Contemporary artists will reimagine the construction of the Kavkaz.RF seaside resort.

The third NARMA contemporary art festival will be held in Derbent from August 21 to 23. The key partner of the cultural program will be the Kavkaz.RF Development Institute, which will present contemporary artists' works inspired by the large-scale construction of the Caspian Coastal Cluster in Dagestan. The festival will bring together over 18 venues and 80 representatives of creative industries from Makhachkala, Derbent, Moscow, St. Petersburg, Kazan, Chelyabinsk, and other cities.

The main theme of NARMA-2026 will be "Navigation of Attention"—the organizers will invite viewers to transform into travelers exploring the historical and cultural layers of the ancient city.

The festival's focal point will be Suleiman Stalsky Park, where projects initiated by Kavkaz.RF and directly related to the future seaside resort will be presented. Artist Asiya Bareeva will present a total installation dedicated to the process of transforming building material into art. Video artist Maxim Silenkov explores the phenomenon of construction as a living sculpture unfolding over time, reimagining the visual language of large-scale infrastructure construction.

"Supporting the NARMA festival is in line with Kavkaz.RF's global mission to increase the region's investment attractiveness, including through the involvement of creative industries. Our previous experience promoting the Mamison resort, which was still under construction, suggests that the development of tourist areas can and should begin before the resorts' official opening, during the construction phase, and with the immediate involvement of creative industries. For example, through a synthesis of contemporary art, cultural and natural heritage, or, as in the case of Kaspiy, through artistic observation of the construction site," shared Tatyana Baeva, Director of Communications at Kavkaz.RF.

Park visitors will also be able to see Diya Murtazalieva's photo project dedicated to cultural identity and the meeting place of different traditions. Each evening, the venue will feature a musical program featuring local and invited performers, combining the traditional sounds of Dagestan with electronic and audiovisual offerings. A local brand fair and a gastronomic zone will also be held there.

The festival program connects the cultural codes of the past with the industrial present. A perfume installation will be installed in the 17th-century Khan's Baths, an audiovisual work by Zukhra Khalikova will be performed in an underground reservoir dating from the 10th-11th centuries, and a photo exhibition about the inhabitants of the mahals will open in the House of Peter the Great. The theme of heritage will be continued with installations in the Carpet Museum, on the façade of the Shopping Arcade, and at the carpet bazaar. Projects at the railway station and on the grounds of the Derbent Vino winery will celebrate the industrial sounds of the city.

The public portion of the festival includes a lecture series featuring Ad Marginem publishing house and the DAL architectural bureau, discussions on the fashion industry with the Beinopen Institute, and film screenings by the Kinora Foundation in the SILNO art residence gallery.

Admission to the festival is free with advance registration on the event website.

Kavkaz.RF is the unified development institute for the North Caucasus Federal District. One of the key objectives of the state corporation is the construction and development of resorts in the special economic zones of the North Caucasus Federal District. The company's most famous projects include Elbrus, Mamison, Arkhyz, and Veduchi. The Caspian coastal cluster is being built at the request of the President as part of the "Five Seas and Lake Baikal" program. This is a joint project of the government of the Republic of Dagestan and Kavkaz.RF, coordinated by the Russian Ministry of Economic Development.

Narma is an annual contemporary art festival in Derbent, held since 2024. The name refers to a local grape variety symbolizing the connection between people and the land. The festival is organized by the educational platform "Zavod Kultury" and the Ministry of Tourism and Folk Arts and Crafts of the Republic of Dagestan. The general partners are the Derbent Vino winery and the SILNO art residence. The festival is supported by the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Dagestan, the Derbent city administration, the Derbent Department of Architecture and Urban Development, and the Derbent Museum-Reserve.

Construction of the Caspian Coastal Cluster is proceeding according to schedule.

