Not everyone knows that such an object as the Shukhov Tower, in fact, belongs to the wonders of the modern capital of the Russian Federation.
This high-rise building is visible from different parts of the city, and amazing landscapes of Moscow open from its upper part.
general description
It should be noted that the Shukhov Tower in Moscow has several more names. In narrow, most often professional, circles, it is called the Shukhov Radio Tower, the Shukhov TV Tower or the Shabolovskaya TV Tower.
In general, this innovative hyperboloid design, equipped with a supporting steel shell, was built according to a special project developed by academician V.G. Shukhov. The grandiose construction continued for two whole years, from 1920 to 1922 of the last century.
During its operation, the design belonged to the Ministry of Communications. Now, since 2001, the Shukhov Tower is at the disposal of the Federal State Unitary Enterprise “RTRS”.
To date, it is not used for its intended purpose and serves as a place for mobile transmitters.
How to get to the sights of the city?
The Shukhov Tower, whose photo more and more often appears in magazines and prospectuses devoted to interesting places in the Russian capital, is located in Moscow, on the street. Shabolovka.
Curious tourists will definitely not get lost, because finding an object is quite simple. To do this, you will need to get to the Shabolovskaya metro station and walk about 300 meters.
As a last resort, you can ask where passers-by or residents of the neighborhood are located, and they will be happy to lead you to their destination.
Structural features
From a technical point of view, the Shukhov Tower consists of separate sections, each of which experts assembled on the ground, and then lifted up with winches. After that, already at a height, parts of the structure were interconnected by special, especially strong rivets.
According to the initial project, the height of the Shukhov Tower was supposed to be quite impressive, about 350 m. However, circumstances forced to redraw the plan of the plan. The country experienced a catastrophic lack of metal, so 160 m is the maximum length available at that time.
A Brief History of the Shukhov Tower
In 1919, when the military danger for the USSR was brewing, in order to ensure a permanent and reliable connection of Moscow with the outskirts of the republic and several Western countries, V. I. Lenin signed a decree on the urgent construction of a radio tower.
By this time, Shukhov was already working on several similar projects. It was decided that the basis for the future technological miracle (at that time, of course) was to take this particular design.
The Shukhov Tower on Shabolovka was supposed to surpass the world famous Eiffel. First of all, it was three times lighter than the French design: 2200 tons versus 7300 tons. However, the economic collapse did not allow the dream of a specialist to come true. In the Union at that time, as already mentioned, there was a catastrophic shortage of steel, therefore, after conferring, they stopped at a tower 150 m high.
In October 1919, the Shukhov Tower, whose address is well known both to Muscovites and guests of the capital, found its foundation.
In general, it should be noted that the Shukhov project was ideally suited for a country devastated by the civil war and revolution. The design of the tower was thought out to the smallest detail, but still quite unpretentious. Simplicity and practicality were felt literally in every little thing, and all the details did not require special development and consisted mainly of rivets and profiles.
Despite this, the Shukhov Tower in Moscow (photos of those times can be seen in the museums of the city) was not built as quickly as we would like. Workers complained that the boards and tes always came with a great delay, and the metal was very reluctant to stand out at all.
The author V. G. Shukhov personally took part in the construction, traveled to institutions, coordinated the supply of building materials, ordered rations, and sometimes literally with battle achieved timely salaries for workers.
To further reduce the cost of assembling the object, the architect came up with collecting sections 25 meters high and weighing up to 300 pounds on the ground, and then lift them up with ropes and winches. He was personally present at every climb. And gradually, the Shukhov Tower in Moscow began to take shape.
Shukhov, despite problems of a personal nature, devoted himself to the construction of himself. At the end of the summer of 1919 his son died, in March 1920 - his mother. In June 1921, the following shock occurred: during the rise of the fourth section, the third broke. One of the cables broke, and the fourth section fell, damaging the first two that make up the base of the tower. Fortunately, the victims were avoided, but Shukhov’s interrogations, trials, and commissions began that day. As a result, he was awarded the so-called "conditional execution", which could become quite real if the tower could not be completed by the deadline.
The Shukhov Tower, which is familiar to us, whose photo can be viewed in more detail both in textbooks intended for architectural faculties and in tourist brochures devoted to Moscow, began work in 1923.
People of the older generation will note that for quite a long time she served as a "visiting card" for television throughout the USSR. Test broadcasting from this facility was first carried out in 1937, and two years later, in 1939, regular broadcasts were already being conducted from there.
The design gradually lost its significance. A decisive role in this was played by the opening in 1967 of a more modern and powerful Ostankino tower.
What does the tower look like today
But still, the Shukhov Tower on Shabolovka still played an important role in the life of Russians. How? The fact is that after the fire at the Ostankino TV tower in 2000 a year and a half, it was this object that supported the broadcasting of the main channels.
To date, architects around the world have recognized it as a unique and outstanding masterpiece of engineering.
World fame and the importance of a strategic facility called the Shukhov Tower, a photo of which can be viewed in great detail, are also confirmed by the awards of various exhibitions. Her models take part in almost all the prestigious European exhibitions of recent years.
