Ruin Tower

Ruin Tower (2011)
Ruin tower and Orlovsky gate

The Ruin Tower (Russian: Башня-руина) is an 18th-century monument in Ekaterininsky park of Tsarskoye Selo in Pushkin, a town near St. Petersburg, Russia. It was designed and constructed in 1771-1773 by Russian architect Yury Felten, who chose to build it at a location near the Orlovsky gate.

The monument represents a fragment of the subdued Turkish fortress consisting of a huge tower and a part of a fortification with system of defensive devices. This original decorative construction makes impression dilapidated construction time.

Now Ruin Tower is a part of landscape gardening ensemble of a museum. Access to it is opened daily from 11.00 until 17.00 o'clock.[1]

History

Tower it is erected in honour of heroic battles of Russo-Turkish War of 1768–1774 by request of Catherine II. Civil work were conducted by architect I. M. Sitnikov. The powerful stone tower in the form of a column of Tuscan order is topped by the round arbour-pavilion established on abacus. The arbour is dilapidated, with through Gothic lancet apertures, from the top platform from height of 21 metres the magnificent kind on lake and parks opens. In the summer of 1773 artist A. Belsky has painted external walls of Towers-ruins. On the plastered surface the cracks simulating natural damages of a laying of walls have been cut.[2]

From the Tower the huge stone arch as which continuation the artificial embankment-ramp along the edges of which in 1784 trees have been planted serves is thrown. The arch serves as an input in a narrow corridor with a spiral flat ramp for lifting on a tower. Massive impost of arches it is located almost at ground level at the tower base. It even more strengthens the impression that the Tower has left deeply in the earth.[2]

Ruin tower in 1820s
Russian: На память войны, объявленной турками России, сей камень поставлен
Translation: For memory of the war declared by Turks of Russia, this stone it is put
— The inscription cut on arch keystone over an input in a tower

On other party of an embankment-ramp pig-iron gate in Gothic style are established. The embankment-ramp comes to an end with pig-iron collars in Gothic style. After erection of a monument the tower was used as a specific platform, and the fortification with a front entrance in the form of an arch-entrance and an earthen embankment became a place for walks and pleasure drivings.[2]

Gate on J.M.Felten's model have been cast in 1782 in Ekaterinburg at Demidovsky factories. This one of the architectural products first in Russia of pig-iron. Graceful it is thin the executed drawing - the certificate of a great skill of Russian founders.[2]

Mural restoration after WWII

Last repair of a tower was in 1883, Ruin Tower has suffered from shellings in Second World War. On brick walls, the arches and Tower eaves there were fragmental hollows and cracks, travertin has received serious destructions. The arbour on the top platform of the Tower has been half destroyed. After the end of war the construction restoration elimination of the damages put by war and time became which main objective was necessary, thus it was necessary to keep initial colour of construction – the demolitions.[1]

The planned target on restoration has been given in 1977, but the first works on inspection and monument clearing have begun in 1986. Designing was carried out by experts of joint venture "Lenpolproekt" and institute "Lenproektrestavratsiya", since 1993 the Polish firm PKZ "Workshops on restoration of ancient monuments" was connected to works as the contractor. Restoration works have come to the end in 2006, and since August 2009 pavilion Ruin Tower has opened for tourists.[1]

References

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Ruine tower.
  1. 1 2 3 Впервые после реставрации Башня-руина открыта для посетителей [For the first time after restoration the Ruin Tower is opened for visitors] (in Russian). Kvadrat.ru is All square metres. 2009-08-17. Retrieved 2009-08-18. External link in |publisher= (help)
  2. 1 2 3 4 Lastochkin, Sergei; Yury Rubejanskiy. Царское Село-резиденция российских монархов [Tsarskoye Selo is residence of the Russian monarchs]. Endurances from a historical sketch of authors (in Russian). Tsarskoe Selo - town of Pushkin. Retrieved 2009-08-18. External link in |publisher= (help)

Coordinates: 59°42′35″N 30°23′2″E / 59.70972°N 30.38389°E / 59.70972; 30.38389

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