A meeting on the implementation of the Caspian Coastal Cluster project was held in Makhachkala. The event was chaired by Deputy Minister of Economic Development of the Russian Federation Sergey Nazarov and Acting Head of the Republic of Dagestan Fyodor Shchukin. Andrey Yumshanov, CEO of Kavkaz.RF, delivered a report.

Currently, the design of six of the resort's seven facilities has been completed; design documentation for an additional facility—a drainage canal—is being developed. Construction work is actively underway at five sites: the service center, road network and parking, utilities, and coastal improvements.

To manage the ongoing construction on the coast, a Kavkaz.RF office has been opened, a construction headquarters has been established, and daily planning meetings are being held. During an inspection of contractors, Andrey Yumshanov confirmed that the work is progressing according to the approved schedule.

The Caspian Coastal Cluster project is being implemented as part of the "Five Seas and Lake Baikal" national project and is under the supervision of the President and Government of the Russian Federation. The project targets include the creation of over 7,000 hotel rooms by 2030; Kavkaz.RF is responsible for constructing all necessary infrastructure and performing landscaping.

The total project funding is 24.6 billion rubles, of which 14.4 billion rubles are allocated under the state "Tourism Development" program, and the remainder is being financed by other relevant state programs and Kavkaz.RF's own funds.

Particular attention was paid during the meeting to interactions with residents of the special economic zone—the project's private investors. Currently, 16 agreements have been signed with residents, and another 15 are being developed. The planned projects will create 7,200 rooms; the resort's total capacity is expected to reach 8,200 rooms by 2034. However, only one resident is preparing to begin construction this year, while the majority of accommodation is scheduled for completion in 2028.

The basic facilities of the Caspian Coastal Cluster resort will be completed in 2027.

Contractors are currently carrying out surveying work, preparing working documentation, and purchasing materials. This was announced by Vladimir Lapukhin, Deputy Director General of Kavkaz.RF, at an off-site meeting at the future resort.

Meetings with the leadership of the relevant ministry, resource-supplying organizations, and representatives of contracting organizations were held at the headquarters, which was set up at the end of last year.

The core of the resort, a four-story multifunctional center with an area of 7,500 square meters, is currently in the active construction phase. Earthworks have been completed, 1,663 m3 of concrete has been poured for the foundation slab, waterproofing of the foundation slab is underway, columns and walls on the first floor are being reinforced, and preparatory work is being carried out before pouring concrete for the first floor.

The next projects in line are roads and parking lots on the resort grounds, utility networks, and landscaping.

The project will involve the construction of 15.5 km of roads. Surveying work has been completed and working documentation is currently being developed. The team will enter the active construction phase by summer.

The contractor for the construction of engineering networks has begun surveying, signed a contract for the development of working documentation, and is purchasing materials for preparatory work. The main stage of construction of engineering networks is scheduled to last until December 2027.

The contractor for the improvement of the cluster's territory is at a similar stage. This stage of work will enter its active phase in the second half of 2026 and will be completed by the end of 2027.

An above-ground multi-level parking lot for 693 passenger cars will be built in 2027, and working documentation is currently being developed.

The Caspian coastal cluster in Dagestan is being created on the instructions of the President of the Russian Federation and is part of the large-scale presidential project “Five Seas and Lake Baikal.” This is a joint project of the government of the Republic of Dagestan and Kavkaz.RF, coordinated by the Ministry of Economic Development of Russia.

The project for dormitories for employees of the Caspian coastal cluster has been approved by Glavgosexpertiza.

A plot of land measuring more than 50,000 square meters in the central part of the resort has been allocated for construction. According to the project, two hotel-type buildings will be built here, each accommodating 340 people. The total building area will be almost 9,000 square meters.

"The buildings for staff accommodation will vary in height from three to four floors. Each of them will be U-shaped with a flat roof. The living rooms will be double and triple, each with a living and kitchen area, as well as a bathroom. Each building will have 151 living units," said Elena Ostapenko, representative of the Russian State Expert Review Board and chief expert of the project.

All the necessary transport and engineering infrastructure will be provided, including a boiler room and a gas control station.

