The mosaic courtyard of the Small Academy of Arts of St. Petersburg is an unusual landmark of the Northern capital! Mosaic on the Palace of Pioneers on Vorobyovy Gory.

Mosaic can be a very interesting decorative element. For all its relative popularity, mosaic can be one of the most stylish and creative solutions in any room.

1. Rebellious plot

2. Mosaic chips

3. Ceramics

4. Mosaic frieze

5. Mosaic decor

A magnificent forged table, the top of which is decorated with a bright mosaic motif. You can make such an extremely stylish art object with your own hands by first developing a sketch on self-adhesive paper.

6. Seashore

7. Mosaic panel

8. Mirror mosaic

9. Stone mosaic

10. Assorted

11. Mosaic painting

12. Artistic mosaic

A full-fledged picture, laid out from carefully selected miniature tiles, which will emphasize the sophistication and originality of the interior.

13. Stylish decoration

14. Non-standard solution

15. Facade decor

16. Mosaic finish

Bolshaya Zelenina Street is a treasure trove of beautiful buildings. Well, house number 28 can safely be considered the pearl of this street. The huge mosaic panel immediately catches your eye. It consists of five parts: fields, hills, and expanses of water flaunt here, plowed by a luxurious sailboat. Such work deserves to rank with the masterpieces of famous marine painters. What stands out a little from all this splendor are the scenes with views of city buildings and an industrial landscape engulfed in clouds of smoke. This panoramic mosaic was created in 1905 according to sketches by the artist Shelkovy for His Serene Highness the Duke of Leuchtenberg, who owned the unusual apartment building.

Bolshaya Zelenina st., 28

Panel “Christ blesses the children”

Walking near the Institute of Cinema and Television, St. Petersburg residents can see the painting “Christ Blessing the Children.” In 2014, it was restored by pure chance, when the building was undergoing scheduled renovations. The workers peeled away the centuries-old layer of plaster, and an unexpected surprise appeared to their eyes - a mosaic canvas of enormous size (seven by ten meters), which had long been considered lost. The Christian theme of the mosaic is not accidental, because in former times the building was a parochial school in memory of Emperor Alexander III.

st. Pravdy, 13

The colorful panel, like the scales of a colorful fish, enveloped literally every object in the yard. Benches, paths, house walls, sculptures and sundials are decorated with colored glass mosaic designs. The unremarkable courtyard at some point began to literally become overgrown with mosaic details right in front of the local residents and over time became a kind of open-air museum. This landmark, which is better to see once than to hear about it a hundred times, was created by students of the Small Academy of Arts.

emb. Fontanka River, 2 / st. Tchaikovsky, 2/7

Giant periodic table

If you suddenly need a table of periodic elements, but you don’t have it at hand, but you are near the Tekhnologichesky Institute metro station, then you will find a cheat sheet in no time: a giant mosaic table of chemical elements adorns one of the walls of the Chamber of Weights and Measures - Research Institute of Metrology named after D. I. Mendeleev. And although this table is not as complete as it can now be found in a textbook, it fits very well into the landscape of the square, hinting at the contents of the building. By the way, literally a couple of steps from the mosaic you can also find a monument to an outstanding Russian scientist.

Moskovsky pr., 19

Behind Peter's house, right at the entrance to the souvenir shop, you can find an interesting mosaic wall, made entirely of ceramics and covered with patterns in the spirit of Dutch stove tiles or traditional Russian Gzhel. The panel depicts Amsterdam with its inhabitants on one side, and Russian sailors on the other. Between these parties are ships sailing towards each other as a sign of the union of the West and the East.

Petrovskaya embankment, 4

Tree on Bolshaya Moskovskaya

St. Petersburg courtyards are a treasure trove of interesting finds. Often, behind an unremarkable facade and dreary arches, a real work of art can be hidden. So, for example, if you walk around house number 8 on Bolshaya Moskovskaya Street, you will see a magical colored tree spread right on the firewall. In its relief and seemingly pixelated outlines one can discern powerful branches, petals and even birds scattered to the sides.

