“Dinamo” swimming pool is transforming into a modern natation center, with UNDP support

The reconstruction works of the natation centre are 60% finalized. The modernization works are carried out in the framework of a project implemented by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), funded by the Ministry of Internal Affairs. The cost of the project is of 1.44 million USD.

“Dinamo” swimming pool has a history of over four decades, during which it has been never repaired. All the infrastructure was obsolete. The system of water filtering, lighting, water supply and sewerage have never been changed before. Because of recurring technical flaws, training sessions were many times postponed.

“The swimming pool risks to close down if it is not repaired”

Galina Tereşcenco is a swimming coach with an experience of four decades and has taught hundreds of children how to swim. She is convinced that the reconstruction saves the swimming pool from disappearing.

“Dinamo has passed through periods of glory but has aged and ended to be in a poor state. The blue painting from all the premises, the locker rooms and the old showers built in the ‘60s of the past century make a desolate scene. The tiles were falling down from the walls, the pipes were frequently breaking up. All these created a lot of problems. If reconstruction did not start, the swimming pool would have closed in one-two years forever. This project revives the sports center loved by thousands of persons,” says the coach.

Currently, Galina Tereşcenco coaches her trainees in one of the swimming pools of the capital city and she is so eager to come back to her working place where she has worked for almost her entire life.

She is confident that after the reopening of the swimming pool, there will be more children willing to practice swimming. “Dinamo is the place where the ‘goldfishes’ appear – this is how we call our champions. I am sure that we will discover more talents when the swimming pool will be reopened.”

One of Galina Tereşcenco’s trainees, Alexia Savinova, is 14 years old and practices swimming since she was seven. The teenager obtained several awards in various sports contests. To obtain such a high performance, sometimes she has to practice twice per day. She wakes up daily at 5.40 o’clock and at 6.00 o’clock she is already at the trolleybus station to be on time at the swimming pool, where her coach is waiting for her.

Alexia is fully confident that when the swimming pool will be relaunched, she will have better conditions for swimming, and the results will follow soon.

“The space we are trained now is so narrow. There are too few tracks and it is very difficult. We are very much looking for our swimming pool to be reopened. We will have better conditions there and we will be able to set new records,” says the teenager.

Alexia is always accompanied by her mother, Larisa Cuzminscaia. The woman says that the reconstruction of “Dinamo” Center will solve several problems: “The old swimming pool was a real danger for children. The basic conditions for training were missing”.

Vadim Bolgar, the father of a teenager fond of swimming, Vlad, notes that because of the poor conditions, swimming trainings were postponed many times: “Exercising is absolutely crucial for a sportsperson. Permanent effort is necessary, if you really want to have results. Sometimes there was no hot water and children had to go back home. The swimming pool tub was full of cracks and the pipelines had to be changed”.

Renovation includes more stages

Thanks to the increased budget allocated for this project by the Ministry of Internal Affairs, it was possible to extend the volume of initially planned works. Hence, besides the two swimming pools (one for children and the other one for adults), all the areas on the territory of the future natation center will be rebuilt. These are technical spaces with a total area of about 150 m2, which will host the installed filtering and heating systems.

A series of new premises adjacent to the swimming pool will be built on a total area of 692 m2. These premises will include the locker rooms, administrative spaces and sanitary groups. The reconstruction of the central block of the natation center – a building of 510 m2 – is ongoing. This building will host a multifunctional sports hall, a waiting hall, and a cafeteria.

The center will be accessible to all those who are fond of swimming. The natation center will offer excellent exercising conditions for sportspersons, but also for all the persons fond of swimming. It is for the first time in our country when people with disabilities will be able to practice swimming. This will be possible thanks to the infrastructure which will be adjusted to all beneficiaries. Hence, the persons with visual impairments will have tactile paths, visible inscriptions due to contrast of colors, etc. They will be access ramps, so as adapted locker rooms and sanitary groups.

After the reconstruction, the “Dinamo” big swimming pool with a length of 25 meters and width of 14 meters, will have six tracks for swimmers and will be in line with the standards of the International Natation Federation. So, international sports contests could be organized there.