Probably, many readers will be surprised to learn that a magnificent Gothic castle appeared in Russia . It is located in the village of Khryashchevka (Samara region). This is a luxury hotel (the only one in the Volga region), which has become part of a large tourist complex under construction on the shore of the Zhiguli Sea - āGaribaldi Castleā (Togliatti). According to the creators of the complex, it will include restaurants and hotels, a park, beach and entertainment areas, its own port.
āGaribaldi Castleā (Tolyatti), a photo of which can already be seen today in some glossy magazines, is a neo-Gothic castle created on the basis of historical reconstruction. At the same time, one should not think that this is an exact copy of any particular structure, rather, it is a kind of architectural fantasy on the theme of romanticism and Gothic.
Perhaps you are interested in who came up with such a fantastic idea? Meet - the authors of the project are: chief architect - Valery Seglin (member of the Union of Architects of the Russian Federation), Yuri Guryanov (architect), Sergey Karengin (facade designer, artist), Alexey Cheboksarinov (artist, facade decorator ), Victor Shuvalov (sculptor). This group of young and very talented people began to create the āGaribaldi Castleā near Togliatti. Today, many are interested in why the complex received such a name. It was named after the father of the castle's owner - Kuzichkin Garibaldi Arkadevich.
How it all began
The history of this amazing castle began not quite usually in the fall of 2006. At this time, the construction of the sports complex āAqua-Mirā was completed here, which included a swimming pool, baths of various types, a winter garden, a small room in the form of an old galleon. There was a completely natural need to create a hotel for guests who would like to relax here for several days. It could be built in different styles. They began to build the walls of the hotel according to the standard project, but it became clear that this option does not reach the level that was set by the quality of the interior decoration of the already created complex. Thus, the status of the future structure was indicated. Specialists in the hotel industry call it a luxury hotel.
At this time, two young artists worked in Khryashchevka - Max Rakhmanov and Alexey Cheboksarinov. It is their idea to make a hotel in the form of a Gothic castle. From that moment, the fate of the building depended on the owner of the complex. I must admit that the customer was interested in this idea. Alexei Cheboksarinov provided the first sketches that showed how he sees the castle.
At the initial stage, a project of such a structure as āGaribaldi Castleā (Tolyatti) was actively discussed and developed by artists and the customer. They discussed the layout of the first floor, various technological aspects and even all sorts of little things. For example, Sergey Shutov designed the reception desk. And the owner of the complex independently calculated the formula for creating a Gothic lancet arch - one that he liked. It should be noted that this formula was used to create rough openings of all windows.
The work of architects
When the time came to involve architects in the project, the task was not easy. It was supposed to be not just professionals in their field, but people who would be inspired by the idea and come to the solution of a difficult task in a non-standard way, with soul and creativity. It should be noted that the owner of the complex Oleg Kuzichkin knows how to infect people with his ideas. Thanks to his efforts, talented architects Yuri Guryanov and Valery Seglin joined the project. In the spring of 2007, large-scale construction of the hotel building began.
In the process, new ideas appeared that improved the original project, made it more interesting. When the facade was close to completion, there was an urgent need to develop its design. This work was headed by Max Rakhmanov, who attracted like-minded people to this interesting business.
Bad neighborhood
Gradually acquiring the invoice āGaribaldi Castleā (Khryashchevka, Tolyatti) demonstrated the inappropriateness of being next to it the neighboring building of the Aqua-Mir entertainment complex in the form in which it existed at that time. It's about his appearance. In 2009, Oleg Kuzichkin made a simple, like all brilliant, decision - to remove the roof from this building, which closed the view of the castle from the west, and remake its exterior decoration. Instead of the roof, it was decided to create an open area.
At that moment, it seemed to many that it was impossible to carry out such work without loss for the interiors of the finished complex. The task was really not easy. But it must be said that the creative spirit that reigned at the construction site made it possible to make the seemingly impossible. āGaribaldi Castleā (Tolyatti) in 2010 received a luxurious outdoor terrace, which is fully consistent with the design. In the same year, architects began work on the western wing.
Castle complex: description
āGaribaldi Castleā (Tolyatti), the photo of which you see in our article, was built in the Neo-Gothic style. We have already said that this is an architectural fantasy on the theme of European romanticism and Gothic, which incorporates all the best and original elements of European architecture of the Middle Ages, Renaissance and Victorian era.
The construction of the castle will be completed in 2018. Now the main building of the hotel with the outbuilding is fully erected (there is an internal decoration of VIP rooms), an entertainment zone, which is an open area. Today, various events are held here on it and on the site adjacent to the hotel. In the summer of 2015, fashion shows, shooting of interesting video clips, numerous photo shoots have already taken place here. In the near future it is planned to hold balls, concert festivals, and other large-scale events. According to the owner and creators of the complex, the Garibaldi Castle (Togliatti) has a great future. Its history has just begun, but today thousands of tourists are closely following its development.
What is included in the castle ensemble?
It includes the main building (hotel), outbuilding (kitchen), entertainment area. The roof of the entertainment area is lined with stone and resembles a courtyard of a medieval European castle. It is designed for outdoor events. It quite comfortably accommodates 300 guests.
