About TAIF-ST construction company: “You have written yourself into history in bright letters”
TAIF-ST, part of TAIF Group, has celebrated its 20th anniversary. Over the years of its work, the company has built and commissioned a large number of technically complex, versatile and unique facilities. Specialists of the company build not only qualitatively, but also commission all objects in time. Read about how it all began and what landmark buildings have been built in the material of Realnoe Vremya.
From the zero cycle to facility commissioning
TAIF-ST construction company celebrated its 20th anniversary on 25 October. The representatives of the construction industry of Tatarstan congratulated the veterans of labour, workers and leaders of TAIF-ST PLC with the anniversary of the company in the Chemists' Palace of Culture. Welcoming the guests at the solemn event, TAIF-ST CEO Amir Safin highlighted the high professionalism of the company's staff.
“A large number of unique, technically difficult, versatile, non-standard objects has been constructed and successfully commissioned over 20 years of work by the forces of our company. Today our company builds buildings, starting from the zero cycle to facility commissioning, has its own base, construction equipment, trained and highly qualified personnel,” Safin said.
Later in the conversation with Realnoe Vremya, Amir Safin said that currently TAIF-ST is building at large enterprises of TAIF Group, such as Kazanorgsintez PJSC, Nizhnekamskneftekhim PJSC, TAIF-NK PSC, TGC-16 JSC, Gas Transportation Company PLC. In 2018, the company's revenue amounted to 1,9 billion rubles, net profit — 135, 5 billion rubles.
A reliable player in the construction industry
Deputy Minister of Construction, Architecture and Housing and Communal Services of the Republic of Tatarstan Ildus Nasyrov congratulated the builders on the anniversary. He read a welcoming speech on behalf of the head of the department, Irek Fayzullin.
“Over the years of work, TAIF-ST has come a long way, becoming a reliable player in the construction industry. High professionalism of specialists, administrative literacy and responsible approach have allowed your company to implement more than a dozen complex innovative projects qualitatively and in time. For 20 years, TAIF-ST has successfully implemented federal and regional programmes in the field of construction, reconstruction of residential buildings, social and cultural institutions. Undoubtedly, behind each achievement, there are people, your work. On this day, I would like to express my gratitude to the management and staff of the company for their conscientious work. I am sure that thanks to the energy and enthusiasm, you will be able to continue to go the intended course,” the text of the congratulation read.
The head of Kirovsky and Moskovsky districts of Kazan, Sergey Mironov, confirmed that the company celebrates the anniversary date with good results.
“The 20th anniversary for the construction industry is an era. The holiday you are celebrating today is the confirmation that the course has been chosen correctly. Objects are very important for any construction company. Looking at the city panorama, you see a highlight. When you start to find out who built it — most of the objects belong to you. Dear veterans have reverently passed the construction traditions to the new generation. You have written yourself in bright letters in the history of Kazan. You fill the city with social, cultural facilities and production sites,” Mironov said, thanking the company's executives for quality facilities.
In turn, Deputy Director General of TAIF PSC for Construction and Overhaul Ilgiz Latypov drew attention to the fact that over the years TAIF-ST has done a lot.
“The company has passed a serious way of development of intense laborious work. Today, TAIF-ST rightfully occupies a leading position in the construction market of Tatarstan. Thanks to the accumulated experience, high professionalism, team cohesion, TAIF-ST has gained a reputation as a reliable service provider, trusted and sought to cooperate with government organizations and large customers. Residential buildings, social infrastructure, sports, cultural and entertainment facilities, administrative buildings, built over the years by your company, have become an integral part of our capital. TAIF-ST made an invaluable contribution to the cultural and historical heritage of the city. I am sure that in the future TAIF-ST will implement many large-scale projects no less ambitious than those that have already gone down in history and earned the deserved authority and recognition of the company in the professional community of the Republic of Tatarstan,” Ilgiz Latypov announced from the stage the congratulations of Director General of TAIF PSC Ruslan Shigabutdinov.
That night, many employees of the company received state and departmental awards. Tatar pop stars and creative teams of the republic also performed for the guests.
About the history of the company
For TAIF, the construction direction is one of the priorities. This activity began immediately after the establishment of the Presidential Fund for the Elimination of Dilapidated Housing in Tatarstan. In 1996, the subsidiary company Meta-TAIF was established, which built two 12-storey brick houses in the neighbourhood of Azino-1 in record time. Kazan residents living in old, unsatisfactory houses in the city centre had the opportunity to move into new comfortable apartments. In 1998, two more houses were commissioned.
