Translation. Region: Russian Federal
Source: Government of the Russian Federation – Government of the Russian Federation –
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A new building of the World Ocean Museum "Planet Ocean" with an area of over 10 thousand square meters was opened in Kaliningrad. The construction of the large facility was carried out by the PPK "Unified Customer" and was successfully completed in December 2024. This was reported by Deputy Prime Minister Marat Khusnullin.
"Today is a significant and long-awaited event – the opening of the new building of the Museum of the World Ocean "Planet Ocean". It is especially symbolic that we are opening it on Geographer's Day. The museum itself is unique not only for Russia, but also for many countries in the world. This is the only comprehensive maritime museum. It combines exhibits on the history of oceanography, shipbuilding, marine fauna and flora, as well as naval history. Thanks to the support of the President, the Chairman of the Government, we have a magnificent new building with an area of more than 10 thousand square meters. The unique architectural solution in the form of a globe has already become a calling card of Kaliningrad. This is the result of the joint efforts of a large number of people: architects, engineers, designers, builders, scientists and museum workers. I am confident that the new museum building will become not only a popular place for tourists, but also a major scientific and educational center where future researchers, scientists and defenders of the World Ocean will be educated,” said Marat Khusnullin.
He added that the project was not simple. Construction began back in 2013, the design documentation was adjusted several times, but in the end all the problems were resolved. Marat Khusnullin especially noted the company "Unified Customer in Construction", under whose management the project was transferred in 2021. The Deputy Prime Minister also thanked everyone who took part in the work. The project was implemented within the framework of the comprehensive state program "Construction", supervised by the Ministry of Construction.
"The creation of a unique museum center in all respects was carried out under the personal supervision of the President of Russia Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin. The employees of the Museum of the World Ocean, architects, and builders have done a great job, invested knowledge, experience, and part of their souls so that today we can witness a historical event not only for the Kaliningrad Region, but for the entire country and far beyond its borders," noted the Governor of the Kaliningrad Region Alexey Besprozvannykh.
"Planet Ocean" is a scientific complex with six laboratories, a library and the "Oceania" children's educational center. The building consists of three parts, one of which is a glass sphere with a diameter of 42 m. A canopy stylized as a wave is installed above the entrance.
Deputy Minister of Culture Vladimir Osintsev read out a greeting from the head of the department Olga Lyubimova: "This long-awaited event marks a new stage in the development of the cultural life of the Kaliningrad region, opening up even more opportunities for getting to know the historical, cultural and natural heritage of the Earth. The uniqueness of the project is that it allows everyone to become a participant in a round-the-world expedition. I am confident that the new building of the Museum of the World Ocean will become a center of attraction for residents and guests of Kaliningrad, a platform for creative events, educational programs and cultural initiatives."
Inside the new building there are 29 aquariums with a total volume of over 1,000 cubic meters, where about 2,000 fish and other ocean inhabitants currently live, six scientific laboratories, as well as the “Big Ocean” and “Aquariums” halls, along with a library.
"Carrying out commissioning work on life support systems was one of the most difficult stages of the facility's construction, which included setting up all engineering solutions and subsequent water treatment. All these actions were aimed at creating an optimal habitat for marine inhabitants. The two largest vessels have a volume of 706.4 and 224.6 cubic meters. One of them is more than 8 m deep, and a tunnel made of special acrylic glass runs through the other," said Karen Oganesyan, General Director of the Unified Customer Production and Production Company.
The children's educational center "Oceania", which is part of the "Planet Ocean" building, is already functioning. Its spaces house marine classes and the headquarters of the Kaliningrad regional branch of the Russian Geographical Society, as well as a large lecture hall where film screenings and meetings with scientists are held.
"Planet Ocean" is our most ambitious project. I am grateful to all participants of this difficult process: museum staff, builders, architects, engineers, aquarists and many other specialists. "Planet Ocean" is a complex object. Its uniqueness lies not only in its architectural appearance, but also in its exhibition content. Here, halls with aquariums are adjacent to academic collections, each laboratory is equipped with modern interactive exhibits that allow you to obtain scientific knowledge in an original form. And we are happy to finally invite residents and guests of the region to board this ship of science," said Svetlana Sivkova, founder and president of the Museum of the World Ocean.
The new building will begin accepting guests in a test mode, which involves visiting in sessions as part of organized groups accompanied by a guide, on August 19, 2025.
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