Bolshaya Moskovskaya st., 8b

St. Petersburg subway stations are full of impressive mosaics. Even new stations are trying to be decorated with this type of wall painting. There is also a place in the St. Petersburg metro that is visited by admirers of the work of Alexander Sergeevich Pushkin. Directly underground there is a monument to the great Russian poet, to whom flowers are regularly brought. This monument sometimes sets off the magnificent mosaic. Please note: behind the statue there is a kind of portal to Tsarskoye Selo Park. Thanks to the clear detailing and arched frame, the artists achieved the feeling that this was not a painting at all, but a very real landscape.

m. Pushkinskaya

Mosaic paintings by Rubinstein

Everyone is familiar with Rubinstein Street as the main bar “highway” of the city. But few people know what treasures are hidden behind the endless bars and coffee shops. In the courtyard of house No. 1 you can find six amazing mosaic panels created in the workshop of Ekaterina Ogorodnikova. The top row depicts angels on a light background, and the bottom row depicts city landscapes with ships and embankments. It is amazing that each of the works has its own backlight, which allows you to notice and admire the talented works of art at any time.

st. Rubinshteina, 1/47a

Mosaics of the Suvorov Museum

More than two hundred years ago, on the 100th anniversary of the death of the great commander, Slonovaya Street was renamed Suvorovsky Avenue, on which they aimed to erect a building for the memorial museum of Alexander Vasilyevich Suvorov. The construction was delayed a little: they started it a century later. Therefore, the opening of the memorial, built according to the design of A. I. von Gauguin, took place only on the day of the 175th anniversary of the commander’s birth. The residents of St. Petersburg were presented with a magnificent “memory repository” in the Art Nouveau style, the main identifying sign of which was the high tower, as well as two huge mosaic canvases on the facade - these are “Suvorov’s Departure for the Campaign of 1799” by M. I. Zoshchenko and “Suvorov Crossing the Alps " N. E. Maslennikova.

Mosaics in the same style can be found on the firewall of a house on Primorsky Avenue. In the bright red spot, two figures are distinguished: a worker in overalls who supports a fluttering banner, resting it on an anvil; and next to him a Red Army soldier in an overcoat and Budenovka trumpeted. Behind their courageous figures is a large circle, symbolizing the sun.

Primorsky Ave., 6

Photo: Nikolay Nikitin, dobrokoshka.livejournal.com, etovidel.net, d-stroz.livejournal.com, mitropolia.spb.ru, dslov.ru, ru.foursquare.com/sestrik, aliveserg.livejournal.com, ru-mosaic.livejournal .com

Olga Kazakova

Candidate of Art History, Director of the Institute of Modernism

Mosaic "World Peace" at the Novoslobodskaya metro station

The mosaic has miraculously survived to this day. At one time, Khrushchev did not like her, who was indignant at the fact that the woman was barefoot - in this he saw a hint of a shortage of shoes in the country. The woman was put on sandals, but Khrushchev still ordered the mosaic to be dismantled. The authors did not comply with the order and preserved the panel, blocking it with a false wall lined with granite. After Khrushchev's death, the false wall was demolished, the sandals were removed, and a dove with a ribbon was placed above the head of the woman and child - previously in their place there was a portrait of Stalin.

Mosaic on the Palace of Pioneers on Sparrow Hills

Address: st. Kosygina, 17, bldg. 1

The quintessence of the Soviet mosaic: here are many pioneers blowing trumpets, marching and planting trees, and the eternal sun, and the profile of Lenin, and children around the fire (symbolizing the Soviet republics). “The four mosaics, indicating the elements, on the ends of the buildings of the Palace of Pioneers are made of painted bricks, and the famous pioneer fire above the main entrance is made of large pieces of colored glass. The composition looks surprisingly free, unconstrained, sparse, gravitating toward abstraction,” says Olga Kazakova, director of the Institute of Modernism.

Address: New Arbat, 36

1963–1970

The abstract explosions on the façade of the CMEA conference hall are made of concrete and natural stone. Now the Department of National Policy and Interregional Relations of Moscow operates in the building, and the conference hall has been converted into a concert hall and philharmonic hall.

Mosaic “Autumn” in “Garage”

Address: st. Krymsky Val, 9, building 32

1968–1971

Before the museum, the legendary restaurant “Vremena Goda” operated in this building. During the years of perestroika there was a fire, and by 2015 the building and mosaic were restored. Previously, there was a suspended ceiling above “Autumn” - now in its place is a strip of red brick. Grigory Revzin calls the mosaic “a characteristic example of monumental hackwork of the early 70s, which was customary to decorate the buildings of cultural centers, registry offices and educational institutions.”

Soviet mosaic was one of the few tools for decorating the city. Mosaics are unique in that they are found both in the interiors and exterior decoration of buildings. Using mosaics, it is easy to trace the evolution of ideology, capture elements of everyday life, and even understand what people thought and dreamed about (conquest of space, fantasies about the exploration of other planets). The mosaic often carries information about a change in internal course (for example, at Dobryninskaya, on the mosaic with a parade of Soviet troops, instead of Stalin, Gagarin, who at that time was still a boy, appeared). At the same time, mosaics cannot be considered in isolation from the function of the building on which they are located, although, of course, sometimes the plot has nothing to do with the city or a specific plant.