For example, the image of the radio tower was used as a logo in Paris, in the center of Pompidou, at the exhibition "Engineering". And in 2003, in Munich, at an event entitled "The Best Structures and Structures in the Architecture of the 20th Century", a 6-meter-high gilded prototype of the Shukhov Tower was installed. In addition, many buildings in Europe on the history of architecture describe this building in detail.
In 2006, at a planetary-scale scientific conference "Preserving XX Century Architecture", which was attended by 170 experts from 30 countries, the Shukhov Tower was recognized as a Russian architectural masterpiece and a World Heritage Site.
According to the data provided by the Active Citizen site protection site, the Shukhov Tower is currently protected by the state, recommended for inclusion in UNESCO World Heritage Sites, but access to it is closed.
Work carried out already in the XXI century
In March 2010, the British architect N. Foster wrote a letter demanding that the tower be completely reconstructed to its original state, citing the fact that it is desolate and collapsing.
To date, architects have several options for restoring the facility. One of them suggests creating a recreation area around it (in the image of the Eiffel Tower). It is supposed to place business, museum and cultural complexes.
In 2011, V. Putin ordered over the period 2011-2013 to allocate 135 million rubles from the budget of the Federation. for design and reconstruction of the facility.
In June 2012, the tower was examined by an unmanned helicopter. With its help, they created a three-dimensional model of the Moscow landmark with the distortions applied to it, which appeared over time.
In the same year, the competition for the privilege of concluding a contract aimed at developing working and design documentation for the reconstruction of the tower was won by Quality and Reliability LLC, which created a global reconstruction project for more than ten and a half million rubles.
The manager of the Shukhov Tower Foundation and the great-grandson of a brilliant engineer said that a project worth 2 million euros was paid for by foreign institutions that deal with problems of architecture, engineering and physics.
The need for restoration
Over the entire period of operation, the engineering structure has never been thoroughly repaired. Back in 1992, the need for emergency repairs was determined. The Shukhov Tower Foundation has proposed several restoration options for this unique structure.
The main idea is to make the closed area adjacent to the tower a tourist one, to build parks, ponds, museums and a concert venue.
It is also proposed to transfer the structure to one of the following sections:
- Gorky Park ;
- VDNH;
- District of the Kaluga outpost.
There are quite a few opposing the transfer, among them representatives of the Active Citizen resource play a special role. "The Shukhov Tower should be located in its historical place, otherwise it will simply destroy the world’s masterpiece," they say.
Migrate Plans: Pros and Cons
In 2014, the Ministry of Communications and Mass Media reported that the tower had moved from a pre-emergency to a state of successive destruction.
Government officials suggested dismantling the facility completely and restoring it in another place.
But 38 leading foreign experts and architects, as well as residents of the Shabolovka district, immediately opposed the transfer and analysis of the country's architectural heritage.
Under pressure from the public, the Government decided not to dismantle the tower and ordered the Ministry of Communications to take emergency measures at its own expense to protect the facility.
What is the Shukhov Tower Foundation?
The head of the foundation of the same name is the great-grandson of a famous engineer - Vladimir Fedorovich Shukhov. Today it offers a comprehensive reconstruction of the territory near the tower. According to European experience in the restoration of unique architectural structures, it is necessary to create the appropriate infrastructure in the adjacent area and ensure the correct visual presentation of the object. Thus, it is quite possible to attract serious investment.
The Shukhov Tower Foundation advocates the creation at the base of the construction of a unique center of science, art and culture, which will include the V. G. Shukhov Museum, a business center and a set of public buildings.
The organization at the international level invites to cooperation both institutes and companies, as well as leading engineers, architects and experts.
Interesting facts about the tower
Shukhovskaya is actually a unique hyperboloid design, made in the image of a supporting metal mesh shell. To date, the tower is recognized by experts all over the world as one of the most brilliant achievements of engineering.
It has a unique elegant metal mesh construction, due to which the minimum influence of the wind is achieved, which is the main danger for high buildings. The steel structure is particularly light and durable.
The conical round tower case is composed of six 25-meter sections, the lower of which is placed on a special concrete foundation of three-meter depth. Parts of the tower are riveted. The tower was built without cranes, it took only one coordinating worker at the top.
Before the war itself, the building underwent an extraordinary test: a postal plane caught a flight on the tower's supporting cable during the flight. The vehicle scattered into pieces, and the tower only rocked a little, but, fortunately, remained standing.
It is very interesting that at the time of the very first live broadcasts, when the hosts did not have the right to make even the slightest mistake, they came up with a ritual “for good luck”: with the idea of a safe broadcast, go around the tower and touch its beams at the base.
Positive feedback from tourists
The tower is undoubtedly one of the symbols of Moscow. Tourists who had the opportunity to see this famous, third most important tower in Moscow, consider it a magnificent building, an original and very beautiful object, a real property of Russia.
They argue that in the dark and during clear weather, it, towering above the urban stone jungle, seems majestic.
People hope that the tower will remain in Moscow and will be finally restored.
Opponents of saving the object
Unfortunately, there are some. Supporters of the demolition of the facility insist that, being in the current state, the tower disfigures the appearance of the neighborhood.
There is only one conclusion: Shukhovskaya must be restored, and this should be done as soon as possible.