Apartment building damaged by gas explosion restored near Volgograd

In the town of Kotelnikovo in Volgograd Oblast, after more than two years, a house that sustained serious damage due to a gas explosion in one of the apartments has been restored and reoccupied. The Volgograd Oblast State Housing Inspection reports that this house is the first in Russia that was decided not to demolish after an explosion.

Recall that the explosion and subsequent fire in the five-story apartment building No. 1 on Rodina Street in Kotelnikovo occurred on 23 October 2023. One apartment was completely destroyed, and structures in neighboring apartments sustained serious damage. As a result of the emergency, one person died, and another was first taken to the intensive care unit of the Kotelnikovo Central District Hospital, then transferred to the burn center of City Clinical Hospital No. 25. However, despite all the efforts of doctors, the 27-year-old man died eight days after the emergency. The very next day after the explosion, Vice Governor Oleg Nikolaev stated that the house would be restored, but did not specify a timeline.

As reported by the Volgograd Oblast State Housing Inspection, which since the end of last summer has been headed by one of the most effective district heads of Volgograd—Valeria Kroman, it was precisely the State Housing Inspection that was tasked with coordinating the work to eliminate the consequences of the explosion.

— After studying the materials and documents compiled by a specialized organization, an unprecedented decision was made to carry out work to restore the damaged structures of the house,— the inspection reports. — This is the first case in Russia where a house is being restored after a gas explosion. Usually, such houses are declared emergency and subsequently demolished.

According to the State Housing Inspection, over the past more than two years, design and estimate documentation was developed, and in the spring of 2025, repair and restoration work began.

— The installation of enclosing building structures for the roof and fifth floor of the two entrances affected by the explosion was fully completed. Work on installing the roofing covering was done, finishing work was carried out in the apartments and common areas. In December, people were able to return to their fully restored apartments.

Recall that after the explosion that occurred on 20 December 2015, house No. 47 on Kosmonavtov Street in the Dzerzhinsky District of Volgograd was demolished. A new multi-story building appeared in its place. However, the apartment building No. 9 on Titov Street in the Krasnooktyabrsky District, which was damaged in an explosion in April 2023, has still not been fully evacuated and has turned into a looted abandoned building plundered by marauders.