Orion meets Neptune

There are few examples of the typical "Soviet architecture" style in Baikonur. The Orion swimming pool (together with the the first school built in the city), seems to be the most remarkable. representative of a style that is now vanishing with the collapse of the Soviet Union. A new style corresponding to the new time is surfacing as showed for instance by new kindergarten project built on road leading to the airport.

The Soviet union was promoting sports and used the number of won Olympic medals as part of its propaganda to justify the value of the regime. In this context, sport facilities were developed everywhere to prepare high level sportsmen and women. Baikonur as a symbol of the Soviet Union in the area of space development was treated with the same policy than other soviet cities.

The "Orion" building (erected in TDB) should be seen as the vestige of this epoch and is still considered as the "pride" of the city.

An artist impression of the initial project:
which looks slightly dfferent in fact from what it looks like today

A single parallelepipedic body is covered by a curved roof suggesting a rolling wave facing the Syr Daria river on the east side.
2 levels inside: under the biggest height of the roof, a 50 meter Olympic pool and a mezzanine under the smallest height that accommodates a large fitness room. The fitness room as a nice view on the pool.

View of the eastern facade (Syr Daria side) with large window bays, bringing light to the pool:

View of the western facade (city side):
The access to the building is made on this side.

The entrance is decorated by very delicate stained glass showing some sea motives.

Between the 2 levels: few other beautiful pieces of stained glass with dominant blue and red colors, can be seen when climbing the 2 staircases on each side (North and South) of the building.

From the top of the Southern staircase, a superb view on the Olympic pool,

and on the opposite side, a view on the various diving boards.
After a discussion with "experts", the understanding of the wall decoration remains cryptic: A mixture of Rusalka, Neptune (but without his trident), and Orion constellation? or may be a pure fantasy from the artist?

...getting down, the "cafe Olympia" waits for you and reminds the first Greek Olympics heroes. All cups and trophies won by the Baikonur teams over the years are displayed in the window...

A last touch of refinement comes when you order a drink. The "coffee set", for instance, reminds you that you are not in the middle of the desert, but well in Baikonur, the "space city"'and, on the other side of the cup you will learn that thecity is 50 years old only!

A good alternative to the beach, no? :-)