The territory of the ZIL plant: features, scheme and interesting facts

2024 Author: Howard Calhoun | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 10:16

The Likhachev Plant is one of the oldest machine-building enterprises that Russia inherited from the USSR. In Soviet times, it played an important strategic role. What happened to this giant today? What is on the territory of the ZIL plant?

Historical background

This plant began its existence in 1916, when it was planned to create an enterprise in Russia capable of producing trucks of the Italian company FIAT. Due to the difficult political and economic circumstances of 1917, this idea was not fully implemented. Not all the buildings of the new factory were built in Tuleva Grove, and production could not be started. Therefore, the management decided to start assembling Italian trucks from ready-made parts.

Over the years of its existence, the territory of the ZIL plant has gradually increased, and it has turned from simple workshops for assembling and repairing trucks into a real industrial giant. By 1975, over 200 thousand cars per year were produced at its facilities. But by the end of the 80s at the factorya crisis is ripe: previous truck models are obsolete, and new developments have been unsuccessful. ZIL did not have time to get out of it - the collapse of the Soviet Union and a sharp decline in economic indicators occurred, which led to an almost complete shutdown of the enterprise.

Post-Soviet period

In the early 2000s, the management of the enterprise made repeated attempts to raise ZIL to its former level. But they were all in vain. Debts grew, buildings were empty, jobs were reduced. Over time, a semi-abandoned industrial zone was formed in the Southern District of Moscow, which occupies 275 hectares. Therefore, the city government decided to change this situation.

In 2013, a decision was made to reconstruct the territory. A new closed-type microdistrict will be built here, in which about 30 thousand people can live. Infrastructure facilities and several operating workshops of the plant will create approximately 45,000 more jobs.

In 2016, the last car was produced at ZIL. Today, the capacities have been stopped and an active reconstruction of the territories and development is being carried out around the plant. You can already buy apartments on the territory of the ZIL plant.

About the new residential complex

"ZILART" is the name of the new microdistrict, which will grow on the site of an abandoned industrial zone. It will consist of residential buildings on 6-14 floors, educational and entertainment facilities.

New buildings on the territory of the ZIL plant will be fully commissioned in about 10 years. Although the first stage of construction is almostcompleted. Each house in this project was created taking into account the place of construction, the orientation of the facades and other factors important for comfortable living in them.

It is worth noting that kindergartens and secondary schools will be merged into one system, which will be an innovation for the capital. Great attention is also paid to other infrastructure facilities: a sports and entertainment complex will be built on the territory, which already partially receives visitors.

Industrial facilities will be separated from residential areas by park areas, the latter will become a reminder of the Tulle Grove that grew here earlier.

Industrial facilities

Thanks to the new project, the appearance of Moscow in this district will change significantly. The territory of the ZIL plant, for the most part, will turn into a modern microdistrict. But the enterprise itself is not planned to be completely liquidated. 50 hectares are allocated for it in the southern part of the former plant.

All other buildings are either to be demolished or reconstructed into art objects, business centers and sports facilities. Many pessimists say that this is how the Moscow government is killing the industrial giant. Whether car production will resume, time will tell.

Transport and pedestrian infrastructure

Now the territory of the ZIL plant is not quite suitable for a full life. And all because it is a little isolated from the main transport arteries of the city. And the internal roads leave much to be desired. To remedy this situation, the projectreconstruction included the construction of 30 km of new roads. 3 road and 2 pedestrian bridges will be built across the Moscow River. This will give direct access to Warsaw highway and other important streets.

Pedestrian comfort is also given considerable attention in the project. First, all embankments will be equipped, on which observation platforms will appear. Secondly, for the safety of movement within the area, underground and elevated pedestrian crossings will be built.

The longest pedestrian boulevard in Moscow will appear in the residential complex. Its length will be 1.2 km. It will be possible to walk along it to the branch of the Hermitage Museum, which is still under construction.

Pedestrians will also have access to the park area, which will be spread over an area of over 14 hectares. The development of the park is carried out by well-known urbanists who will make it as pleasant as possible for recreation. This is how they plan to gradually reorganize the territory of the ZIL plant.

Interesting facts

When designing the "ZILART" microdistrict, the best experience of world cities was taken into account. So, the embankment is compared with the same in Paris, the park - with Barcelona, pedestrian zones - with Singapore.

The residential complex on the territory of the ZIL plant was simultaneously developed by 10 best architectural agencies in the country. This made it possible to create a project not just of a microdistrict, but of a real art object, which will be made in a futuristic style.

The building for the Hermitage branch was designed by Professor HaniRashid, whose projects have already built outstanding buildings, for example, in New York, Abu Dhabi, Paris. According to his idea, this is a tower 150 meters high, which will be located at the beginning of the art zone of the microdistrict. The architect himself calls it a bridge from the past to the future.

Approximately half of all streets will be pedestrian. They are planned to be named after prominent scientists and artists, for example: Kadynsky, Chagall, Stepanova, Ginzburg and others.

25 hectares of territory will be occupied by the sports and entertainment center "Park of Legends". Already today, it houses an ice palace, where the Ice Hockey World Championship was held in 2016, the Hockey Museum, the Synchronized Swimming Center.

Of course, the plans to change the face of the industrial zone are huge, and only time will tell if they are destined to come true. But if this really happens, "ZILART" will become another gem of the capital.