A memorial plate dedicated to distinguished constructing engineer Sergey Aleksadrovich Polygalin (1899-1937) will be installed of the face of the Novosibirsk opera and ballet theatre (NOVAT) on November 13, on the date of the 71st season opening. Construction of the unique theatre building goes hand in hand with Mr. Polygalin’s name.
NOVAT Director General Vladimir Kekhman: “Sergey Aleksandrovich Plygalin was an outstanding engineer who made inestimable contribution to constructing the theatre and the city. But most importantly he was a man who knew how to take responsibility and bear its heavy burden in spite of all circumstances”.
Daughter of S. A. Polygalin Maria Sergeevna Vinogradova will participate in the ceremony.
Sergey Polygalin was the author of the engineering-technological concept of the silvery dome — theatre’s main object of interest — construction as well as of many other innovative solutions.
The thickness of the Novosibirsk theatre’s dome was only 8 centimeters where its diameter was 60 meters. This means that thickness-to-diameter ratio was 1 to 750. Therefore the dome was three times thinner that the eggshell where the equivalent ratio is 1 to 250.
There were no world analogs to this architectural marvel. Dome’s building demanded virtuoso engineering technique. Moscow specialists refused taking on the project and then Mr. Polygalin suggested his solution. It was decided to assemble segmental trusses, to connect them into unitized units on the floor structure of the foyer part of the building and then to move the truss units towards the central part of the amphi-theatre. Few people believed realization of something of that kind was possible in a province town however Sergey Polygalin took the risk and succeeded.
Sergey Polygalin was arrested on December 15, 1937, charged with “diversion and sabotage activities” and was executed by a firing squad 9 days later. The engineer’s case was dismisses in October 1956 due to absence of the event of a crime. His entire “sabotage” was all about overspending on inventive technological concepts. Sergey Polygalin’s burial place still remains unknown.