A monument to Ivan Kulibin was established in Nizhny Novgorod.

      Photo: Dmitry Chetyre

      The installation of a sculptural composition dedicated to the great inventor Ivan Petrovich Kulibin has been completed in Nizhny Novgorod. The monument is situated in the park on Ilyinskaya Hill, in Kutoy Lane — in the historic district of Zapochainya, where the Kulibin family estate was located in the 18th century.

      “Ivan Kulibin is our outstanding fellow countryman, a man whose inventions were ahead of his time. We are proud of his legacy and continue to do everything to immortalize his memory on native land. This monument serves as a reminder that Nizhny Novgorod has always been and remains a city of innovators,” — noted Oleg Berkhovich, Deputy Governor of the Nizhny Novgorod Region.

      

      The volumetric spatial sculpture was developed based on the study of the legacy of this remarkable inventor. Numerous drawings of his machines formed the basis of the artistic design, created in a modern abstract style with kinetic elements symbolizing Kulibin’s engineering genius and his contribution to scientific progress.

      

      The composition consists of a spatial metal structure on screw piles. Mechanical mobile elements are attached to the upper points of the base at bearing nodes, which viewers can activate using a lever-pendulum at eye level. The mobile is assembled from segments of interconnected gears mounted on shafts with linkages, creating a complex spatial movement and transforming the outline of the object. Thus, the monument has become an interactive art object emphasizing the dynamics of engineering thought.

      The material of the construction is painted metal: the base made of galvanized steel profiled pipes, movable parts from 4 mm thick sheet aluminum.

      

      The project was authored by sculptor Konstantin Alexandrov and architect Dmitry Alexandrov. The project was commissioned by the NGO “Center 800.” The development of the concept and the creation of the composition cost 10 million rubles.

      

      The project was implemented within the framework of the program for the development and preservation of urban environment and historical memory of Nizhny Novgorod, with the participation of the Institute for Urban Environment Development of the Nizhny Novgorod Region, which supervised the preparation of the artistic idea for the sculpture and the arrangement of the site for the art object. Landscaping work will begin in August — the installation site will be complemented with approaches to the sculpture, informational stands will be installed, and lighting will be improved.