Arma plant on Kursk what happened before. Moscow gas plant on Kurskaya - notes from an urbanist. Power plant in Simonovskaya Sloboda

And in 1865 the capital decided to introduce gas lighting. Then the Moscow City Duma entered into a contract with the Dutch entrepreneur A. Bouquier and the British engineer N.D. Goldsmith about the construction of a plant and gasification of the city due to favorable prices: 14 rubles 50 kopecks for one street lamp, burning for 2,000 hours annually. Coal for gas production was delivered from Great Britain.

After 3 years, there were already more than 3,000 lanterns in Moscow, but the vendor company suffered losses because people did not want to connect their houses to the gas network due to rumors about the dangers of gas to health. Only in 1905 the gas plant was transferred to the city.

Communications by that time were neglected: the pipes were leaking gas up to a quarter of the annual consumption. Therefore, the City Duma allocated 4 million rubles for the development and reconstruction of the plant.

In the 1940s, the Moscow gas plant was repurposed first for the production of rocket nozzles, then for the production of gas equipment (stoves and meters), and then for the production of gas shut-off valves. During this time, the buildings of the plant were overgrown with extensions, and windows were cut into some gas tanks and ceilings were made. In 2002, production stopped and the space was rented out.

Now here is the ARMA business center. On the territory, ancient gas tanks designed by Rudolf Bernhardt have been preserved (storage facilities for excess gas and emergency reserves due to uneven consumption throughout the year). Nowadays such above-ground gas tanks are no longer built.

We continue our walks around the Basmanny district of Moscow. Let's go to the former industrial zone, located near the Kursky railway station. Just 10-15 years ago it was a rather depressing place with half-abandoned industrial buildings, but with a rich history and beautiful industrial architecture. We will talk about the former Moscow Gas Plant.

The history of gas lighting in Russia began even before the Napoleonic War. In 1811, Pyotr Sobolevsky created and tested the first domestic installation for producing artificial gas - a “thermal lamp”. And in 1816, Sobolevsky successfully used a “thermal lamp” to illuminate workshops at the Pozhevsky plant (Perm province). In 1819, the first gas lamp was lit on Aptekarsky Island in St. Petersburg. In 1850, gas lighting appeared in Odessa.
In 1863, the first gas plant was built in St. Petersburg. The gas produced by it was used to illuminate the Bolshoi and Maly Imperial Theaters. Here Moscow was a little behind, so in 1864 they held a competition to organize street lighting, which Bouquier and Company won. The “company” of the Dutchman Bouquier was the English engineer Goldsmith. And the very next year the first gas plant in Moscow was built.
The pace of development was such that three years later there were already 310 gas plants in the country. Lamping gas began to actively replace kerosene in city lanterns and became the main source of urban lighting before the advent of electric lanterns. Gas was delivered to the lanterns through underground cast iron pipes. Test lighting was carried out on Kuznetsky Most on December 25, 1865, and on December 27 the grand opening of the “gasification” of Moscow took place - the first gas lamp was lit near the Archangel Cathedral in the Kremlin. By 1868, more than three thousand gas lamps with a simple split burner were burning in Moscow, giving a light intensity of up to 12 candles.
It must be said that Bouquier and Company won the competition thanks to the low price offered at the auction. Coal initially had to be transported all the way from England itself, then they switched to Donbass. The company delivered the lighting system on a turnkey basis, i.e. the price was determined for one lantern, which was supposed to burn 2000 per year and supply it with gas. For the construction of the plant, vegetable gardens were purchased in Kobylskaya Sloboda on the banks of the Chernogryazka River.

The technology for producing “illuminating gas” was the dry distillation of coal. In retort furnaces without air access, the coal was heated to a temperature of 1100 ° C. The plant included gas furnaces, a gas cooling and purification building, a building for meters and gas pressure regulators in the city network , main and auxiliary gas tanks for gas storage.

The first to be erected were factory buildings - structures consisting of several workshops and intended for the production of gas from coal.
Two-story buildings grew up along Nizhny Susalny Lane - office buildings and for workers. Architect - Fedor Dmitriev.

2.Later three-story blocks were added to them.

3. Hardware and retort.

4. It can be seen that the building was lengthened, the shape of the windows was changed, the turret and two chimneys were demolished.


5. Very similar to a Catholic church.


6.


7. The desire to get more space somewhat spoiled the overall appearance.


8. But it’s good that at least the facades were preserved.

9. Building for the production of "water gas". To the right of it peeks out a small gas tank in which ammonia was stored.


10. This is what it looks like now. “Deep” reconstruction has not yet affected it. The pipe was demolished.


11.

12. Gas holder for ammonia. It has also not been reconstructed yet. Only the air conditioners on the wall indicate that. that the building is inhabited. About 6-7 years ago there was a nightclub here


Many other buildings had such metal extensions before reconstruction.

