Sports and Recreation Complex with a swimming pool

A swimming pool will be built in Lepel… Once before, back in the distant 80s, this news made many happy. Those over thirty still remember how their parents used to show them a pond opposite the police station. "A swimming pool will be built here," they told the children. However, the dreams of the children, who were hoping to swim all year round, never came true… Several decades have passed, and this news has returned to our town again. Is it a rumour or truly upcoming changes? For the answer, we turned to the director of ISKUP "Lepel UKS", Galina Lyubimova.

It turns out that the swimming pool is indeed going to be built. And what a swimming pool it will be! A two-story building with a total area of about three thousand square meters. Such a sports and recreation centre with a swimming pool will appear in Lepel. Moreover, it will feature two pools. One hall will be 25 by 8.5 meters, and the children's pool hall will be 10 by 6 meters. Changing rooms will be equipped with lockers and benches. Each of the pool halls – large and small – will have its own changing rooms and showers. Women will not have to worry about their hairstyles either: hairdryers will be installed in a separate room. A nurse will be able to provide first aid: her office will be equipped with the necessary furniture and equipment. Water samples will be tested in a special laboratory for chemical and bacteriological analysis. The designers have not forgotten about people with disabilities. They will be able to enter the water in the large pool using a lift. And a toilet will be equipped for them in each changing room.

All this will be located on the second floor. And what will be on the first floor? Of course, there will be a reception area and technical rooms. A small gym will also be equipped here. By the way, not only those who wish to swim in the pool but also those who enjoy a good steam will be able to visit the sports and recreation centre. A sauna will be available for them. It will be designed for four people with a massage room and a relaxation room.

Exercise on the gym equipment, swim, and then have a bite to eat? This has also been considered, with a buffet for eight people being designed. Utility rooms and a washroom located next to the dining area will allow offering visitors not only sandwiches but also simple hot meals.

Incidentally, the future sports and recreation center already has a "twin" in another town – Novolukoml. According to the project previously prepared for the Novolukoml school, a swimming pool will be built here. The State Enterprise "Institute Vitebskselstroyproekt" is already developing the design documentation. 500 million rubles were allocated from the local budget for this work. Engineering and geodetic surveys have already been completed: specialists have surveyed the area. The design documentation will be ready by the end of the year, and then it will be up to the allocated funds for construction.

Where will the facility, aspiring to become popular among Lepel residents, appear? This was decided back in March by the standing commission. It includes 14 representatives of various city services – from land management to the nature resources inspection. They had to choose a site for the construction of the future swimming pool from four options. There were proposals to build the sports and recreation center behind the building of the district House of Culture, on the territory of the sports complex and the gymnasium named after I. M. Erashov. However, everyone agreed: the swimming pool will be located where it was once planned to be built – opposite the building of the Department of Internal Affairs, on the site of the existing reservoir.

Ekaterina OSOVSKAYA