Transvaal Park

{{Infobox water park

|name = Transvaal Park

|image = Transvaalpark.jpg

|caption = Former Transvaal Park building and chapel to commemorate the victims of its collapse

|location = Yasenevo

|location2 = Moscow

|location3 = Russia

|coordinates = {{coord|55|35|53|N|37|31|46|E|region:RU_type:landmark|display=it}}

|theme = African

|homepage =

|opening_date = {{Start date|2002|6}}

|closing_date = {{End date|2004|2|14}}

}}

Transvaal Park was a water park in Yasenevo, a southern district of Moscow, Russia. It had an African theme and was named after a former province of South Africa. With heated pools, including a wave pool and twisting "river" for tubing, it became one of the most popular attractions in the Moscow area and a symbol of the country's bloom of private enterprise. After being open for two years, the roof collapsed, killing 28 people. The park was subsequently closed.

History

=Construction=

Transvaal Park was developed by the architectural company Sergey Kiselev and Partners, under architect Nodar Kancheli. The sports and entertainment complex was a five-story building shaped like a whale's tail, covering a total area of 20,200 m², of which about 7,000 m² was dedicated to water attractions.{{Cite web |title=Игорь Трунов: "Траснвааль-парк" погубила жадность |url=https://svpressa.ru/society/article/21108/ |access-date=25 April 2024 |website=svpressa.ru|date=12 February 2010 }} The project's client was the company European Technologies and Service, which secured a loan of $17.3 million{{Clarify|date=April 2024|reason=It isn't clear if these are US dollars or otherwise.}} from Sberbank. The total cost of construction was estimated at $40 million.{{Cite web |title=How Transvaal was built and destroyed |url=https://lenta.ru/articles/2004/02/16/transvaal/}}

Initially, there were plans to engage European builders, but due to difficulties in obtaining the necessary licenses and the absence of required Russian standards at that time, the Turkish company Koçak İnşaat Ltd. agreed to build the water park and partially finance the construction.{{Cite web |date=16 February 2004 |title=Кто построил такой аквапарк |url=https://www.kommersant.ru/doc/450051 |access-date=25 April 2024 |website=www.kommersant.ru |language=ru}}

Construction began in 2000, and by June 2002, Transvaal Park was operational.{{cite news|url=http://www.rosinform.ru/proisshestviya/700396-14-fevralya-ispolnyaetsya-10-let-tragedii-v-akvaparke/|script-title=ru:Сегодня исполняется 10 лет со дня трагедии в аквапарке 'Трансвааль'|date=14 February 2014|accessdate=14 December 2019|website=rosinform.ru|language=ru}} At the time of its construction, the water park was the largest in Europe and included water attractions, a sports pool, two sauna sections, a bowling alley with a café bar and billiards, a restaurant, a gym, and a beauty salon. The complex could accommodate about 2,000 people.{{Cite web |last=Новости |first=Р. И. А. |date= 14 February 2014|title=Трагедия в развлекательном комплексе "Трансвааль-парк" |url=https://ria.ru/20140214/994644691.html |access-date=25 April 2024 |website=РИА Новости |language=ru}}

=Collapse=

On 14 February 2004, at 7:15 p.m., the dome of the complex collapsed.{{cite web|date=16 February 2004|title=Hope fades for water park victims|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/3489915.stm|publisher=BBC News|accessdate=14 December 2019}} Estimates suggest that up to 1,300 people were inside the water park at the time. The date, a Valentine's Day Saturday, attracted a large number of young visitors.{{Cite web |title=Трагедия в аквапарке: Москва вспоминает события в "Трансваале" |url=https://www.m24.ru/articles/akvaparki/14022014/37532 |access-date=25 April 2024}}

The collapsed area was approximately 5,000 m². The dome fell onto the water entertainment area, sparing only the adult pool. It resulted in 28 deaths (including 8 children), 12 severe injuries, and 189 other injuries. Kancheli was blamed for the collapse. Two years later, on 23 February 2006, at 09:30 am, the roof of the Basmanny market, also designed by Kancheli, collapsed, killing 66 people.{{cite news|title="Трансвааль-парк", Басманный рынок... Что рухнет завтра? |url=https://iz.ru/448958/transvaal-park-basmannyi-rynok-chto-rukhnet-zavtra |website=iz.ru |date=26 February 2006 |access-date=25 April 2024 |language=ru |trans-title=Transvaal Park, Basmanny Market... What will collapse tomorrow?}}

Kancheli claimed that terrorists likely attacked the venue, but the cause was found to be faulty design.{{cite news|date=16 February 2004|title=Press points finger of blame|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/3492393.stm|publisher=BBC News|accessdate=14 December 2019}}

=Investigation and trials=

An investigation was launched{{Clarify|date=April 2024|reason=By whom?}}, lasting about twenty months, and resulting in the criminal prosecution of Kancheli and the head of the Moscow State Non-Departmental Expertise, Anatoly Voronin.{{Cite web |last=Иванов |first=Дмитрий |title="Трансвааль-парк" обрушил архитектор |url=https://lenta.ru/articles/2005/03/28/transvaal/ |access-date=25 April 2024}}{{Cite web |last=Новости |first=Р. И. А. |date=10 September 2006 |title=Генпрокуратура истребовала дело об обрушении купола Трансвааль парка |url=https://ria.ru/20061009/54639306.html |access-date=25 April 2024 |website=РИА Новости |language=ru}} In 2006, both men were released. Kancheli was granted amnesty at his request to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the State Duma. On 30 August 2006, criminal proceedings against Voronin were dropped for lack of criminal intent. Attempts by the victims' representatives to appeal the decisions were unsuccessful.{{Cite web |last=Новости |first=Р. И. А. |date= 27 December 2006|title=Суд признал законным амнистирование архитектора "Трансвааль-парка" |url=https://ria.ru/20061227/57951461.html |access-date=25 April 2024 |website=РИА Новости |language=ru}}

=Aftermath=

In 2005, on the anniversary of the tragedy, a memorial stone with the names of the deceased was placed at the walls of Transvaal Park.{{Cite web |last=ntv.ru |title=В Москве вспоминают жертв трагедии в аквапарке // Новости НТВ |url=https://www.ntv.ru/novosti/60192/ |access-date=25 April 2024 |website=НТВ |language=ru}}

On 13 February 2008, victims and relatives of the deceased filed a complaint with the European Court of Human Rights, demanding recognition of violations by the Russian Federation and the awarding of fair compensation to the victims.{{Cite web |date=14 February 2008 |title=Пострадавшие в "Трансвааль-парке" подают жалобу в Европейский суд |url=https://www.kommersant.ru/doc/853072 |access-date=25 April 2024 |website=www.kommersant.ru |language=ru}}{{Cite news |date=14 February 2008 |title=Пострадавшие в "Трансвааль-парке" подают жалобу в Европейский суд |url=https://www.svoboda.org/a/434787.html |access-date=25 April 2024 |work=Радио Свобода |language=ru}}{{Cite web |date=25 April 2024 |title="Трансвааль" свалился на Европу |url=https://www.gazeta.ru/social/2008/02/14/2636594.shtml |access-date=25 April 2024 |website=Газета.Ru |language=ru}}

In 2013, the multipurpose complex Moreon was opened on the site of the former water park, and a chapel commemorating the tragedy was established on its premises.{{Cite web |title=Мореон, аквапарк и банный комплекс {{!}} адрес, телефон, официальный сайт, часы работы {{!}} Москва, Голубинская ул., 16 |url=https://www.spr.ru/moskva/moreon.html |access-date=25 April 2024 |website=www.spr.ru}}