New construction underway at Engelhardt Observatory

Existing infrastructure plans aim to elevate the facility as one of top places of interest in the area.

The two buildings under construction are an expo center and a hostel.

Vice-Rector for Construction and Maintenance Lenar Safiullin comments, “Exterior frame and concrete works on the floors have been completed, and we are starting ceiling works. Then it’s time for internal walls and electrical wiring. In August, we plan to start fitting out, with full completion scheduled for late September.”

The September date is set to celebrate the original opening ceremony of the observatory, which took place on 21 September 1901.

The Observatory, one of the oldest in Russia, was founded by Rector of Kazan University Dmitry Dubyago (1849 – 1918) with the funds willed for this purpose by Vasily Engelhardt (1828 – 1915) and initially equipped with the instruments provided by the latter. The first stone was laid on 19 March 1899 in the presence of Rector Konstantin Voroshilov, local astronomers and officials of the Kazan Governorate.

On 11 December 2020, the two KFU observatories were included in the Tentative Lists of the UNESCO World Heritage Center.

 

Source text: Rufina Gimaletdinova

Photos: Alexander Kuznetsov

Translation: Yury Nurmeev