature pines. The site contains a late-19th-century Aksakov family residence, with Trinity Church nearby.
The entire project area lies within a historic settlement of regional significance. The design must therefore respect its historic layout, views, cultural landscape and heritage protection requirements.
The task extends beyond improving an existing park. It is about preserving the memory of the place, making it understandable to people today, and creating a space that supports everyday life.

Research comes first

The concept grew from research into Aksakovo's history, archival material, the existing landscape and the ways the site is used.
Engagement with residents formed a separate strand of the work. Design workshops explored more than requests for improvements: residents shared stories about the village, its traditions and places that mattered to them. These accounts gradually shaped the vision for the site.
A distinct design code emerged from this material.
The Scarlet Flower became its central image, appearing in the colour palette, graphics, wayfinding, artworks and planting. The identity also uses the letter A, literary references, natural imagery and elements of Aksakov family history.
The visual identity therefore continues the story of the place, rather than simply decorating the improvements.

Landscape as heritage

Working with existing vegetation is one of the project's most important elements.
The lime-tree avenue and mature pines are treated as the core of the historic estate landscape. Plans include arboricultural surveys, tree inventories, sanitary pruning, treatment of damage, root protection, replacement planting and long-term monitoring.
The trees themselves will become part of the visitor experience through interpretation, guided routes and opportunities to tell the estate's history through its surviving landscape.
This approach creates new public space around the existing heritage.

A space for every season

The estate covers approximately 47,600 m², with 19,200 m² included in the first phase of improvements.
The first phase establishes a complete functional core: an entrance area, walking routes, quiet recreation, an event space, workshops, food services, commercial uses and operational facilities.
The layout includes two principal routes.
The first, the Avenue of Tales, passes through the historic landscape and connects the site to Aksakov's literary legacy. Artworks along the route refer to the writer's works and interests.
The second leads to the event space, workshops, dining venue and other public facilities.
The scheme also includes the Family Chronicle and Window to the Future artworks, a semicircular rotunda stage, a mill and a Scarlet Flower garden. The masterplan connects these elements with the museum, historic avenues and the prospect of restoring the wider estate complex.

Beyond public-space improvements: the local economy

The project includes uses intended both to attract visitors and encourage longer stays in Aksakovo.
Workshops could host crafts and classes; the dining venue could provide food services; and the mill could sell local products. The event space creates opportunities for cultural programming and a longer visitor season.
Public space is thus considered part of the area's economic model.
The project documentation forecasts increased visitor numbers, small-business development, job creation and new commercial uses. These outcomes will need to be assessed after implementation.

Four funding sources

The total project cost is RUB 117 million, combining:
• RUB 73.2 million from the federal budget;
• RUB 30.48 million from the regional budget;
• RUB 6.32 million from the municipal budget;
• RUB 7 million in non-budgetary funding.
Winning the national competition secured a federal grant of RUB 73.2 million. The remaining amount comes from regional, municipal and private co-funding.

Lessons for other municipalities

Aksakovo shows how several areas of development can form one connected system:
heritage → identity → landscape → public space → events → tourism → the local economy.
In this approach, heritage becomes a development resource as well as a set of responsibilities.
That is particularly important for small settlements. They often cannot — and need not — compete through the scale of new infrastructure. Their strength may lie in local history, natural landscapes, culture and experiences that cannot simply be reproduced elsewhere.

IKTR's role

The project was developed by an interdisciplinary team involving the Mainsky District administration, Vander architectural practice, economic specialists from Productive City and the Institute for Integrated Territorial Development.
IKTR General Director Karina Astaplyuk served as project administrator and coordinated preparation of the competition entry.
For IKTR, Aksakovo confirms a central principle of integrated territorial development: development begins by understanding what is already valuable in a place. Architecture, economics and new ways of living should strengthen that value.
Aksakov's Radonezh demonstrates how even a small historic settlement can build its future around its own distinctive character.
Original recording (Russian)
Русский — original article · IKTR home
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