A kindergarten for 220 children has opened in a new microdistrict of Polotsk
The opening of an important social facility was called a wonderful Christmas and New Year gift by the chairman of the regional executive committee, Alexander Kosinets, who came to congratulate the city residents.
— We are very pleased. Everything is new, beautiful, interesting. Excellent conditions, attentive attitude towards children, — shared the joy of Antonina Vinogradova, a mother of three.
She got on the waiting list for the preschool institution as soon as her youngest son Makar was born. But there are not enough places in the kindergarten near her home for everyone who wants them. Therefore, she had to take her child, who is now three and a half years old, to the Marinenko microdistrict. As Antonina said, they woke up at six in the morning, traveled for more than an hour, and in bad weather, they stayed home altogether. Besides, they had to spend a lot of money on the road, especially when they took a minibus.
Similar inconveniences were experienced by other parents in the Airport microdistrict, where new houses are commissioned every year, mainly occupied by young families. In general, there are enough kindergartens in the city today, but there are not enough within walking distance.
The construction of the long-awaited facility, as reported by the head of the construction and installation trust No. 22, Yuri Zhogun, began in 2010, but was suspended due to a lack of funds. The situation changed after the head of the region took control of this issue in September 2011. The task was set to stably finance the facility and put it into operation as soon as possible. At the peak of work, according to Yuri Zhogun, up to 140 people worked here. The builders tried to do everything qualitatively and fully realize the ideas of architect Georgy Bailian, who proposed an unusual design that harmonizes with the nearby school. The kindergarten is already called a kind of Barbie house, as it looks like a fairy-tale castle with a figured roof, turrets, colonnades, and a brightly colored facade.
Together with the equipment, the construction cost 32.6 billion rubles. Another approximately 1 billion rubles from the district budget were spent on the purchase of toys, dishes, and inventory. Comfortable conditions for children's development and recreation have been created: cozy bedrooms, well-equipped playrooms, and rooms for aesthetic education. Modern kitchen and laundry equipment has been purchased. The health block includes dry and regular swimming pools, a physical education hall, and a gym, while the medical block has isolation rooms, and rooms for inhalation and physiotherapy procedures. Convenient playgrounds with sunshades and verandas have been built outdoors. A gift for the housewarming from the regional executive committee were 14 music centers, a home theater, and a TV worth 40 million rubles.
After inspecting the premises, the head of the region attended a New Year's party for children and presented them with sweet gifts, and then communicated with teachers, parents, and journalists.
— The future of the nation is in baby carriages on the streets of cities and villages of our country, — said Alexander Kosinets. — And we will do everything necessary to create comfortable conditions under which people can worthily raise their successors, continuing traditions and building a strong, prosperous Belarus.
Alexander Nikolaevich noted that today 80% of children in the Vitebsk region receive preschool education. 50,000 children attend 630 kindergartens, there are 215 kindergarten-schools with a continuous training system, and the network of health and recreation organizations is widely developed. The authorities pay the utmost attention to strengthening the material and technical base of these institutions. Two or three decades ago, such equipment for kindergartens was unimaginable. Now, modern approaches are applied everywhere. And preschool institutions built long ago should also be equipped with the latest equipment, including with the help of sponsoring organizations. The microdistricts of cities, the head of the region emphasized, should be developed comprehensively: along with housing, it is necessary to build cultural, leisure, and educational facilities here. The walkability of kindergartens is very important. Naturally, it is more convenient for parents to hand over their child to the caring hands of educators in 5-10 minutes and calmly go to work themselves. In total, five kindergartens for 1110 places are currently under construction in the region.
Speaking about the further development of Polotsk, Alexander Kosinets drew attention to its special status as the cradle of Belarusian statehood, spirituality, culture, and education. In this regard, the concept of developing historical districts remains relevant, the implementation of which will turn the city into a major tourist center of Belarus. According to Alexander Nikolaevich, about a million tourists visit Polotsk annually. Ideally, each of them should spend at least 100 dollars in the city, but this requires developed infrastructure, a wide network of hotels, catering facilities, and leisure activities. The tourism business can and should become a significant source of budget revenue. And to implement the developed projects, it is necessary to continue searching for investors.
Larisa Malashenya, "Vitebskiye Vesti"