The heyday of Soviet mosaics occurred in the 60s and 70s - this is the last period when the Soviet Union still had something to say to both the world and its own citizens. The mosaics reflected the conquest of space, science fiction, advanced medical technologies, and the heroism of enterprise and railway builders. As soon as the concept of exploring and conquering space began to collapse like a house of cards, the mosaics also disappeared. In addition, after the 70s, the series of houses being developed became taller, and it was considered inappropriate to cover individual parts of them with mosaics.

Mosaics are not archaic art. They were made both in Ancient Rome and in Soviet Russia. Now there are fewer of them, because the fashion for stained glass has returned (or rather, they have been rediscovered), but mosaics will definitely return someday. It sounds incredible, but a new residential complex “Tsiolkovsky” is being built in Perm with elements of post-constructivism and with panels on a space theme. And only six floors.

Any awareness of value comes through denial. For people, mosaics have become elements of everyday life, and this touristic, naive, childish impression needs to be awakened. Stalinist architecture was also not very appreciated in the 60s and 70s, but now we understand what is the dust of history and what is its foundation. The mosaics will remain. Already now young people perceive them as the legacy of a bygone civilization. If we look at what people like in the conditional

Tiled fireplace “Mikula Selyaninovich and Volga Svyatoslavovich” made according to a sketch by M.A. Vrubel.

Do we always mean the full breadth of the creative genius of Mikhail Vrubel when we call him an artist? Of course, Vrubel is the painter who gave the world his incredible Demons. This is the painter who glorified the aesthetics of the Russian people and became one of the most significant artists of the late 19th century.

But it’s unlikely that many of you know that on the façade of the Metropol Hotel there is an incredible panel “Princess of Dreams”, and in the Chertkov House there is a fireplace masterfully designed by the artist in the Art Nouveau style. Vrubel was a talented decorator, so it is unfair to ignore the decorative and applied side of his work. During the happy time of his participation in the Abramtsevo circle, the artist was inspired by the idea of ​​​​the Renaissance multi-tasking master and enthusiastically studied the art of ceramics, majolica, sculpture and techniques of various folk crafts. It was as a decorator that Vrubel gained his fame among his contemporaries, and many famous people sought to see the artist as the “designer” of their luxurious mansions.

In this article, “365” wants to introduce you to a number of Moscow buildings that were not spared by the creative genius of Mikhail Alexandrovich Vrubel. While walking around Moscow, don’t be lazy and stop by these mansions, where the modernist spirit of the beginning of the last century is still preserved.

Hotel Metropol

Facade of the Metropol. "Princess Dream"

Few people pay attention to the façade of the legendary Metropol Hotel, and if they do, they don’t know that it is there that displays perhaps M. Vrubel’s most famous decorative panel, “The Princess of Dreams.”

In 1896 S.Yu. Witte placed an order with Vrubel for a painting panel for the Nizhny Novgorod Art and Industrial Exhibition. The work at the exhibition did not make the proper impression on the audience, but amazed critics with the romantic depth of the image, inspired by the play of the French poet E. Rostand.

Hotel Metropol

Therefore, when Witte was faced with the question of who to invite to participate in the decoration of a hotel under construction in the very heart of Moscow, the choice fell on Vrubel, in order to spite his ill-wishers to perpetuate his excellent work.

Address: Teatralny proezd, 2.

The house on Lebyazhy Lane dates back to the 19th century. Warehouses, a vodka factory, a cinema and a miniature theater - a lot happened here until, by order of the philanthropist P. G. Solodovnikov, the building and the buildings nearby were converted into residential premises.

Under the roof itself there is a ceramic panel depicting a girl surrounded by the wonders of the underwater world, according to researchers, made from castings by Mikhail Vrubel.

Fragment of the central panel, made according to sketches by M. Vrubel

Address: Lebyazhy Lane, 6/1.

The most ordinary walk around Moscow can unexpectedly bring you a meeting with Mikhail Vrubel. The main thing is to know where to look.
The apartment building of F.A. Alexandrov could have remained an ordinary example of the architecture of its time, if not for the ceramic panels of Abramtsevo tiles above the balcony windows, made according to the drawings of the “Immortals” by the great master.

Decorative elements of an apartment building by F. A. Alexandrov. “Immortals” by Vrubel, bottom left

Address: Merzlyakovsky lane, 20.

City estate Kazakova-Dunker-Tsetlina

The estate is named after the names of the owners to whom it belonged after the princely family of Khovansky.

In 1894, by order of E.D. Dunker the artist created a mosaic triptych “The Judgment of Paris”, as well as a panel “Venice” and a lampshade depicting flowers.

