First fountains in the capital were called water jets and were introduced in Moscow during the times of the tsar Alexei Mikhailovich, who was extremely fond of various exotic things. At that time the new wonder did not acquire mass popularity, and the first public fountain in Moscow was built only 200 years later, in the 19th century. The famous sculptor Vitali built a fountain in Teatralnaya Square and it is still active nowadays. Water in this fountain was so clean that local inhabitants came to the artificial water source with pails and other vessels. Although modern fountains cannot boast same cleanness of water, their design and image is undoubtedly unique.

One of the fountains deserving attention is the one in the famous square near the Bolshoi Theatre. It looks like a huge water flower in blossom situated right in the centre of a green square with lawns. This fountain is known for the visual effects it is able to create to careful observers: if you look at the roof of the Bolshoi Theatre through the clear splashes of water, it will seem that the horses of the roof sculpture are stamping and their manes – streaming in the wind.

Fountains of Manezhnaya Square in Moscow have turned into one of the favourite places of newly married couples. There is an old knight tradition of crossing sabres over the fiance’s and bride’s heads in order to cut off misfortune and misery. Nowadays, newly married couples try to walk under fountain’s spurts and throw a coin into water to attract luck and happiness. Manezhnaya Square is also the place where the biggest water construction in Moscow is located: its water volume constitutes 780 cubic metres.

New fountains get surrounded with legends very swiftly. The most beautiful legend is the one surrounding the fountain “Alexander and Natalie” situated near the Nikitskiye Gates, near the cathedral Alexander Pushkin got married in. The legend says that a swallow of water from this fountain promises couples happiness and harmony.

In the evening fountains look more charming and beautiful, because most of them are illuminated with bright floodlights. A remarkable fountain complex is located in the Victory Park (Park Pobedy): a line of fountains illuminated with red light in the evening looks like candles and creates a beautiful and original view. One of the fountains well-known in Moscow and in the world is the fountain of the Russian University of Peoples` Friendship as a lot of foreign students study in this university. The construction of the fountain is quite impressive: it consists of three similar fountains with their spurts completely following the shapes of the trade centre domes, which have the shape of the globe and are made of coloured glass.

The most computerized and energy consuming fountain of the Russian capital is “Abduction of Europa”, located in one of the new squares in Moscow not far from the Kievskaya Railway Station. The fountain was presented to the capital by the Mayor of Brussels.

Source:
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Natalya Lavrentyeva