Chernyakhiv Gymnasium No. 2: cultural heritage object received a modern filling

In Gymnasium No. 2 in Chernyakhovsk, for the first time in almost a century of the building’s history, a major overhaul is being carried out. She got into the federal school overhaul program initiated by United Russia and the Ministry of Education of the Russian Federation. Despite the fact that the building where the educational institution is now located was built by the Germans, the gymnasium to the last retained a dignified appearance that many educational institutions of the country can envy.

The building was built in 1929 in the style of “new materiality” (Neue Sachlichkeit) according to the project of the city building adviser Walter Bresch and with the participation of engineer Doblin and inspector Dubois. The strict beauty of its laconic forms is emphasized by the purple clinker with which it is lined. The school taught housekeeping, sewing and cooking, prepared home teachers, housekeepers, nurses to care for the sick. The people called it “Klopsakademie” (“Academy of bits”), or simply “Klops”.

As Anna Yasyuchenya, director of the Gymnasium, joked, it was a school for the best wives. Also in ancient times, the city library was located in the building, numbering 15,000 volumes and connected by interlibrary loan with all libraries in Germany. It is interesting that from that moment the building outwardly remained practically unchanged.

During its existence, the building changed its profile several times. In 1945, a military hospital was deployed here, and in 1946, by order of the Insterburg city administration for civil affairs, an elementary school No. 2 for 100 places was opened in the former school, although some of the premises still had hospital beds, the wounded were treated. The status of the Gymnasium was received in 1998. In 2011, its building was recognized as an identified object of cultural heritage.

The educational institution is one of the best schools in the North-West region of Russia. Oksana Pronina, head of the parental staff and mother of a student at the Gymnasium, confirmed that the state of the school, despite the fact that the building has never been overhauled, is very acceptable. There are no horrors in the form of falling off plaster and falling ceilings. And the program itself was required mainly because of the age of construction.

Yasyuchenya shared that in addition to repair work, the institution received additional equipment that will make the educational process more comfortable for students. Moreover, the children took part in the selection of new clothes. So, at their request, a new piano, modern equipment for the media center appeared in the gymnasium.

“Buildings, and especially schools, which are already 50 and 100 years old, of course, are subject to major repairs. Although if you entered our building, you would not notice that the school outwardly requires some work to be done. We managed to keep the building in a very good condition. It was a joint work of children, teachers and parents. Therefore, the school is our pride. Tourists even come to the building, as the building is outwardly preserved almost in its original form. But our students needed a modern large gym. This extension was the only difference from the original building,” says Yasiuchenya.

“The building is quite old. Also of German construction. Therefore, a major overhaul, of course, was needed. Now I want to say a huge thank you for allocating funds and now the school has been renovated inside and out. From a purely human point of view, I want to say for this – thank you very much. And I assure you that all parents are only for it. Because we all want the child to be comfortable in gaining knowledge,” said Pronina.

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