13. The corner of this building looks to the right in photo 9..

14. But this pipe was preserved. How long?

15. This building stands out from the general architectural ensemble.


16. Built in 1931-32.

Its technological function is a gas generator. But it’s difficult to say what kind of gas was generated here. Either the one that went to the consumer, or the one that was used to heat coal.
In general, it is now difficult to determine in what year the buildings were built. The only thing we can say with certainty is that 4 large gas tanks and two office buildings were built in 1865, and even those were rebuilt. In 1912, the plant underwent a fairly serious reconstruction; 6 new buildings were built. Perhaps some of them were built on the site of old ones.

The gas tanks (four brick buildings: 20 m high, 10 m deep and 40 m in diameter) were built according to the design of the architect Rudolf Bernhard, a professor at the St. Petersburg Institute of Civil Engineers. Gas tanks received gas for storage and subsequent supply to the distribution network. The factory buildings are located between the office building and the gas tanks. The location next to the railway, in the city center, facilitated the supply of gas to the urban center, and also made it possible to supply coal by rail.

Such large volumes of gas tanks were needed to compensate for uneven gas consumption. Gas was produced evenly throughout the day and consumed only in the dark. Now the gas supply system operates with a reserve, so daily irregularities are not dangerous for it, but seasonal irregularities are covered mainly by underground gas storage facilities.

17. Gas tanks, photo circa 1911. It can be seen that the second one from us is lower than the rest.


18. The same three years later. The added “floor” is highlighted in color.


19. And this is a modern photo, taken from approximately the same point.


20. The windows were cracked, a new dome was made.


21. What I don’t like is that they didn’t leave the natural color of the brick.


22. Now offices are located in gas tanks.

23. Next to the good old gas tanks, a new office building was built in the same colors and almost the same height.

The plant retained its function, moreover, it remained the main gas supplier in Moscow until the mid-1940s. When the first main natural gas from the Saratov region arrived in Moscow in 1946, it was repurposed first for the production of rocket nozzles, then, in the 1950s, for the production of gas equipment: stoves and meters. In the 1990s, gas shut-off valves began to be made here, and the plant itself was renamed the “Arma” plant. This, its last name, remains on the maps of the city. Business quarter "Arma" - that's what this place is called now.

24. And JSC Mosgaz, now located next door, reminds us of the gas past.

What we see today is the result of a serious struggle for the preservation of architectural and historical heritage. When the plant practically ceased to exist, several projects for using the territory arose.
One of the projects was developed by Mosproekt-4. He envisioned preserving only four gas tanks, which would be converted into office buildings with colored lighting. Along with them, it was planned to build a “pseudo-gas holder” - a new administrative and hotel complex. A little further away, a multifunctional complex was to be built, including underground parking lots.
An alternative project was developed by the creative association "Gazgolder", it provided for the reconstruction of the plant's territory, preserving all the historical buildings, but presupposing their release from any ugly extensions of the Soviet era.

25. Examples were given of the Gasometer districts in Vienna, where a similar plant with gas tanks was rebuilt into a quarter with housing, shopping and entertainment facilities.


These gas tanks are clearly visible from the highway along which you enter Vienna from the east.

As we can see, the result was a compromise, but not a worse option. Most of the buildings were preserved, although not in their original form, but similar to it.

26. And in the evenings and on weekends, when offices are no longer open, it is quite crowded here, especially a lot of young people.


I hope that those buildings that have not yet undergone reconstruction will be preserved in their original historical appearance.
And we will go from the gas plant to the Winzavod located very nearby.

MOSCOW GAS PLANT moscowhite wrote in April 3rd, 2009

In 1861, the Mainz merchant Dietrich and the St. Petersburg merchants Siemens and Halske turned to the Moscow Governor-General with a proposal to install gas lighting in the city. The tender for the concession was won by the company of the Dutch entrepreneur A. Bouquier and the English engineer N. Goldsmith, City of Moscow gas company limited.

In 1865, the company bought part of the vegetable gardens of Kobylskaya Sloboda on the banks of the Chernogryazka River, south of Nizhny Susalny Lane. The first factory buildings were buildings for the production of gas from coke. Along the line of Nizhny Susalny Lane, two two-story buildings were built for offices and workers' residence (architect Fyodor Dmitriev). At the same time, the architect Rudolf Bernhard built four brick gas tanks 20 meters high, 10 meters deep, and 40 meters in diameter along the rear border of the site. The gas plant itself was built between the gas tanks and the administrative building; it was a single, symmetrical structure in plan, consisting of several workshops.

In 1888, the English company transferred the concession to the General French and Continental Lighting Society, and in 1905, upon expiration of the contract, the plant was transferred to the city. In 1912, work began on the construction of new buildings in order to increase the plant's capacity. The old building was demolished exactly along the line of symmetry, after which technician Alexander Konstantin Voldemar Roop built six new buildings (hardware and retort departments, an ammonia plant, facilities for purifying gas from impurities, a meter plant, a water gas plant) and another small gas holder. One of the office buildings along the lane was also rebuilt.

In the late 1920s and early 30s, a number of auxiliary buildings were built, as well as a large gas generator building (architect Nikolai Morozov). But after the Saratov-Moscow gas pipeline was commissioned in 1946, the plant’s productivity dropped sharply. Its main function was the production of refractory gas burners, including rocket nozzles. According to the general plan of Moscow in 1971, the plant was included in the number of enterprises being moved outside the city. At the same time, its territory was divided into several possessions.

