How Did The Stars Actually Appear On The Kremlin Towers? - Alternative View

Table of contents:

How Did The Stars Actually Appear On The Kremlin Towers? - Alternative View
How Did The Stars Actually Appear On The Kremlin Towers? - Alternative View

Video: How Did The Stars Actually Appear On The Kremlin Towers? - Alternative View

Video: How Did The Stars Actually Appear On The Kremlin Towers? - Alternative View
Video: Moscow. Ringing the Kremlin towers. View from the inside 2024, March
Anonim

In the fall of 1935, the last symbol of the Russian monarchy, the two-headed eagles on the Kremlin towers, was ordered to live long. Five-pointed stars were installed instead.

Symbolism

Why it was the five-pointed star that became the symbol of Soviet power is not known for certain, but it is known that Leon Trotsky lobbied for this symbol. Seriously fond of esotericism, he knew that the star, the pentagram, has a very powerful energy potential and is one of the most powerful symbols. The swastika, the cult of which was very strong in Russia at the beginning of the 20th century, could well have become a symbol of the new state. The swastika was depicted on the "kerenki", the swastikas were painted on the wall of the Ipatiev House by Empress Alexandra Feodorovna before the execution, but Trotsky's almost sole decision, the Bolsheviks settled on the five-pointed star. The history of the 20th century will show that the "star" is stronger than the "swastika" … The stars shone over the Kremlin, replacing the two-headed eagles.

Image
Image

Technics

It was not an easy task to hoist thousands of kilogram stars on the Kremlin towers. The catch was that there was simply no suitable technology in 1935. The height of the lowest tower, Borovitskaya, 52 meters, the highest, Troitskaya - 72. There were no tower cranes of such height in the country, but for Russian engineers there is no word "no", there is a word "must". Stalprommekhanizatsiya specialists designed and built a special crane for each tower that could be installed on its upper tier. At the base of the tent, a metal base - a console - was mounted through a tower window. A crane was assembled on it. So, in several stages, first the dismantling of the two-headed eagles was carried out, and then the hoisting of the stars.

Promotional video:

Image
Image

Reconstruction of towers

Each of the Kremlin stars weighed up to a ton. Given the height at which they were supposed to be located and the sailing surface of each star (6.3 square meters), there was a danger that the stars would simply vomit along with the tops of the towers. It was decided to test the towers for durability. No wonder: the upper ceilings of the vaults of the towers and their tents fell into a dilapidated state. The builders strengthened the brickwork of the upper floors of all the towers, and metal ties were additionally introduced into the tents of the Spasskaya, Troitskaya and Borovitskaya towers. The tent of the Nikolskaya Tower turned out to be so dilapidated that it had to be rebuilt.

Image
Image

So different and spinning

They did not make the same stars. The four stars were different from each other in decoration. On the edges of the star of the Spasskaya Tower there were rays emanating from the center. On the star of the Trinity Tower, the rays were made in the form of ears. The star of the Borovitskaya tower consisted of two contours, inscribed one into the other, and the rays of the star of the Nikolskaya tower had no drawing. The stars of the Spasskaya and Nikolskaya towers were the same in size. The distance between the ends of their beams was 4.5 meters. The stars of the Troitskaya and Borovitskaya towers were smaller. The distance between the ends of their rays was respectively 4 and 3.5 meters. Stars are good, but spinning stars are doubly good. Moscow is big, there are many people, everyone needs to see the Kremlin stars. At the base of each sprocket, special bearings were installed, manufactured at the First Bearing Plant. Thereby,despite their considerable weight, the stars could easily rotate, turning "facing" the wind. Thus, by the arrangement of the stars, one can judge where the wind is blowing from.

Image
Image

Gorky Park

The installation of the Kremlin stars has become a real holiday for Moscow. The stars were not taken to Red Square under cover of night. The day before they were placed on the Kremlin towers, the stars were put on display in the Park. Gorky. Together with ordinary mortals, the secretaries of the city and regional CPSU (b) came to see the stars, the Ural gems sparkled in the light of the searchlights and the rays of the stars sparkled. Eagles removed from the towers were installed here, clearly demonstrating the dilapidation of the "old" and the beauty of the "new" world.

Image
Image

Ruby

The Kremlin stars were not always ruby. The first stars installed in October 1935 were high-alloy stainless steel and red copper. In the middle of each star, on either side, the emblems of the hammer and sickle gleamed in precious stones. The precious stones faded a year later, and the stars were too large and did not fit well into the architectural ensemble. In May 1937 it was decided to install new stars - luminous, ruby ones. At the same time, one more - Vodovzvodnaya was added to the four towers with stars. Ruby glass was brewed at a glass factory in Konstantinovka, according to the recipe of the Moscow glassmaker N. I. Kurochkin. It was necessary to weld 500 square meters of ruby glass, for which a new technology was invented - "selenium ruby". Before that, gold was added to the glass to achieve the desired color;selenium is both cheaper and deeper.

Image
Image

Lamps

The Kremlin stars not only spin but shine. To avoid overheating and damage, about 600 cubic meters of air is passed through the stars per hour. The stars are not threatened with a power outage, since their power supply is carried out autonomously. Lamps for the Kremlin stars were developed at the Moscow Electric Lamp Plant. The power of three - at the Spasskaya, Nikolskaya and Troitskaya towers - 5000 watts, and 3700 watts - at Borovitskaya and Vodovzvodnaya. Each contains two filaments connected in parallel. When one burns out, the lamp continues to burn, and a malfunction signal is sent to the control panel. To change the lamps, you do not need to go up to the star, the lamp goes down on a special rod directly through the bearing. The whole procedure takes 30-35 minutes. Throughout history, the stars have been extinguished twice. Once - during the war,the second - during the filming of "The Barber of Siberia".