Currently, a multifunctional center and residential facilities are under active construction, and road and engineering infrastructure is being created. The contractor for the first stage of construction has also been selected.

The Caspian coastal cluster in Dagestan is being created on the instructions of the President of the Russian Federation and is part of the large-scale presidential project “Five Seas and Lake Baikal.” This is a joint project of the Republic's government and Kavkaz.RF, coordinated by the Ministry of Economic Development of Russia.

The Caspian resort will have parking lots, the necessary service infrastructure, and landscaping.

Russia's Main State Expert Review Board has confirmed that the design and estimate documentation and engineering surveys comply with building codes, technical regulations, and safety requirements. The projects for the improvement of the resort area and car parks have received a positive conclusion.

"We pay special attention to the safety of facilities. We will not only improve the coastal area, which stretches for more than six and a half kilometers, but also strengthen the coastline. We plan to build coastal protection structures. According to the project, these will be rough wave-breaking berms made of large stones. They will protect the beach from the negative impact of waves and make our guests' stay more comfortable," said Vladimir Lapukhin, Deputy CEO of Kavkaz.RF.

The improvement works will be carried out in two stages. The first will cover an area of more than 195,000 square meters, and the second will be slightly smaller, at 189,000 square meters.

"In the east, the cluster is washed by the Caspian Sea, and in the west, it is bordered by the foothills of the Greater Caucasus. The development site is a planned area that will feature a paved embankment, a bike path, pedestrian walkways and sidewalks, areas with small architectural forms, and green spaces," said Elena Ostapenko, representative of the Russian State Expert Review Board and chief expert of the project.

The infrastructure will be complemented by pavilions with rental points, toilets, mother and child rooms, amphitheaters on the boulevard and embankment, stands at sports grounds, and stairs.

Five car parks will appear at the resort. Two of them will be open-air and located at the entrances to the cluster – in the north from Makhachkala and in the south from Derbent. In addition, the project provides for the construction of three above-ground multi-level five-storey car parks. Two of them will have parking spaces for 12 buses, and the total number of parking spaces for cars in the multi-level parking lots will be almost 1,800.

The Caspian resort improvement project has already become a sensation in the architectural world—it has been shortlisted for the prestigious ADD Awards in the Landscape Design category and published as a project of the future on the popular Archi.ru portal. In the coming days, it will be defended for the Russian Landscape Architects Association Award (ALAROS). The general designer is the Bristol-Project consortium, and the concept developer is the Yarus design center with the participation of DK architects and Garden Group.

Previously, the projects for the construction of roads and engineering networks for the Caspian resort received a positive conclusion from the Main State Expert Review Board of Russia.

Currently, a multifunctional center is under construction on the second coastline—a four-story building with a total area of 7,500 square meters. Some of the earthworks have already been completed, and concrete work is underway to construct the foundation slab.

The Caspian coastal cluster in Dagestan is being created on the instructions of the President of the Russian Federation and is part of the large-scale presidential project “Five Seas and Lake Baikal.” This is a joint project of the Republic's government and Kavkaz.RF, coordinated by the Ministry of Economic Development of Russia.

The engineering network project for the Caspian resort has been approved by the Main State Expert Review Board.

More than 40 km of power supply networks will be laid on the territory of the future seaside resort, more than 50 km of water supply and sewage pipes will be built, 9 km of gas pipelines and communication networks will be connected, and transformer substations, pumping stations, and sewage stations will be erected. Particular attention is paid to water treatment systems. The management company of the Kavkaz.RF tourist cluster is currently preparing documentation for a tender to select a contractor. The general designer for the creation of engineering networks at the resort is Bristol-Project.

"Well-designed engineering networks are invisible to tourists, but they are an essential part of the resort's infrastructure. They create the basis for a comfortable stay and the efficient and, most importantly, safe operation of future sanatoriums, hotels, water parks, concert halls, and sports halls, which residents of the SEZ are already beginning to build. This project differs from our previous mountain resorts in that most of the construction involves the construction of treatment facilities, as the marine cluster will be built on the first coastline," notes Vladimir Lapukhin, Deputy Director General of Kavkaz.RF.

