Inspiration | Engineering drawing at the level of art, invention and discovery by Vladimir Shukhov
Vladimir Grigoryevich Shukhov is perhaps the first architect and mechanical engineer inventor of the Russian Empire and the young Soviet Republic in terms of merits and inventions.
In the world history of engineering, there is hardly a more talented and versatile person, a scientist who has made an indisputable contribution to the development of the oil and gas industry, architecture and construction.Vladimir Grigoryevich Shukhov, who was called “the first engineer of Russia” by his colleagues during his lifetime, was in many ways ahead of his time — his inventions contributed to the development of the country’s economy and determined the future of the oil and gas industry. The designer, whose works are distinguished by both originality, simplicity and grace, are widely used to this day
Speaking of Shukhov, it is difficult to avoid the definition of “first in the world”. But this is true: his inventions from the end of the XIX century until his death in 1939 determined the engineering priority of Russia. An engineer, scientist, and architect, he has had his say in mechanics, oil refining, heat engineering, hydraulics, shipbuilding, and military engineering. And in all these areas, his discoveries became fundamental, technologies and designs-breakthrough. And many of his creations have forever fused with the name of their inventor: the Shukhov nozzle, the Shukhov reservoir, the Shukhov oil cracking scheme, the Shukhov rotunda and the most famous — the Shukhov Tower.
Parents, childhood
Engineer-inventor Vladimir Grigoryevich Shukhov was born on August 28, 1853 in the provincial town of Grayvoron, Belgorod uyezd, Kursk province (now the district center of the Belgorod region) in a poor noble family. Father Grigory Petrovich graduated from the Law Faculty of Kharkiv University and at the age of 29 was promoted to titular councilor. For services in the Crimean War of 1853–1856. he received a bronze medal on the Vladimir Ribbon. Vladimir Grigoryevich’s mother, Vera Kapitonovna, nee Pozhidaeva, came from a more noble family of Kursk landowners. The family also had an older daughter, Nadezhda. She was a year older than Vladimir.
On December 10, 1853, my father left Graivoron and returned to Kursk with his family. In 1856, under the influence of his wife, he applied for a transfer to the capital, and the Shukhovs moved to St. Petersburg. In the early 1860s, Grigory Petrovich met Nikolai Ivanovich Pirogov in Odessa, where he came as an inspector, and, largely under his influence, went to work from the financial department to the Department of Institutions of the Empress Maria, which was engaged in educational, medical and charitable institutions. However, little Volodya and his sister are not greatly affected by these movements of their parents — they are brought up by their grandmother, in Pozhidayevka.
Parents brought up in their son purposefulness, hard work, diligence and insight. The military environment is demanding, striving for order, and the ability to cope with life’s difficulties. Along with this, the family encouraged the desire to learn, to learn something new. Volodya’s passion from early childhood was books. By the time he was four or five, his grandmother had taught him to read, and from then on, the boy would sit for hours in the quiet of his old home library, oblivious to everything in the world. Just as early, the peculiarities of his logical thinking were revealed: extraordinary intelligence, memory, and a persistent desire to unravel the meaning of incomprehensible phenomena.
The boy amazed everyone with his ingenuity and adored designing. He sometimes built a fountain near the house, using spring water and old pipes, then dammed the stream and built a small but perfectly functioning water mill. Volodya himself guessed to use a lever when lifting heavy loads. In 1860, Grigory Petrovich and his children visited Academician, corresponding member of the St. Petersburg Academy of Sciences Karl Khristoforovich Knorre in the city of Nikolaev. Karl Knorre was an astronomer at the Nikolaev Marine Observatory, and, of course, Volodya visited it. What he saw made a strong impression on the boy, and became another incentive to become interested in natural sciences.
