Published on: 2026-04-13
Source: Saint Petersburg State Architectural and Construction University –
An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.
From April 8 to 10, the annual international competition “Macaroni Builder” was held at the Saint Petersburg State University of Architecture and Civil Engineering, bringing together students of architectural and construction programs from Russia and abroad.
The international status of the competition was confirmed by the participation of teams from the National University of Architecture and Construction of Armenia (NUACA), the Polotsk State University named after Euphrosyne of Polotsk (PSU, Republic of Belarus), and the Lyceum of the Belarusian National Technical University (BNTU).
Among Russian universities, in addition to the host institution, Belgorod State Technological University named after V. G. Shukhov (BSTU), Voronezh State Technical University (VSTU), Saint Petersburg State Marine Technical University, Northern (Arctic) Federal University named after M. V. Lomonosov (SAFU), and Tyumen Industrial University (TIU) were represented. In total, 21 teams participated in the finals of the 2026 competition.
The essence of the competition is to build a model of a tower (on the first day) and a bridge (on the second day) from an unusual construction material — pasta, glued together with plasticine. The evaluation criteria include architectural expressiveness, rational use of the construction material, strength, and stability of the structure. The jury inspects the works on the day following construction and only assesses those that have stood intact through the entire night and have not fallen.
To create a winning design, teams necessarily need to apply not only imagination but also knowledge and mastery of construction and engineering sciences. Teams came to the competition with the necessary design documentation, a work plan, and a good mood.
The competition traditionally takes place in the main building of SPbGASU and has long been not only a professional test but also a warm student tradition, where not only the results are important, but also the process itself, communication, and teamwork.
At the ceremonial opening of the competition, the dean of the construction faculty, Andrey Nikulin, addressed the participants with a welcoming speech. He noted that a true engineer is capable of finding solutions in the most unexpected conditions: “A true builder can build from anything — including from pasta and plasticine. Today, you will not only need to demonstrate creativity but also prove that your constructions are reliable and stable.”
Nomination “Towers”
1st place — “Dvoechniki” (SPBGASU): Eva Borisova, Sofia Belostotskaya, Ekaterina Safronova, Kirill Tyurin.
2nd place – “Hard Wheat Varieties” (combined team of SPBGASU and St. Petersburg State Marine Technical University): Milena Afanasyeva, Anastasia Yuryeva, Artyom Zavyalov, Hasan Abasov.
3rd place – “Gasterklaster” (SPBGASU): Ivan Petchenko, Stanislava Kuzmina, Anastasia Busuek, Ilya Rezaykin, Artyom Zhulanov.
Nomination “Bridges”
1st place – team “Plasticine Ring” (SAFU): Azizbek Asrorov, Darya Zaruchevnaya, Maria Merkuryeva, Danil Mamedov, Sergey Andreev.
2nd place – “NUASA”: Rafik Mesroyan, Movses Akopyan, Nikolay Arutyunyan, Tigran Tevosyan, Aram Margaryan.
3rd place – “Shu Lovtsy” (BGTU named after V. G. Shukhov): Ivan Palomov, Veronika Smulyarova, Anna Migulina, Irina Mayorova, Yegor Chernev.
In the special nomination “The Youngest Participants”, the team of the BNTU Lyceum was awarded: Roman Semenitsky, Artyom Zorin, Ksenia Shedenkova, Anna Nastyushonok, Alexander Krutalevich.
For the first time this year, outside the competitive program, a team of teachers from the construction faculty of SPbGASU participated in the nomination “Towers”: the Department of Metal and Wooden Structures was represented by the head of the department Egor Danilov, Associate Professor Alexey Kuznetsov and Senior Lecturer Viktor Tsyganovkin; from the Department of Technosphere Safety, Senior Lecturers Galina Nam and Nadezhda Batova joined the construction team; as a mentor of the teaching team, Vice President of the Association of Manufacturers of Construction and Technological Materials Oleg Razgulyaev spoke.
For several years now, the contest has been organized by Margarita Gurieva, a senior lecturer of the Department of Architectural and Structural Constructions of the Faculty of Civil Engineering at SPbGASU. Thanks to her work, “Macaroni Builder” remains a lively, warm, and truly student event, a place where one wants to return.
Today, a competition is not just a contest, but a space for communication, support, and professional growth, where ideas, friendships, and future engineering solutions are born.
Next year, our university will celebrate its 195th anniversary, and the “Pasta Builder” will mark its 20th anniversary. This means that the competition has already become an integral and very beloved tradition of SPbGASU for both students and faculty.
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