“The design of treatment facilities is an important part of any construction project, especially in regions with unique natural conditions. Treatment facilities play a key role in protecting the environment and ensuring the ecological sustainability and safety of the resort,” said Alexander Malakhov, chief expert at Russia's Main State Expert Review Board.

Two more seaside resort projects are currently undergoing approval by Glavgosexpertiza. According to the documents, five parking lots with 1,925 parking spaces and landscaping with small architectural forms, greenery, public transport stops, and restrooms will appear on the cluster's territory.

Earlier this year, projects for the construction of a multifunctional center and road infrastructure for the resort were approved. Construction of the MFC has already begun, and the management company will start building roads before the end of the year; preparatory work is currently underway. Almost 16 km of road will have to be built from scratch, and pedestrian routes, checkpoints, and stops will have to be constructed. The resort's main highway will run along the upper border of the SEZ, with four exits leading to the resort area. The main pedestrian route will wind through almost the entire resort and lead to the central square and the marina.

The Caspian Coastal Cluster project in the Derbent district of the Republic of Dagestan is being developed on behalf of the President of the Russian Federation. The future seaside resort will be part of the large-scale Five Seas and Lake Baikal project, a joint venture between the republic's government and Kavkaz.RF, coordinated by the Russian Ministry of Economic Development.

Today, 16 residents are registered in the special economic zone developed by Kavkaz.RF. They will build hotels, sanatoriums, and restaurants. The total amount of declared investments in the project is 62.9 billion rubles. It is expected that by 2030, the seaside resort on the Caspian Sea will be able to accommodate up to 700,000 people per year.

Kavkaz.RF is organizing a construction headquarters on the territory of the Caspian Coastal Cluster SEZ.

Construction of a key facility for the new resort, a multifunctional center, is beginning on the second coastline. The progress of the mobilization work was assessed by CEO Andrey Yumshanov and Executive Director Hasan Timizhev.

The visitor center will become the heart of the Caspian Coastal Cluster. Its four floors, with a total area of 7,500 m2, will house a rescue station, a pharmacy, a medical center, a restaurant, a café, and souvenir shops.

In the spring, the project passed the Main State Expert Review, and in the summer, it received a construction permit. Commissioning is scheduled for autumn 2027. The Kavkaz.RF construction headquarters is opening on the territory of the SEZ. There will be daily interaction with contractors and residents. Construction work will continue throughout the year, as conditions on the Caspian coast are favorable for this.

In addition to the aforementioned visitor center, the main construction projects on the part of Kavkaz.RF include 20 km of roads, engineering networks (currently under review), treatment facilities, and transformer substations.

"In terms of capacity, this infrastructure is several times larger than what we usually build for ski resorts. But here, we not only have to create the infrastructure, we also have to show that this is a functioning resort with an established tourist flow and accommodation for all tourists. Therefore, we have a very difficult road ahead of us in the coming years. But we will be able to solve the problems that arise if we act together, as a united front," Andrey Yumshanov emphasized at a meeting with the head of the republic, Sergey Melikov, dedicated to the development of the resort.

Right now, a well for technical water has been installed at the construction site, a transformer has been installed, mobile homes have been delivered, and the site has been fenced off. The site has been laid out and the main period of work has begun: the first layer of fill for the foundation has been tested by the laboratory, and workers have begun filling the second layer.

The Caspian coastal cluster in Dagestan is being created on the instructions of the President of the Russian Federation and is part of the large-scale presidential project “Five Seas and Lake Baikal.”

The Main State Expert Review Board has issued a positive opinion on the construction of road infrastructure in the Caspian region.

