The reconstruction of the relief on the left side of the temple.
Model; plasticine; 1996
the Cathedral of Christ the Savior came into the life of Russia as the main temple of the country.
to See this Grand structure you can from afar. Walking in the center of Moscow, it's hard not to notice the shiny gilded dome. The temple shakes all the grandeur, decoration, sculpture. I can't believe 20 years ago this place was a concrete pit.
In December 1931, a tragedy occurred: on the orders of the authorities of the Cathedral of Christ the Savior was blown up. Later the place began to build a giant structure-the Palace of Soviets. The construction was prevented by the Great Patriotic war. Work stopped and the builders have returned to this place only in 1958. For short term elevated outdoor pool «Moscow», which lasted until the mid-90s.
work on the reconstruction of the temple began on 7 January 1995, the feast of the Nativity. This day laid the first stone in the Foundation of the temple. Ahead — 5 years of Titanic work.
the Honor of recreating the artistic decoration of the temple according to the law gave the masters of the Russian Academy of arts, founded in 1757. Attracted to the works of high-class specialists, who used historical photos, archival materials and preserved in the Donskoy monastery sculptured fragments of reliefs.
To recreate the sculptures of the temple of the academician and people's artist of Russia Yuri Nuts gathered more than 50 of the best masters from different Russian cities and has set up a Fund "Sculptor" at the Russian Academy of arts.
in Just six years our experts have recreated a 48 sculptural compositions, including 8 multi-figure, a massive relief and a huge Tondo. Has done a unique work. It suffices to note that the authors in the XVIII century the creation of the originals gone for 17 years.
the reconstruction of the sculptures was carried out according to old photographs, often of poor quality, sketches, drawings, and stories. The work was in the studios of different cities, but no matter what the sculptors came to a common understanding of the style and withstood a single signature.
there were a lot of difficulties. It was difficult to predict how the pieces will look on the distance and elevation. It was necessary to detail to repeat the authors. This was possible thanks to the skill of the sculptors of the Fund. Affects the scale of the figures: for example, Tondo diameter up to 5 metres and the height of the songs — 4.3 meters.
there were disputes about the material high reliefs. The Church insisted on the source material-dolomite. But short-lived dolomite was chosen because of its cheapness, and the idea of the composition I wanted to cast in bronze. In the end, the master, persuaded the clergy and today the temple is decorated with bronze statues according to the original project of Nicholas the First.
Reconstruction of the temple was completed in 1997. Today we see him as he was seen in the NINETEENTH century.
The wreckage of the temple after the demolition of
the Documentary, Moscow, 1931
