The historic building of the Imperial Orphanage on the Chernaya Rechka embankment was moved to make room for a new construction.
The two-story building, weighing 3,200 tons, was first moved 7 meters to the west and then 45 meters to the south. The house, built in 1913, stood at the back of the plot that had been given over to development. In recent years, the building had been used as an office center. Authorities, meanwhile, forbade it to be demolished, as it has historical value.
In Moscow in the 1930s, houses were moved many times and the technology itself is known, although, in St. Petersburg, it was applied for the first time only now.
The facade of the building was reinforced with metal rebar and two reinforced concrete slabs were poured under the house. Jacks were attached to the upper one, while lower one was used as a springboard. The structure was moved along specially laid rails. The average speed of movement was a whopping 4 centimeters per minute!
A new residential complex, meanwhile, will be built on the vacated site by the end of 2025.
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