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Private sports museum to open in St. Petersburg

Private sports museum to open in St. Petersburg

First Furniture Factory Director Alexander Shestakov along with his partner Sergey Afanasyev will build a hockey museum in St. Petersburg. Shestakov told RBC Petersburg that the museum will be built on the territory of the Garden City Trade and Exhibition Complex at 85, Lakhtinsky Prospekt.

The museum will have total area of roughly 10,000 square metres. A children’s entertainment zone dedicated to the development of hockey will make up part of the premises. “The exhibit will include sticks, pucks, equipment, prizes, and pennants associated with the national history of hockey: with Kharlamov, Petrov, Mikhailov, legendary Russia–Canada matches, etc. – a total of roughly 6,500 inventory items. The complex will also house a wax figure museum. We would also like to make the exhibition interactive”, Shestakov told RBC Petersburg.

Considering the value of the collection, investment in the project will amount to about RUB 1 billion, Shestakov estimated. The first part of the museum will open by the middle of the year, and the project is to be completed by end of the year, Shestakov specified. The businessman did not provide the payback period for the investments, but he did say it is a commercial project that aims to generate a profit.

“Interest in hockey has surged in recent years, and the city’s ice rinks are overcrowded. We believe demand will continue to grow, so by opening the museum, we are not only pursuing social goals, but also expect to receive a certain income”, Shestakov explained.

Sharif Galeyev, a managing partner at Deloitte in St. Petersburg and a player in the St. Petersburg hockey league, agreed with Shestakov. “Hockey is becoming a part of major business events, such as the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum. The SKA hockey club is actively being promoted in the city. The number of private skating rinks in St. Petersburg is growing. At the same time, renting a skating rink, for example, to hold a corporate event is extremely difficult and expensive. This indicates there is high demand”, Galeyev told RBC Petersburg.

Source: https://www.rbc.ru/spb_sz/15/01/2018/5a5cad7d9a7947c4cd677cce?from=main

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