Education
In 1863, Volodya entered the Fifth St. Petersburg seventh-grade Gymnasium
In 1863, Volodya moved to his parents in St. Petersburg, and entered the Fifth St. Petersburg seventh-grade Gymnasium, where at that time the outstanding scientist and teacher K. D. Kraevich taught. Already at the gymnasium, his abilities for exact sciences, especially mathematics, were shown. At the age of 13, as a fourth-grade high school student, he found his own original proof of the Pythagorean theorem. Krajevich praised high school student Shukhov for an original and concise proof, but lowered the grade with the words:
Right… but immodestly, Pythagoras lived more than 2000 years ago, and it was necessary, respecting the predecessor, to first state his proof
In 1871, following his father’s advice, Shukhov entered the Mechanical Engineering department of the Imperial Moscow Technical School (Bauman Moscow State Technical University). Training at the school was conducted according to advanced methods at that time, but the situation was quite harsh. Students not only studied theory, but also worked in workshops: locksmith, lathe, model, foundry, blacksmith and others. Among the teachers were such outstanding scientists as K. D. Kraevich, A.V. Letnikov, the future “father of aerodynamics” — N. E. Zhukovsky, F. E. Orlov. During his studies, Shukhov also communicated with the founder of the St. Petersburg Mathematical School P. F. Chebyshev, and among his friends was P. K. Khudyakov — a talented boy who entered the preparatory courses of the school at the age of ten, a future outstanding scientist in the field of applied mechanics, one of the founders of the theory of machines and mechanisms.
The first registered invention of Vladimir Shukhov was a steam nozzle, which was later used in the production of steam boilers by the Office of the Engineer Bari. This mechanism also graced the cover of D. I. Mendeleev’s book “Fundamentals of Factory Industry” in 1897. This invention Shukhov made in the last year of study at the school. In 1876, Shukhov graduated with honors from the school, and he was even released from the defense of the diploma project — this was a sign of recognition of the outstanding abilities of the student. Academician Chebyshev offered Shukhov the position of his assistant. But scientific, theoretical and pedagogical work did not attract the young mechanical engineer.
With his sisters, he wanted to put his knowledge into practice as soon as possible. Just at this time, a delegation was being formed to go to the World Exhibition of Industrial Achievements, which was held in the United States, and in order to encourage the school Council, Shukhov was also included in the delegation. At the same time, many scientists from Russia came to the United States, including Dmitry Ivanovich Mendeleev, who studied oil business there. It was there that he met an American engineer of Russian origin, Alexander Veniaminovich Bari, who in Philadelphia was engaged in the construction of the World Exhibition pavilions (for which he received the Grand Prix and gold medal) and, as a good acquaintance of F. E. Orlov at the Zurich Polytechnic School, received the Russian delegation in America and accompanied a delegation of students and professors from Russia. Bari helped the Russians get acquainted with the country and the exhibition, helped them purchase equipment, tools and samples of products for the workshops of the technical school, showed the delegation members the metallurgical plants of Pittsburgh, the construction of railways and all the new American equipment. This acquaintance played a crucial role in the fate of both.
Starting independent work
After returning from the United States, Shukhov joined the Warsaw-Vienna Railway Department as head of the drawing bureau. His first assignment at the new location was designing a locomotive depot. One of the features of V. G. Shukhov’s creative spirit, which largely explains the depth of his ideas and the versatility of his talent, was the desire to comprehend a complete picture of the universe, to establish internal relationships, at first glance, unrelated, the most diverse processes and phenomena. This aspiration included in the circle of his serious interests sciences that were far removed from the sphere of engineering: even in his youth, Shukhov became interested in astronomy and acquired extensive knowledge in it; later, he was seriously interested in Einstein’s theory of relativity, and called history “the most necessary science”. Shukhov was one of the first to think about the relationship between biology and mechanics and the possibilities that studying natural sciences can open up for an engineer. Vladimir Grigoryevich attached great importance to his infrequent but very informative conversations with the surgeon N. I. Pirogov. It is possible that it was these conversations that led Shukhov to decide, without interrupting his main work, to become a free student at the Military Medical Academy. According to his own testimony, two years of studying there gave him invaluable experience as an engineer, enriching him with an understanding of the most perfect “design” created by nature — the human body. Soon, doctors diagnosed Shukhov with the initial stage of tuberculosis, and advised him to move from St. Petersburg to a place with a warmer climate.
In 1877, Alexander Bari, remaining a US citizen, returned to Russia with his family, and began working with Ludwig Nobel, the older brother and business partner of Alfred Nobel, the founder of the famous Nobel Prize and the inventor of dynamite. Remembering Shukhov, Bari offered to cooperate with him. He signed a contract with the Nobel Brothers Association, the owners of the Baku oil fields. Vladimir Shukhov heads the firm’s Baku office.
