From 8 to 10 April, the Saint Petersburg State University of Architecture and Civil Engineering hosted the annual international competition "Pasta Builder," bringing together students majoring in architecture and civil engineering 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), Polotsk State University named after Euphrosyne of Polotsk (PSU, Republic of Belarus), and the Lyceum of the Belarusian National Technical University (BNTU).
In addition to the host university, Russian universities represented included the V.G. Shukhov Belgorod State Technological University (BSTU), Voronezh State Technical University (VSTU), St Petersburg State Marine Technical University, Lomonosov Northern (Arctic) Federal University (NArFU), and Tyumen Industrial University (TIU). A total of 21 teams participated in the competition 2026 finals.
The competition involves constructing a model tower (on the first day) and a bridge (on the second day) from an unusual building material—pasta held together with plasticine. The judges evaluate the architectural expressiveness, the rational use of the building material, and the strength and stability of the structure. The jury inspect the entries the day after construction and only award credit to those that stand the entire night without falling over.
To create a winning design, teams must use not only their imagination but also their knowledge and mastery of construction and engineering sciences. The teams arrived at the competition with the necessary drawing documentation, a work plan, and a good attitude.
The competition traditionally takes place in the SPbGASU main building and has long since become 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 competition's grand opening, Andrey Nikulin, Dean of the Faculty of Civil Engineering, addressed the participants with a welcoming speech.
Andrey Nikulin
He noted that a true engineer is capable of finding solutions in the most unexpected conditions: "A true builder can build from anything—including pasta and play dough. Today, you'll have to not only demonstrate your creativity but also prove that your structures are reliable and stable."
Winners in the Towers category
Team "D's & F's" (SPbGASU) 1 place
"D's & F's" (SPbGASU): Eva Borisova, Sofia Belostotskaya, Ekaterina Safronova, Kirill Tyurin.
2 place
"Durum Wheat" (a joint team of SPbGASU and the St Petersburg State Marine Technical University): Milena Afanasyeva, Anastasia Yuryeva, Artem Zavyalov, Gasan Abasov.
3 place
"GasterCluster" (SPbGASU): Ivan Petchenko, Stanislava Kuzmina, Anastasia Busuek, Ilya Rezaikin, Artem Zhulanov.
Winners in the Bridges category
Team "The Plasticine of the Rings" (NarFU)1 place"The Plasticine of the Rings" (NarFU): Azizbek Asrorov, Daria Zaruchevnykh, Maria Merkuryeva, Danil Mamedov, Sergey Andreev.
2 place
"NUACA": Rafik Mesroyan, Movses Hakobyan, Nikolay Harutyunyan, Tigran Tevosyan, Aram Margaryan.
3 place
"Shukhovites" (BSTU named after V. G. Shukhov): Ivan Pakhomov, Veronika Smulyarova, Anna Migulina, Irina Mayorova, Egor Chernev.
The BNTU Lyceum team was recognized in the special nomination “Youngest Participants”: Roman Semenitsky, Artem Zorin, Ksenia Shedenkova, Anna Nastyushonok, Aleksandr Krutalevich.
"Youngest Participants" (BNTU Lyceum)
This year, a team of teachers from the SPbGASU Faculty of Civil Engineering participated for the first time outside the competitive program in the "Towers" category. The Department of Metal and Timber Constructions was represented by Department Head Egor Danilov, Associate Professor Aleksey Kuznetsov, and Senior Lecturer Viktor Tsyganovkin. Senior Lecturers Galina Nam and Nadezhda Batova joined the construction team from the Department of Technosphere Safety. Oleg Razgulyaev, Vice President of the Association of Manufacturers of Construction and Technological Materials, served as the team's mentor.
Margarita Gurieva, Senior Lecturer at the SPbGASU Department of Architectural and Engineering Constructions, has been responsible for organizing the competition for several years. Thanks to her efforts, "Pasta Builder " remains a vibrant, warm, and truly student-centered event that makes you want to return.
TV Channel 78 – about the "Pasta Builder" competition. Broadcast 9 April, 2026.
Today, the competition is more than 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 is celebrating its 195th anniversary, and "Pasta Builder" will turn 20. This means that the competition has already become an integral and beloved tradition of SPbGASU students and teachers.