"Garibaldi Castle" (Khryashchevka, Tolyatti), a photo of which can be seen in the advertising booklets of travel agencies, took its main building to the hotel. On the ground floor there is a reception hall, a mysterious atmospheric gallery ends with a dark wood bridge, which is thrown over a rather rugged mountain stream, a magnificent winter garden, a cozy restaurant in which medieval knights would not refuse to feast. The remaining floors are reserved for VIP rooms. In the outbuilding there is a kitchen and other office space.
Stylistics and Design
āGaribaldi Castleā (Tolyatti) at the stage of architectural design was conceived in the style of an English castle, in the form of a country residence, with the ruins remaining from an earlier defensive structure. But the idea with the ruins has not yet been developed, although the foundations were prepared for them.
A group of architects, led by Valery Seglin, designed the guest house using Spanish, Portuguese and French prototypes. As a result, the building turned out to be harmonious, with an easily recognizable unique appearance. A successful find of the masters can be considered dual towers, which are located at the corners of the building, and a complex roof. The facades and the three-dimensional general view of the castle were originally obtained. According to experts, the architects completed their part of the work perfectly.
Entertainment center
For several years, many have been interested in the āGaribaldi Castleā (Togliatti). You can find out how to get to it on the official website of the enterprise. We will also tell about this, but a little later.
And now I would like to tell you about what is under the roof of the entertainment area. Going down into a mysterious dungeon, you will find yourself in an entertainment complex with a swimming pool, the "Wreck" hall. Its floor is the glass roof of a giant aquarium, at the bottom of which pirate treasures and weapons are stored ...
Going even lower on the stone stairs, you will find a billiard room, bowling alley and an underground bar.
Conservation area
āGaribaldi Castleā (Tolyatti), whose address is Samara Region, the village of Khryashchevka, is located in a picturesque place near the Zhiguli Sea, a little away from the famous Zhigulevsky Reserve. This allows you to develop tourism here without harming nature.
We are sure that many of our readers were interested in the āGaribaldi Castleā (Khryashchevka, Tolyatti). How to get to the complex? Its originality lies in the fact that the main route of delivery there is by water. At the moment, the bay has already been converted, thanks to which the port of the village Khryashchevka is now able to receive large vessels. It is located in the widest place of the Kuibyshev reservoir, which is often called the Zhigulevskoye Sea, so it can be called "sea".
Khryashchevsky port is comfortable for lovers of yachting from Ulyanovsk, Tolyatti, Dimitrovgrad and even Kazan. Due to the need for locking, Samara also enters the water area. All this makes Khryashchevka a rather comfortable transshipment point for many yachtsmen traveling along the Volga. In addition, this brings an entertaining moment to the trip, thanks to the unique complex located here.
How old is the castle
Of great interest not only to tourists, but also to builders, is the created āGaribaldi Castleā (Togliatti). How to get to it by water, you already know. But now we will talk about how a sense of historical authenticity was created. This can be achieved if the simulation is based on special authentic technologies. This method can be compared with restoration work, which is usually associated with the reconstruction of ancient monuments.
Not every owner could decide to build an entertainment complex with a similar level of historical material, using rather complex and labor-intensive technologies. In the process, it became clear that a special approach and painstaking work would be required not only for artists and sculptors who already had the skill of historical imitations, but also for other masters of construction professions who would work in this project. This is an atypical approach these days to a commercial project.
It is only natural that the time frame dictated the style. Most of the facades are made in the Gothic style. They cover a fairly large time period. It begins early and ends with late Gothic, which harmoniously combines with the architectural elements of the Renaissance.
It's no secret that English Gothic is different from French. As a result of long disputes, the issue of belonging to one or another style was compromised - a variety of decorative elements were used in the design, as if the castle was built by an English architect impressed with French Gothic. Later, this principle was also used in the design of other buildings of the complex.
Excursions
Probably, now we will disappoint all our readers who have already gathered to go to the āGaribaldi Castleā (Togliatti). You wonāt be able to take photos inside the main building, however, as well as get on a tour of the castle. The fact is that this activity of the complex is still under development.
Today you can get into this amazing castle by renting it for a photo shoot. It can be individual or collective. The cost of such a basic package (three hours with your photographer) is 11 thousand rubles. Hourly rental is not yet available.
Today, weddings are already held in the entertainment area. They should be arranged in advance with the administrator of the complex to conduct them on a specific day.
And while you still canāt get inside the castle, many tourists who have visited this wonderful place are sure that to get positive emotions, even an external examination of a unique building is enough.
"Garibaldi Castle" (Tolyatti) - how to get there?
The complex is about 43 km from Tolyatti. From the main bus station of the city you can get to the Yuzhnoye Shosse stop, then transfer to bus number 321, which will take you to the village of Khryashchevka.
It is more convenient to travel by car through Vyselki along Khryashchevsky.
Visitors reviews
Today, many Russians have already visited the Garibaldi Castle (Khryashchevka, Tolyatti). A photo cannot convey all the beauty of this place. In their opinion, even an unfinished structure is amazing. It is amazing to tourists how delicately the creators of the complex approached the solution of the smallest details. Everyone who has seen this grandiose construction is eagerly awaiting the completion of construction in order to enjoy their holidays in this fabulous place.