Video: Stars instead of eagles: How the Bolsheviks changed symbols on the towers of the Moscow Kremlin
2024 Author: Richard Flannagan | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-15 23:55
The beautiful ruby stars have so harmoniously blended into the appearance of the five ancient Moscow towers that they seem to be their natural continuation. But for many years no less beautiful two-headed eagles have been sitting on the Kremlin towers.
Huge gilded double-headed eagles have appeared on the four towers of the Kremlin since the mid-50s of the seventeenth century.
In the first years after the revolution, the Bolsheviks tried to destroy all the symbols of the old world, but the eagles on the Kremlin towers did not touch, the hands of Soviet power did not reach them. Although Lenin repeatedly reminded of the need to dismantle them, this operation required a lot of money, was very complicated technically, and at first the Bolsheviks could not decide - what to replace the eagles with? There were different proposals - flags, the coat of arms of the USSR, an emblem with a hammer and sickle … Finally, they settled on the stars.
In the spring of 1935, watching the planes flying at the parade, Stalin was especially annoyed by the sight of the tsarist eagles, spoiling the whole picture.
At the end of the summer of 1935, a TASS message was published: "".
They decided to make all the stars different, each with its own unique pattern. For the Nikolskaya Tower, a smooth star was designed without a pattern.
When the models were ready, the leaders of the country came to look at them and gave the go-ahead for the production of real stars. Their only wish was to make the stars rotate and admire them from everywhere. They decided to make the stars from high-alloy stainless steel and red copper. The symbol of Soviet Russia, the hammer and sickle, was to become a real decoration, sparkling in the sun and under the beams of searchlights. A whole army of jewelers worked for a month and a half to create this beauty from a huge amount of Ural gems.
The stars turned out to be much heavier than eagles, the weight of each star was about 1000 kg. Before installing them, we had to additionally strengthen the tents on the towers. The structure had to withstand even hurricane winds. And in order for the stars to become rotating, bearings were installed at their base, which were manufactured for this purpose at the First Bearing Plant.
Now the daunting task of dismantling the two-headed eagles and the subsequent hoisting of huge stars in their place lay ahead. The towers had a height of 52 to 72 meters, and there were no suitable equipment - high cranes - then. It was necessary to come up with something, and the engineers still found a way out. A crane was designed separately for each tower, which was installed on the upper tier on a special metal base specially mounted for this.
After the eagles were dismantled using this technique, the stars were not immediately lifted in their place, but decided to first show them to Muscovites. To do this, for one day they were put on public display in the Park to them. Gorky.
Here, eagles were also placed nearby, from which they had already managed to remove the gilding. Of course, the eagles played alongside the sparkling sparkling stars, symbolizing the beauty of the new world.
On October 24, 1935, having thoroughly checked the technique, they began to slowly raise the star to the Spasskaya Tower. Having reached a height of 70 meters, the winch was stopped, and the climbers, carefully directing the star, very accurately lowered it onto the support spire. Everything worked out! Hundreds of people gathered in the square and watched this unique operation applauded the installers.
Over the next three days, three more stars were installed, shining on the Nikolskaya, Borovitskaya and Troitskaya towers.
However, these stars did not last long on the towers. Already two years later, they lost their luster, faded - soot, dust and dirt did their job. It was decided to replace them, while it was recommended to reduce their size, since the first stars still looked rather heavy. The task was set - to do it as soon as possible, by the 20th anniversary of the revolution.
This time, it was decided to make the stars from ruby glass and glow from within, rather than from spotlights. To solve this problem, the best minds of the country were involved. The recipe for ruby glass was developed by the Moscow glassmaker N. I. Kurochkin - to achieve the desired color, selenium was added to the glass instead of gold. Firstly, it was cheaper, and secondly, it allowed you to get a richer and deeper color.
And so, on November 2, 1937, new ruby stars were lit on the Kremlin towers. Another star appeared - on the Vodovzvodnaya tower, and there were five such towers, like the rays of the star.
These stars really shine from within.
This effect is achieved thanks to special 5000 W lamps inside them, made by special order. In addition, they have two filaments, one for safety net. In order to change the lamp, you do not need to climb to it, it can be lowered on a special rod. The glazing at the stars is double. Outside, for color - ruby glass, and inside is milky white for better dispersion. Milky white glass is used to prevent ruby glass from appearing too dark in bright light.
During the Great Patriotic War, the Kremlin stars went out - they were covered, since they were an excellent reference point for the enemy. And after the war, when the tarpaulin was removed, it turned out that they received small shrapnel damage from an anti-aircraft battery located nearby. The stars had to be sent for restoration, after which they shone even brighter. A new three-layer glazing of the stars (ruby glass, frosted glass and crystal) was made, and their gilded frame was also updated. In the spring of 1946, the stars were returned to the towers.
Every five years, industrial climbers climb to the stars to wash them.
Interestingly, now on Red Square, against the background of the Kremlin ruby stars, you can again see eagles. In the summer of 1997, four eagles returned to their rightful places, which, along with lions and unicorns, adorned the roof of the Historical Museum. The eagles were removed from the museum in 1935, as were the eagles from the Kremlin towers. But these were more fortunate - they returned.
And in December 2003, the lions and unicorns were also returned, which occupied their former places on the low towers of the museum.
The company is great!
Another attraction of the Russian capital is Stalin's skyscrapers. And in our review there are little-known facts about the legendary Moscow skyscrapers.
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