GRYAZI, Russia — PPG has completed a COLORFUL COMMUNITIES™ project in Russia’s Lipetsk region that helped revitalize the sports hall of Gymnasium #3 in the city of Gryazi. The Colorful Communities program provides PPG volunteers and products along with financial contributions to bring color and vitality to communities where the company operates around the world, such as in Gryazi, where PPG has a manufacturing facility.

The project brought together more than 15 PPG volunteers, who spent a day putting the finishing touches on a major renovation of the gymnasium’s sports hall. PPG provided around $11,000 to assist with the project, as well as approximately 200 liters (53 gallons) of JOHNSTONE’S^® paint products.

Part of the city’s public education system, Gymnasium #3 provides elementary education to nearly 520 students ages 6 to 11. The sports hall’s renovation included plastering walls, varnishing Swedish ladders, painting the interior, and replacing the floor, windows, doors and heating system. The PPG volunteers assisted by painting the Swedish ladders and marking the floor for football and basketball. The selected color palette of yellow, blue, orange and white helped create a bright space.

“The sports hall was not repaired for many years and even not used during the last school year due to its poor condition,” said Michael Shukov, PPG General Manager, Russia. “PPG is very pleased that we could assist with the revitalization of this important community asset so the children can now enjoy their sports lessons in a colorful and safe space.”

The Colorful Communities program, PPG’s signature initiative for supporting communities, aims to protect and beautify the neighborhoods where PPG operates around the world. Through the Colorful Communities program, PPG’s committed volunteers contribute their time and PPG paint products to help transform community assets — from painting classrooms, to bringing color to a maternity ward and redesigning a playground. Since 2015, PPG has completed more than 150 Colorful Communities projects, impacting more than 4.5 million people in 25 countries.