This is not a clock with one lost hand :) This is an old gas meter that showed how much gas was left in the gas tank.

In the nineties, production on the territory of the plant, according to a sad tradition, died out, and its premises were occupied by numerous commercial tenants. But then design studios, galleries and rehearsal facilities began to appear there, and a project for reconstructing a gas plant into a multifunctional art center appeared. Such experience already exists in world culture - the re-equipment of a similar plant in Vienna evokes admiration for the boldness of the architectural solution and the careful preservation of a unique monument. But we didn’t find an investor for such a good goal, and the project remained a project. Just like the thesis work of Moscow Architectural Institute graduates O. Dikhtenko and E. Vintova, who back in 1998 developed a project proposing the conversion of former gas tanks into a multifunctional complex. The towers of the gas tanks were to be turned into a Club, Attractions, Exhibition Pavilion, Circus and Greenhouse, and the factory workshops were adapted into the “Masters Square” - shops at creative workshops. All these bright hopes and beautiful plans were not destined to come true...

But just a few days ago, even more frightening information appeared - some buildings of the unique plant are going to be demolished! The examination data is already ready that they violated the standards for the amount of heavy metals, and in general they are said to be very dilapidated. And one of the gas tanks actually “accidentally” burned out - well, the methods are very familiar. Nadezhda, of course, is the last to die, but, apparently, we will never see this beautiful pseudo-Gothic factory complex in its original form.

Location of the complex.
Entrance to the territory requires passes, but if anyone wants to have time to take pictures, write to me in a personal message, I will tell you how to get into the plant.

Above the Obvodny Canal rises as many as four gas tanks, erected between 1858 and 1872 for the Capital Lighting Society gas plant. One of them is precisely one of the most famous gas holders of the city on the Neva. The brick building was used to store gas reserves until the beginning of the 20th century, when gas lighting was replaced by electric lighting. It is noteworthy that today the building is not empty. After all, under its roof there is a motorcycle center, club and cafe “Towers”, where guests can enjoy a variety of motorcycle equipment, listen to music, and, if desired, have a good meal or drink something like that. In addition, the society’s gas holder also houses the creative space “Lumiere Hall,” where projection exhibitions like Van Gogh’s paintings come to life are shown. In general, the gas tank of the Capital Lighting Society is in good condition today, largely thanks to the clubs - employees keep it clean and repair it. By the way, they did not make practically any significant changes to the historical appearance - after all, the gas tank is an important object of historical heritage. And soon, under the dome of an ancient building, the largest planetarium in the world will be located. They say he can claim a Guinness World Record.

emb. Obvodny Kanal, 74

Since the lights in the city on the Neva were concentrated in the very center of the Northern capital, gas holders were erected nearby, and they are not even that far from each other. Thus, on Zaozernaya Street there is a gas holder of the St. Petersburg Gas Lighting Society, which has lost its historical function. It was built in 1881 according to the design of the architect Ivan Maas for an enterprise competing with the Capital Lighting Society - the St. Petersburg Gas Lighting Society. After gas reserves were no longer stored in the gas tank, the building was adapted for various industries. And today it, along with the adjacent territory, was bought by a construction company - a residential complex will be built here. However, you should not think that the gas tank will be demolished - on the contrary, the company has decided to preserve the gas tank as a monument and is going to restore it and put it in order. It is now known that its internal space will be divided into levels, and at one time RBC wrote that a parking lot would be organized here.

Zaozernaya st., 3a

Many people are familiar with the San Galli factory garden on Ligovsky, which is part of the once extensive complex of iron and mechanical plants that appeared in these places back in 1853 on the initiative of the German entrepreneur, inventor and king of Russian iron casting Franz Karlovich San Galli. In 1867, a very unusual gas holder was erected on the territory. He, unlike his “brothers,” did not supply gas to the lamps, but stored fuel reserves for the needs of the enterprise. This gas holder is also distinguished by its shape - it is not round at all, but hexagonal and most closely resembles a nut. The “nut” was not used for so long - already in 1894 it was converted into an ordinary warehouse. Well, just a few years ago, in 2012, the gas tank was repaired, cleaned of soot and dirt and turned into a huge club.

st. Chernyakhovsky, 75

From the Ekateringofsky Bridge there is an excellent view of this extravagant structure of the late 19th century. At the same time, the gas holder was never used to supply gas to St. Petersburg lamps, but was built to supply a private alcohol purification plant, the products of which were purchased by the treasury. Naturally, the gas tank was used for its intended purpose for a short time. Today it has become a monument to the era of early gasification of St. Petersburg, as well as the base of a synthetic rubber research institute.

Ekateringofka embankment

There is a Gas Street in St. Petersburg, which at one time was called the “Gas Wasteland,” although there were plenty of buildings here. One of its attractions is the Gas Holder. It was built in 1902 according to the design of engineer Vasily Korvin-Krukovsky specifically for the French gas plant, which was located nearby and was intended for processing and storing natural gas used to provide street lighting.

Gas street, 10

Photo: realty.rbc.ru, citywalls.ru, karpovka.com, wikimapia.org