M. Vrubel. "The Judgment of Paris" Decorative panel, 1893

Today, Vrubel’s works made for this mansion can be seen in the collection of the Omsk Museum of Fine Arts and in the collection of the Russian Museum.

Address: Povarskaya street, building 9, building 1-1A.

Evidence of this estate has been available since the end of the 18th century; ancient chambers and elements of decoration of that time have even been preserved here.

However, when in 1895 the estate began to belong to Alexei Vikulovich Morozov, changes awaited it. To carry out the order to redistribute the house, according to the tastes of the owner and the trends of the time, the famous architect Fyodor Shekhtel was invited, who in turn invited Mikhail Vrubel to take part in the interior decoration of the mansion.

M. Vrubel. Triptych "Faust"

For this estate, the artist created picturesque panels based on Goethe’s Faust. These panels are distinguished by their fluency and approximate nature, divided into plans, which enhances the resemblance to appliqué.

Now these works can be seen in the State Tretyakov Gallery.

Address: Podsosensky lane, 21.

Mansion of Z. G. Morozova

Another example of the work of Mikhail Vrubel in collaboration with the architect Fyodor Shekhtel.

This time the artist took part in the interior decoration of the mansion of the wife of the great Russian philanthropist Savva Morozov. Shekhtel believed that Vrubel would be able to bring his gloomy expressiveness to Gothic interiors, and he was not mistaken.

M. Vrubel. "Robert and the Nuns"

For this mansion, the artist created a broken and extremely dynamic sculptural composition “Robert and the Nuns”, and also created a sketch for a stained glass window, which was made using ancient techniques.

Address: Spiridonovka street, 17.

Another joint creation of Mikhail Vrubel and Fyodor Shekhtel is the Saltykov-Chertkov Estate. You can get into this estate only during exhibitions on its territory, but it is worth doing if only to see the incredible fireplace created by Vrubel by order of the owner of the house.

The sculptural decoration of the fireplace, created in unison with the Art Nouveau style, depicts playful nymphs and satyrs frolicking between the branches of trees.

Address: Moscow, Myasnitskaya street, 7.

Text: Anna Vikhreva

Durres is perhaps the most famous resort in Albania. Ancient history, beautiful nature and, of course, the sea attract tourists here. Strictly speaking, Albania has access to two seas. Durres stands on the Adriatic, a marvelous and gentle sea.

In Durres the sea is shallow. To swim, not splash, you will have to walk 200 meters from the shore. But, on the other hand, the water here warms up well. And the local beach looks clean, lined with pleasant sand and surrounded by a wonderful pine forest. The soft blue of the sea seems dusty due to its shallow depth. And, probably, it is this unique shade of blue that will remain in the memory as a memory of the sea in Durres.

Venetian Tower

The city of Durres is famous throughout the world for its beautiful architectural monuments from the Roman period - for example, the amphitheater built in the 2nd century BC. However, one of the main attractions of Durres is the perfectly preserved walls of the ancient Byzantine city.

The walls of the Byzantine fortress were built in the 6th century - after the Gothic invasion, which the city suffered in 481. A few more centuries later, in the 14th century, the walls were further strengthened with round Venetian towers. In one of these towers, hanging over the sea, today there is a bar, very popular among young people.

What attractions of Durres did you like? Next to the photo there are icons, by clicking on which you can rate a particular place.

Mosaic House

The ruins of ancient Apollonia are located 12 km from the city of Fier. In the ancient period, this city was one of the important Mediterranean metropolises. Numerous monuments from Roman times are still preserved here, one of the most interesting is the famous “Mosaic House” with a beautiful fountain.

Art historians often call the Mediterranean region the birthplace of mosaics. The art of mosaic compositions has reached especially great heights here. Sometimes mosaics are even called Roman art, evidence of the presence of the Romans in a particular territory. Roman mosaics consisted of small cubes of natural stone covered with glass glaze, and quite often the design was decorated with small stones or pebbles. During the late Roman Empire, as a rule, floors were decorated with mosaics, since they preferred to decorate walls with frescoes.

The Archaeological Museum was opened in 1951 to visitors, who can view extensive collections of artifacts from the Greek, Hellenistic and Roman periods.

Artifacts include Roman funeral steles, stone sarcophagi, mosaics, collections of miniature busts of Venus and other valuable items found during excavations in the city and other neighboring cities. By the way, the busts of Venus are in a separate room, because it’s not for nothing that the city used to be a place of worship of this goddess. The museum is the largest archaeological museum in Albania.