During this period, rapid development of oil production began in Baku, and Vladimir Grigoryevich, together with Nobel and Bari, began construction of the first Russian oil pipeline connecting Balakhani and Baku. The ten-kilometer oil pipeline created competition for numerous owners of horse-drawn wagons that transported oil. It was repeatedly set on fire, and along its entire length it was necessary to put up guardhouses. In 1878, the pipeline was put into operation, and after the first year, the main line paid for itself. Using a steam pump, 811,150 poods of oil were pumped through the pipe per month. The pipe diameter of this pipeline was 7.62 cm (3 inches), and oil was driven through it at a speed of 1 m / s, which allowed pumping up to 1,300 tons of oil per day. The main line allowed reducing the cost of oil transportation to half a kopeck per pood in comparison with 9 kopecks for transportation by horse-drawn transport.
Here, in Baku, Shukhov designed and built the world’s first cylindrical oil storage tanks. Prior to that, oil was stored in open-air earthen or stone storage facilities. In the United States, a more technological method was used — oil was collected in open metal rectangular tanks. The design of the cylindrical tanks developed by Shukhov made it possible to use thinner metal in the lower part, and even thinner in the upper part of the tank.
Chief Designer and Engineer of Bari Office
In 1880, the “Technical Office of Engineer A.V. Bari” (later — “Construction Office of Engineer A.V. Bari”) was opened in Moscow, where Shukhov worked as chief designer and chief engineer until 1915.
At the beginning of 1881, Bari’s wife, Zinaida Yakovlevna, reported to her sister among various family news: “Shukhov has been living in Moscow since October and serves with Sasha as his chief assistant in engineering, receiving 200 rubles of salary, in addition to interest.”
From the memoirs of V. G. Shukhov: “They say that A. V. Bari exploited me. That’s right. Legally, I was still a salaried employee of the office. But I also exploited him, forcing him to fulfill even my most daring proposals! I was given a choice of orders, spending money in the agreed amount, selecting employees and hiring workers. In addition, A. V. Bari was not only a clever entrepreneur, but also a good engineer who could appreciate the novelty of a technical idea.”
When talking about Shukhov, every now and then you have to use the word “for the first time” and “first”, although this is quite natural, because we are talking about a talented inventor. Even if in his entire life Shukhov invented only one item from the list of his works-he would already be famous — so significant are his works. Six months later, Shukhov invented the nozzle, which was used for the first time in the world to carry out industrial flaring of fuel oil. Now it was possible to use fuel oil in the production process, which was previously considered oil refining waste.
Even in its heyday, when the firm performed more than 6 million rubles ‘ worth of work annually (a huge sum for that time), its design bureau employed no more than 20 engineers, draftsmen, and technicians. This was possible because Shukhov practically did not need assistants. It is possible to list Shukhov’s inventions that had a great influence on the development of industry, architecture and construction for a long time. The list will be long, even if you mention the most outstanding works.
According to the memoirs of employees, “ Vladimir Grigoryevich made all the calculations of his numerous structures only personally and so briefly that it was very difficult for an outsider to understand them. His concentration was remarkable. When he arrived at the office at 10 o’clock in the morning, he would sit down at his desk, open a large-format notebook, and begin to write numbers, numbers, and only numbers, thinking deeply. If he went anywhere, it was to his vast library, where he browsed foreign-language magazines. He allowed himself to talk about abstract topics only during breakfast, and the rest of the time was spent on work and business conversations with visitors, who came to him a lot.”
In all the sixty years of his engineering career, Vladimir Grigoryevich has never been on a real full-fledged vacation. The engineers who worked together with Shukhov recalled that just his appearance in the office had an inspiring effect on them. He infected employees with his inexhaustible creative energy and original ideas, carried such a huge stock of positive emotions, and solved any, even the most complex engineering problem so beautifully that he aroused a response in people and they wanted to work regardless of time. At the same time, he gave everyone the opportunity to show their independence, supported their self-esteem in everyone, not only without belittling, but often even exaggerating their participation in the success achieved. Subsequently, many of those who passed the brilliant “Shukhov School” started their own businesses or became professors at the Moscow Technical School.
