"Stone Flower" is one of the many fountains located on the territory of VDNH. He is one of the top three in this huge complex. About the history of construction, interesting facts and features of this structure - in this article.
History of creation
The fountain "Stone Flower" is considered the second largest in the territory of the VDNH complex. Its construction was completed in 1954, the author of the project was the famous architect of the time K.T. Topuridze. The sculptor P.I. Dobrynin realized the plan.
The main idea of the decoration of the fountain was abundance, which was expressed in sculptural elements. According to the authors, the cup, which was in the central part, was supposed to be crowned with a sculptural composition called "Golden Sheaf". He was surrounded by 16 allegorical female figures, which symbolized all the republics of the Soviet Union.
However, the initial plans have changed, this was due to the fact that by the end of 1951, hydraulics developed by engineers A.S. Vetkin, B. A. Novikov and L. L. Kesler had already been installed. The central element was also mounted - a gilded sheaf. But the allegorical figures of 16 girls made the general visual load of the Stone Flower fountain too heavy.
New solution
In this regard, it was decided on a new decoration. The figures of the girls and the gilded sheaf were transferred to another part of the VDNH complex. Subsequently, they became the basis of the Friendship of Peoples fountain.
For the fountain "Stone Flower" at VDNH it was required to create a new, lighter decoration. The authors of the project, who worked on a new type of such structures, eventually managed to cope with the task. In the final version, little is left of the original architectural appearance.
Description
The fountain "Stone Flower" at the Exhibition of Economic Achievements along the perimeter of the pool bowl is decorated with a variety of sculptural compositions that consist of cornucopia, fruit vases, vines and ears of corn. The pool itself is decorated with sixteen granite tables, on which there are various dishes from the former republics of the USSR. However, for the unknown reasons, the original idea with the natural gifts of each republic was not fully implemented. Three different compositions were created, which were subsequently copied on the remaining granite tables.
In the pool of the Stone Flower fountain there are also figures of sturgeons and geese from which water flows. They were created by sculptors V.V. Aleksandrov-Roslavlev and Z. V. Ryleev.
Main composition
The central composition of the fountain was a huge flower made of stone, which was created from large concrete slabs. The flower was lined with smalt of different colors using mosaic technique. The work was done by the masters of the Academy of Arts of the Soviet Union.
The base, which had two tiers, was faced with small elements of red granite. The flower petals themselves are decorated with a mosaic of gold and colored smalt. In the photo of the Stone Flower fountain at the Exhibition of Economic Achievements, you can see how water droplets play in different colors, reflected from the mosaic in the sunlight. This play of light and color creates an extraordinary volume of the entire structure. The rainbow of flowers and various light figures created by the sun mesmerize with its beauty.
According to one version, the material for making the mosaic of the Stone Flower fountain was taken from St. Petersburg reserves of smalt. She was kept in a workshop in which they worked on creating mosaics in St. Isaac's Cathedral.
Interesting Facts
Why is the fountain called so? This is a kind of creative reference to the famous fairy tale by P.P. Bazhov. As you know, it sang the wealth of the Ural land. This idea was taken as the basis for the creation of the fountain, was embodied and showed the wealth of all the republics of the USSR. Also, sculptural compositions emphasized the talent of Soviet masters.
About a thousand jets of water can simultaneously burst from the petals of a stone flower and four fountain groups located in the pool bowl. The entire hydraulic system is driven by 11 special pumps with a total capacity of 780 kW. At full power, the system uses about 2,000 liters of water every second.
The entire large-scale structure at night is illuminated by lamps of different colors, which gives the streams of water rushing upwards to an extraordinary beauty. Also, the play of water and color is emphasized by musical accompaniment. The described construction was the first color musical not only in the USSR, but throughout the world.
The stone flower fountain in Moscow became a magnificent embodiment of the tale of P. P. Bazhov and is considered to be one of the architectural wonders of monumental art.
Currently
By the end of the 20th century, the building gradually fell into disrepair, the mosaic was damaged in some places, as well as sculptural compositions. In the photo of the Stone Flower fountain of that time, you can see the destroyed statues of geese and sturgeons that were damaged by the hands of vandals. At the beginning of the XXI century, some engines of the hydraulic system failed, due to which the fountain was closed, and after a while restoration and repair work began.
Currently, engineering works are being carried out in the waterworks and control system of the Stone Flower fountain. Large-scale concrete work has already been completed, and the finishing and restoration of the mosaic is scheduled for September 2018, immediately after the celebration of the City Day.
The company, working on the restoration of this unique fountain, guarantees the high quality of the work performed. Residents and tourists are looking forward to the completion of the restoration in order to enjoy the extraordinary beauty of the magnificent building.