In 2010, the museum underwent a complete reconstruction. Despite the importance of the archaeological sites, the museum is not an independent institution and is managed by the Regional Directorate for the Protection of Monuments of Durres.

The museum is open daily except Sunday and Monday from 9 am to 3 pm.

Colonnade of shops in a Roman city center

The ancient ruins have been a subject of particular interest to travelers for centuries. And this is not surprising, because almost always behind these ancient monuments there is hidden a certain secret, a riddle, which not everyone is able to solve.

The city of Apollonia, which is located 100 km south of Durres, was founded by the Greeks back in 855 BC. In antiquity, Apollonia was one of the most important cities in the Mediterranean - it was a beautiful, majestic city, one of the richest. Since then, numerous architectural monuments have been preserved here, preserving some of their former grandeur.

If, while visiting Albania, you are planning to go to explore the ruins of ancient Apollonia, then you will discover the magnificent Greek Amphitheater and the perfectly preserved colonnades of shops in the city center, built in the Roman period.

Fragments of the fortress walls

Ancient Apollonia was a majestic picturesque city, with a huge number of architectural monuments. Many of them have survived to this day and carry an atmosphere of former greatness.

If you intend to go on an excursion to the ancient ruins of Apollonia, then you should definitely explore the fortress walls. They were erected around the city in the fourth century AD, to protect against attacks by barbarians and other enemies. Despite the fact that only fragments of the wall have survived to this day, they make quite a strong impression on travelers.

Main mosque in Durres

Ancient Durres is a popular resort among travelers. The city with ancient history is rich in various attractions. Its modern appearance is made up of both the most ancient monuments of antiquity and completely modern religious buildings, reflecting the current spiritual needs of the country.

The main mosque of Durres is certainly considered a significant building for the city. This completely modern building was built recently, in 1993. It is believed that the temple was erected in honor of a native of Albania, the former ruler of Egypt, Muhammad Ali.

The huge mosque, made of light stone, decorated with an arrow-thin minaret, looks somewhat rustic, but elegant enough to attract the attention of tourists.

Durres embankment

Durres is a resort town and is located on the seashore. And where there is a sea, there is an embankment.

Although the Durres embankment is the main promenade, it is still a slightly specific place. On the one hand, in its best parts it resembles an ordinary urban area of ​​recent new buildings. The wide promenade is paved with tiles, there are lawns here and there, and at a distance there are kiosks and stalls with food, drinks and souvenirs. On one side the azure sea splashes, on the other the embankment is supported by colorful modern houses.

But in its worst parts the embankment looks unsightly. It is littered, unkempt and does not evoke the best feelings. True, here and there you come across pieces of real pink marble.

Ancient amphitheater in Durres

Durres is one of the oldest cities in Albania (founded around 627 BC) and at the same time a city of contrasts. Remains of antiquity now coexist with modern buildings and sometimes it even looks funny.

The Greek colonists who founded the city left a memory of themselves in the form of monuments that have been preserved in one way or another. One of them is an ancient amphitheater.

The date of its construction dates back to the distant second century BC. This is a typical antique building, quite well preserved. It is located inside the also preserved ancient fortress walls on a well-located slope. And surrounded by modern buildings, even with worn-out steps, it looks very impressive and noble.

Villa of King Ahmet I Zogu

On the top of Durrës Hill, just west of the Roman amphitheater, stands the villa of King Ahmet I Zogu, the first president and then king of Albania.

In 1926, the merchants of Durres allocated funds for the construction of a luxurious villa, which they were going to present as a symbolic gift to the king. The author of the project is Cristo Sotiri, an architect who graduated from the University of Padua and had extensive experience in designing similar buildings. The building was completed in 1937, a few months before King Zogu got married. The villa became his summer residence, where Akhmet spent time with his family.

The villa is located at an altitude of 98 meters above sea level, with magnificent panoramic views from the rooms.

During communist Albania, many leaders of the socialist powers stayed at the villa, including Nikita Khrushchev. In the 90s, former US President Jimmy Carter visited her.

The interior of the villa was heavily damaged during the 1997 unrest in Albania, but thanks to the efforts of Ahmet I's son Prince Lika, the villa was restored in 2007.

Durres Plage

Not far from Durres there is a popular resort - Durres Plage, which is famous for its picturesque sandy beaches and warm sea water. This place is perhaps the main thing that attracts numerous tourists to the city, both from Albania and foreigners.

Getting to the beach is quite easy - shuttle buses run regularly from the city center to the beach area. The beaches are equipped with all the necessary infrastructure, and the gently sloping sand spit extends quite far into the sea.

The most popular attractions in Durres with descriptions and photographs for every taste. Choose the best places to visit famous places in Durres on our website.

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