Employees often referred to Vladimir Grigoryevich as a “factory man”. Indeed, reading his workbooks and diaries, it is impossible not to be amazed: almost every day they contain a new order, a new topic. So, at the turn of the 1880s and 1890s, the engineer simultaneously worked on three projects, each of which, even if it was the only one in his creative biography, could bring him fame and honor for life. It was at this time that he invented the famous steam water-tube boilers that revolutionized heat engineering, heated the whole of Russia for many decades and brought his creator a large gold medal at the 1900 World Exhibition in Paris, drew up a fundamental project for Moscow water supply and issued one of his main patents — for “devices for continuous fractional distillation of oil”. in other words, cracking is a process that made it possible to produce high-quality gasoline on an industrial scale, with the simplest equipment.
Shukhov’s contribution to engineering
Vladimir Grigoryevich Shukhov made a significant contribution to the development of engineering in Russia, developing theoretical and practical foundations for the construction of trunk pipeline systems and implementing the construction of the first oil pipelines. This became the basis for future technologies used in the oil industry, such as the invention and creation of cylindrical oil storage tanks, river tankers and the introduction of a new method of airlift of oil, which is important for the efficient use of resources.
Shukhov developed not only systems, but also the theoretical foundations of oil hydraulics, thereby contributing to the understanding of flow dynamics and drag, which can be compared with the law of conservation of energy: competent resource management allows you to optimize processes and minimize losses. His work on the invention of tubular steam boilers became fundamental for the further development of the energy sector.
Among his achievements are the installation of thermal oil cracking and the design of an oil refinery with the first Russian cracking units, which demonstrated significant progress in the processing of hydrocarbons. Shukhov also developed original gas tank designs and standard designs for natural gas storage facilities with a capacity of up to 100 thousand cubic meters, which met the needs of the rapidly developing energy industry.
In addition, he is the founder of the Russian oil loading fleet. His designs of steel barges ranging in length from 50 to 170 meters, with a payload capacity of up to 1,600 tons, have provided the country with a reliable and modern fleet. These barges were superior in seaworthiness and strength parameters to their counterparts from foreign manufacturers, which emphasized the high quality and innovative approach of Shukhov.
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In 1892, he built his first railway bridges, and then developed various types of bridges with spans from 25 to 100 meters, under his leadership 417 bridges were built. These structures continue to serve, which allows us to talk about high standards of strength and durability.
Shukhov is also a pioneer in creating water supply systems. Especially for this area, he developed a new water-tube boiler, which began mass production in 1896. Using his own experience and a new method of calculating water pipes, he implemented a water supply project in Moscow, which provided the city with key resources.
His nine patents, including horizontal and vertical steam boilers, oil barges and openwork structures, have confirmed his status as an innovator. In 1896, at the All-Russian exhibition, the Shukhov water tower made a splash due to its unusual and functional architecture, as evidenced by the opinion of Professor Khudyakov: “The surface of the tower seems completely through, striking the viewer with its amazing simplicity and lightness.” These towers quickly took a prominent place in the industrial landscape of Russia, becoming an integral part of the architectural appearance of cities. In combination with the large-span bridges that were built in the same years, they became symbols of a new technical aesthetic, expressing the progressive ideas of their time.
According to archival data, in the period from 1896 to 1929, more than 2,000 water towers were built according to Shukhov’s designs, which greatly simplified and typified the design. Although the twin towers became common, each structure was unique. This variability adorns Shukhov’s work and demonstrates that an engineer is a true creator, just as the ancient Greeks believed. The structural features of hyperboloid towers allow them to effectively use physical laws, such as the law of conservation of energy, providing strength with a minimum of materials.
In addition, the design used steam piston pumps, for which Shukhov developed a vertical boiler shaped like a samovar. “My wife complained at the dacha that the samovar did not boil for a long time… So it became the prototype of a vertical boiler, “ he shared. This boiler later became known as the steam tube boiler and illustrates how simple household ideas can lead to innovations in engineering.
Since 1905, Shukhov’s designs have been used as ship masts, which once again underlines their versatility and significance in various fields. Hyperboloid masts were installed on well-known Russian battleships such as the Andrey Pervozvanny and Imperator Pavel I, as well as on US Navy battleships, where their use made ships less visible at sea in war conditions.