In 1999, another company — TAIF-ST- was established to develop the construction industry. The company was created to implement numerous construction projects. Over 20 years, the company has built a large number of socio-cultural and sports facilities, as well as educational and health facilities. Besides, the company pays special attention to the restoration of cultural and historical heritage.
In the bank of TAIF-ST, there are important facilities such as the first in Kazan cultural-entertaining complex Piramida, the administrative building of the branch of the Pension Fund of the Russian Federation in Tatarstan, which was a gift of the architects and builders of Kazan PSO the 1000th anniversary of Kazan, the Centre of Field Hockey with two playing fields and a seating capacity of 2,337 seats, Department of Chemistry at the Kazan (Volga Region) Federal University, kindergartens in the framework of the republican program Belekech, the reconstruction of Kekin’s House, the administrative building of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Republic of Tatarstan, the diagnostic centre at the Republican Clinical Hospital and the buildings under the museum-reserve on the island-city Sviyazhsk and much more.
Besides, it has also built the new offices of the company, the complex of facilities for the customs terminal Karsar, including a filling station, service stations, hotels and warehouses. By the way, Karsar itself was created by TAIF 23 years ago to provide services for customs clearance of cargoes, when there were no such organizations in the republic at all. Thanks to this department, TAIF formed a civilized customs infrastructure in Tatarstan in the early '90s.
About how the cultural and entertainment complex Piramida appeared
The idea to build the unique complex in the capital of Tatarstan belongs to Radik Shaimiev. He tried to find an image of the future construction with American designers, but the desired result could not be achieved. In 1995, his attention was attracted by the building of the savings bank Tatarstan, designed by architects Gulsine Tokareva and Viktor Tokarev. It was then when he proposed to improve the project.
Having studied the national and world experience, the architects came to the image of the pyramid. The form did not eclipse the panorama of the Kremlin and also corresponded to the dynamics of youth culture — the main purpose of the object, the construction of which began in December 1997. Five years later, in 2002, the construction of Piramida was completed. The complex, which accommodates more than 2,500 people simultaneously, cost TAIF Group $40 million.
The contours of Piramida are clearly visible from the Volga River, and from the railway, and from the Kremlin hill. Arriving then in the republic on the day of the grand opening of Piramida ex-president of Russia Boris Yeltsin said that he “has never seen anything like Kazan Piramida.”
Today, Piramida regularly hosts cultural, official, sports events from the city to the world level, such as the annual Kazan International Festival of Muslim Cinema, World Congress of Tatars, Tatar Zhyry Festival, Miss Tatarstan Contest, Sozvezdie-Yoldyzlyk Festival and much more.
Moreover, the complex has its own facilities: fitness club, beauty salon, night club, bar-cafe, panoramic restaurant. Also, under the building, there is an underground car parking, and next to the building, there is private parking for 200 cars.
The reconstruction of the unique Kekin’s House
TAIF is engaged not only in business projects but also pays considerable attention to the restoration of cultural and historical heritage. One of these objects was the architectural monument of federal importance Kekin’s House, located at the intersection of Gorky Street and Galaktionova Street.
The house, which bears the name of its first owner, millionaire merchant Kekin, had long been in disrepair. Built more than a hundred years ago, the building was advanced for its time. Leonty Kekin built his house from his own brick, which was considered the best in the Kazan region. However, he did not live in this building but rented it out. During the Soviet period, the house was nationalized and completely became residential, except for the first floor. It was then that the historic interiors were destroyed.
According to the technical statement, which was made by specialists of Kazan Giproniiaviaprom CJSC in 2000, the wear of the building was 80%. At the same time, it was proposed to demolish Kekin's House. But the first President of Tatarstan Mintimer Shaimiev and Kamil Iskhakov, who then held the post of mayor of Kazan, proposed to preserve the object of cultural significance, which required large investments of private funds. After much persuasion, the authorities managed to convince TAIF to take over the reconstruction of the monument. In 2000, the company bought the facility.
It was immediately clear that there was a large amount of work ahead. During the reconstruction, the facade of the building was completely restored with the restoration of the original appearance. Inside the house, there was also a huge restoration work: dilapidated staircases were replaced with reinforced concrete, faced with granite slabs. The roof of the building was fully restored, which is equipped with a system of thawing. On the territory adjacent to the Kekin’s House, a two-storey building was erected, which houses: parking, transformer substation and office space.
Once on the verge of demolition, the Kekin's House was completely restored and brought to its original appearance for 280 million rubles. Currently, the building is an attractive business centre with office and retail space.
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