OREANDA-NEWS. June 28, 2012. Russia’s President Vladimir Putin participated in the opening ceremony of the Housing Complex for Russian Orthodox Pilgrims, which is located in a special religious and archeological park called the “Baptism Site of Jesus Christ on the River Jordan”.

 The construction of the housing complex was initiated in 2006 by Vladimir Putin after the King of Jordan Abdullah II provided a one hectare plot of land for unlimited and gratuitous usage. In 2012 the plot was transferred to Russian ownership.

 “I am delighted to be in Jordan again, especially for such a pleasant cause as the opening of the Pilgrim’s Home Complex. In this respect let me thank you, Your Majesty, for being so magnanimous, and for giving the land to Russia in order to construct the Pilgrim’s Housing Complex,”- said Vladimir Putin during extended negotiations with the King Abdullah II of Jordan.

 PJSC Stroytransgaz’s role was that of the general contractor and sponsor during the implementation of this unprecedented project. As Sergey Makarov, President of PJSC Stroytransgaz, noted, “The construction of this unique site was a great honor and huge responsibility for the Stroytransgaz team. We clearly understood that the construction of the Pilgrim’s Housing Complex, which is located on a holy site for tens of millions of Orthodox Christians, is possibly one of the most important works in the company’s history - at least in a spiritual and moral sense. We are honored to be the ones who did it”.

 The housing complex built by Stroytransgaz consists of residential and auxiliary buildings with a total area of 8524 m2.  It includes a hotel for pilgrims, an Orthodox church, a refectory, a reception home for honored guests, and engineering facilities. The project’s implementation included the design, construction, equipping and commissioning of all the facilities onsite. The construction included additional works to protect the housing complex from earthquakes and seasonal flooding from the Jordan River.