Shukhov initiated a new direction in construction, integrating fundamentally new structures. His achievements remain relevant to this day, and that is why Shukhov is rightfully ranked among the outstanding architects and engineers of his time.
Vladimir Grigoryevich Shukhov, an outstanding engineer and inventor, has left a deep mark on the history of Russian engineering thanks to his unique designs and innovative solutions. His designs for lighthouses, batoports, underwater mines and artillery platforms demonstrated not only technical genius, but also the ability to respond to the challenges of the time.
Lighthouses for the port of Kherson, such as Adzhigolsky and Stanislavsky, are examples of hyperboloid structures that still serve as a reference point for navigation. It is important to note that the design of the glass cover for the Main Post Office in Moscow was an important milestone in the evolution of buildings with spatial structures.
Shukhov actively participated in the military operations of the First World War, developing the latest projects for the needs of the army. His collaboration with Admiral A.V. Kolchak and the development of underwater mines showed how engineering can apply innovation even in the most difficult times. The simplicity and elegance of Shukhov’s solutions, for example, in the project of artillery platforms, where he applied the wheel principle to facilitate transportation and installation, emphasize his unique approach to engineering.
Among his outstanding achievements is the installation of the landing stage of the Kiev railway station, which also indicates the speed and efficiency of his work. However, despite all the successes, Shukhov could not have foreseen the disastrous consequences of the October Revolution of 1917, which radically changed the lives and work of many people, including his family.
The entries from November 1, 1917 illustrate the dramatic events that took place in his life and in the life of Russia as a whole-the war and revolution brought suffering and destruction. I was alone in the rooms. Fighting continued until the third of November, when the Bolsheviks conquered Moscow. If the ideas proclaimed by the February Revolution were largely shared by V. G. Shukhov, he could not accept the October Revolution, which encroached on his main values — freedom and human dignity. And yet, despite persistent invitations from America and Germany, he flatly refused to go abroad. The idea that motivated him, as well as many of his colleagues who remained in their homeland, was simple and clear, although utopian, as later history showed. Bolshevism had been born out of the collapse of the country, and was being sustained by that collapse, they believed. To defeat Bolshevism, we must first eliminate collapse.
Creative and cultural work in Russia must be preserved at all costs. “We must work, and work independently of politics. Towers, boilers and rafters are needed, and we will be needed, “ Vladimir Grigoryevich wrote in his diary. The pages of Shukhov’s workbooks of the late 19th and early 20th centuries demonstrate his perseverance and determination in difficult times.
The first thing the new government did was to expel the inventor from his home on Smolensky Boulevard. Shukhov left an entry in his diary: “September, 11, 1918. I received an order to leave the house by September 20 of the new style.” After that, he moved to the premises of the “Construction Office” on Krivokolenny Lane. In the process of moving, a significant part of his archive was destroyed, including drafts of projects for the development of machine tools and other structures. It was a real distortion of his professional life, the loss of a part of his legacy, which reflects Hooke’s law — when pressure on the system causes unpredictable changes.
What was happening around them was horrifying: workers took control of factories and factories into their own hands, which eventually led to the closure of enterprises. The lack of food and fuel reduced Russia to the level of primitive society, and Shukhov, after all the upheavals, sent his son Sergei to Kolchak, and Flavius served under Denikin. The construction company, after Bari’s death, continued its work, despite all the difficulties.
The transition to power of the Bolsheviks led to the fact that Shukhov, who was already in his sixties, found himself in a completely new situation. His company and factory were nationalized, and his family was evicted from their homes. The situation required him to adapt and apply all his engineering skills as his famous designs were created. For example, the transformation of the “ Construction Office “into the” Stalmost “ organization (now the Central Research Institute Proektstalkonstruktsiya) was critical for preserving creative energy and structure.
Shukhov’s son Sergei recalled: “My father lived under the Soviet regime was not easy. He was an opponent of single power and did not put up with it in the Stalin era.” Despite the difficult conditions, Shukhov continued to create and implement outstanding projects-the most important of which was the famous radio tower. In July 1919, after Denikin and Kolchak went on the offensive, Shukhov received an urgent order to install a radio tower, which was the culmination of his engineering career during this difficult time. This project has become a symbol of his resilience and creative energy, demonstrating how engineering solutions can make an impact even in the most turbulent of times.
