Soon after East Kazakhstan Technical University was founded in the early 1960s, a pleasant retreat area was identified on a nearby riverside, on a picturesque bay called "Blue Gulf." The site is gently sloping, with open areas alternating with pine forest.

My father, architect A. K. Sidorov, then rector of the university, designed a camp for rest and sports. The architecture department, of which my brother and I are members, has contributed a lot to its development. The camp now accommodates 150 people.

Student housing consists of two lines of bungalows for six to eight people each, with a separate beach and sanitary facility. The bungalows are built of wood, concrete, and brick.

The professors' wood bungalows, single-family or duplex, are sized for three to four family members and sited among the trees. The inside planning is simple but functional with zones for sleeping, cooking, and dining.

Every bungalow is supported on stone pillars, which permits us to maintain the natural terrain and vegetation. Thrifty use of nature is a primary principle in planning and construction. Most of the bungalows were constructed by the professors themselves.

My brother Vladimir Sidorov and I designed a club and dining-room complex, including a small square for meeting and dancing, several bungalows for camp administration, a boat pier, and parking.

In the summer, our students come here to receive practical training in drawing, painting, and large-scale surveying.

From Ust-Kamenogorsk, East Kazakhstan,