The main decoration of Susaninskaya Square - a fire tower (Kostroma)

In the heart of the city of Kostroma, above Susaninskaya Square, stands a fire tower in its grandeur.

Kostroma began to acquire a modern architectural appearance from the beginning of the second half of the 1780s. The buildings located on the central square of the city complement each other and the architectural styles of their neighbors, but at the same time they are beautiful, unique and separate from each other. These include the remarkable brainchild of PI Fursov - a fire tower.

Kostroma. The transition from wooden calendars to decent

As of 1904, Kostroma consisted of 84% wooden houses. Therefore, fire departments never sat idle. The most memorable fire of Kostroma is the one that flared up in May 1773. He destroyed almost the entire city. To combat the devastating elements in the city were built wooden stalls. However, they often burn themselves.

Assessing the current situation, Governor KI Baumgarten issued a decree:

In accordance with the order, the provincial architect Pyotr Ivanovich Fursov executed the drawings of the future quay.

The project is approved! Be sure to be!

Drawings and estimates, compiled by Peter Ivanovich, were approved in April 1824 in St. Petersburg.

Kalancha was built for two years - from 1824 to 1825. The contractor responsible for the construction of the main sight of Kostroma in the future was A. Stepanov.

Finishing work was carried out during the years 1825-1827 in accordance with the sketches compiled by PI Fursov. This was done by a team of plasterers, led by A. P. Temnov, and stuccoers from Yaroslavl under the leadership of S. S. Razryznev and SF Babakin.

For a long history of its existence, the fire tower (Kostroma) has undergone a number of changes. Transformations of the original appearance began in the second half of the 19th century. The first thing that has been changed is functionality. In the 1860s, the fire tower was not just a tower for observation - it housed a fire station. Effective placement of the fire unit was facilitated by spacious side wings. They are located along the front of the square and the enveloping streets of the streets.

Simplified in the 1880s, the "lantern" on the guard tower did not take root - in 1956, after another restoration, the upper part of the tower was restored to its original appearance. This happened thanks to the architect GI Zosimov.

The object of admiration is the fire tower in Kostroma

The story says that in 1834 the emperor Nikolai I came to Kostroma with a visit. He admired the exterior and interior decoration of the stall.

The fire tower in Kostroma (photo above) carries a proud title given to her by the emperor himself: "The best fire tower of the Russian province." This is the pride of the city.

An unprepared and unaware tourist will say: "What interesting and beautiful can be stored in such a banal facility as a fire tower?"

Kostroma is one of the few tourist sites where the tower has become the property of the city. It is beautiful at any time of the day: day and night.

Outwardly it looks like a fairy palace. And if you do not know in advance what the building is, you might think that the watchtower is the belfry of the temple.

Architectural solutions

The fire tower belongs to the style of late classicism. Its height is 35 meters. In a two-story building, everything that was needed for the excellent functioning of the fire brigade was perfectly placed. In the building there were living quarters with stables and sheds for barrels of water.

Kalancha outwardly resembles an ancient temple: it has a cubic volume and six-column porticos. Behind the columns is a facade decorated with round windows. Looking up, you can see a beautiful two-headed eagle: it is located in the center of a triangular gable.

The octagonal sentinel column smoothly passes to the observation deck (bypass balcony with a lantern). This is facilitated by the presence of an attic floor located above the cornice.

A beautiful architectural style and an ideal location in the city center on the main square determined that the tower was one of the main symbols of Kostroma. Now it is considered the highest point in the city center.

Destination of the fire tower

The main modern purpose of the building is the decoration of the Susaninskaya square of the city. But it was built, not only to please people, but mainly to ensure the safety of the population in the emergence of fires. Safety is the main goal, according to which the stall was used.

It is extraordinarily multifunctional: here there were stables, water storage, garages for service transport, barns, office and living quarters.

In the early 90s of the 19th century, a departmental exhibition was held here. It was devoted to the history of Russian firefighting. Since 2005, the interior of the building has become available for viewing to every resident and visitor of the Russian city called Kostroma: a fire tower - a museum for ten years already. He is in the Kostroma Museum-Reserve.