It is planned that the total length of roads at the future seaside resort “Caspian Coastal Cluster” will be more than 15 km, with a maximum traffic intensity of 105 cars per hour. Two checkpoints will be installed at the entrance to the resort. In addition, a developed network of pedestrian routes is planned for the marine cluster, including 28 public transport stops.

“Over the next five years, private businesses will be intensively building hotels, sanatoriums, and restaurants in our SEZ, and one of the important tasks of Kavkaz.RF as the managing company is to provide residents and future guests with high-quality transport infrastructure, which will significantly increase the investment and tourist appeal of Dagestan and the Caspian region as a whole,” said Vladimir Lapukhin, Deputy Director General of Kavkaz.RF.

"The planned streets are the main planning structure, the framework of the Caspian coastal cluster, which will not only provide transport links for all planned facilities, but also organize pedestrian traffic, including for people with limited mobility. The project also provides for solutions for lighting, rainwater drainage, landscaping, and the laying of engineering and technical support networks," said Elena Ostapenko, chief expert of the Russian State Expert Review Board.

The resort's road infrastructure is being designed by Bristol-Project LLC.

Earlier, the multifunctional center project, the first of the future seaside resort facilities under the management of Kavkaz.RF, received a positive conclusion from Glavgosexpertiza.

The Caspian Coastal Cluster project in the Derbent district of the Republic of Dagestan is being created on behalf of the President of the Russian Federation. The future seaside resort will be part of the large-scale Five Seas and Lake Baikal project, a joint project of the republic's government and Kavkaz.RF, coordinated by the Russian Ministry of Economic Development.

Today, 16 residents are registered in the special economic zone developed by Kavkaz.RF, and they will build hotels, sanatoriums, and restaurants. The total amount of declared investments in the project is 62.9 billion rubles. It is expected that by 2030, the seaside resort on the Caspian Sea will be able to accommodate up to 700,000 people per year.

Construction of the Caspian cluster will begin with a multifunctional center.

The first of the future seaside resort facilities managed by Kavkaz.RF, a multifunctional center, has received a positive conclusion from Glavgosexpertiza. The North Caucasus Federal District Development Institute is preparing to start construction this year. Caspian is part of the large-scale presidential project Five Seas and Lake Baikal.

"Service and multifunctional centers are key resort infrastructure facilities used for management, operation, and welcoming guests. In essence, they are the “heart” of the entire resort. The first impression of the resort will be formed precisely at these facilities, so a professional approach to exterior and interior design is an important marketing, commercial, and business tool. To create an attractive and memorable visual image, as well as to improve the quality of services provided at our resorts, we also meticulously develop design projects for the public areas of such facilities," said Vladimir Lapukhin, Deputy General Director of Kavkaz.RF. He also noted that the company is currently completing the design of a large multifunctional center at Elbrus and is preparing for bidding on it. Finishing work on such a center will soon begin at the new Mamison resort.

The Caspian resort in Dagestan is a joint project of the Government of the Republic and Kavkaz.RF, coordinated by the Ministry of Economic Development of Russia. Over the next five years, there are plans to build hotels, sanatoriums, hostels, restaurants, and multifunctional centers here. Sixteen initial residents have been registered in the special economic zone, with a total declared investment of 62.9 billion rubles.

"One of the first resort facilities submitted for expert review was a multifunctional center. The four-story building will house management and operational services, as well as a police station, sports equipment rental and service points, primary medical care offices, consumer services, catering, and retail outlets. All design solutions have been developed taking into account the seismicity of 9 points in the construction area," said Elena Ostapenko, chief expert of the Russian State Expert Review Board.

The total area of the center is 7,491.60 m². Of this, the total area of the retail space will be approximately 1,085 m². According to the design, the building will be rectangular in shape, with rounded forms and loggias. The curve on the main facade emphasizes the main entrance for visitors. The technological and architectural planning solutions of the building are designed for the simultaneous stay of more than 600 people. It is also planned to house a comprehensive resort security system, a gas control point, a diesel generator set, fire water storage tanks, and other engineering systems.