Design and engineering, focused on serving the community, faced chaos that fatally changed the course of many people’s lives. This whole story highlights not only Shukhov’s personal contribution to the history of engineering, but also his connection with the fate of the country at crucial moments.
The famous architect I. V. Zholtovsky noted that “ you can create a living image from a dead material only if the master is so familiar with this material that he has learned to think with it.” This quality is fully inherent in Shukhov, who skillfully used the laws of physics and mechanics to create his masterpieces. His approach to design is impossible to imagine without taking into account the richness of mechanical and kinetic concepts, such as the law of conservation of energy and the center of mass, which made it easier to implement his ideas in real conditions.
As for Shukhov’s political views, he remained outside of party life, although he had his own opinions. In the context of the Russo-Japanese war, he expressed his deep anti-war beliefs: “Christian morality does not allow the extermination of other peoples for the sake of love for the motherland.” His thoughts on war as a manifestation of the “brutal nature” remain relevant today, reminding us how important it is to resolve conflicts in a peaceful way.
Shukhov became a member of the Academy of Sciences, received the Lenin Prize and the Hero of Labor Star, which confirms the significance of his contribution to engineering and architecture. His legacy remains a relevant and inspiring example for future generations of engineers and architects seeking harmony between functionality and aesthetics.
Shukhov’s contemporary N. S. Kudinova described him as follows: “Vladimir Grigoryevich is a man of average height, thin, with surprisingly clear and unblemished blue eyes. Despite his age (at the time of meeting he was 76 years old), he is always fit and immaculately neat… When the ladies appeared, he rose, addressed the servants as “You” and, like a gentleman, hardened his body and spirit. Shukhov’s sisters said that in the morning he doused himself with ice water, slept four to five hours a day, and sometimes was content with only half a chicken egg for breakfast. His son Sergey recalled: “He valued self-esteem most of all in people, on an equal footing, without giving away his own superiority, never ordered anyone and did not raise his voice to anyone. He was immaculately polite to both the servants and the janitor.” Shukhov was a cheerful, gambling man
He played tennis, skied and skated, and walked barefoot in the sharpstubbletrain his will. About the fact that Shukhov is an avid racing cyclist, who won many competitions, balancing over a huge two-meter wheel (at that time such bicycles remained only in circuses), he raced along the bumpy dirt road to the finish line, not afraid to fall and break his bones. Eyewitnesses said that once Bari got into the Alexander Arena, where cycling races were held. The fans went wild. “Push it, red, push it!” they shouted to the leader. The red-haired man “pushed up”, threw up his hands triumphantly at the finish line, turned around, and Bari was taken aback when he recognized the winner as the chief engineer of his company.
Engineer Shukhov was very, very good — in all respects, Shukhov was a very clean person. He was very consumerist about money. Money was never his goal. Money provided prosperity and comfort for him and his family — it was enough for him. It can be said that Shukhov disdained money. In the office of Bari, when receiving a salary, he always tried to take money with his hands, which were always in white gloves. A. V. Bari was forced to take into account such “whims” of his leading developer.
Family. Personal life.
She fell in love with him and followed him headlong. Shukhov took her away from home, they went on a trip to the Caucasus, then returned to Moscow and lived in the same house.
His talent, charm, and good looks made him the center of attraction for many ladies. In the early 1890s, he became the object of admiration for the famous actress Olga Leonardovna Knipper, who later married the famous writer Anton Pavlovich Chekhov.
Olga was a friend of Vladimir’s beloved sister, Olga, and it was she who introduced them. However, the romance between the young people did not take place. Perhaps the strict nature of Vladimir’s mother, Vera Kapitonovna, played a decisive role in this breakup. She might not approve of her son’s choice, and eventually their relationship ended. Olga Knipper felt this disappointment deeply and, it seems, never met Vladimir again.
After this event, fate brought Vladimir together with Anna Medintseva, the daughter of a railway doctor. Anna grew up in a poor noble family, belonging to the ancient Akhmatovs family, and was one of seven children. Vladimir long sought her favor, overcoming obstacles and doubts. In the end, Vladimir’s mother softened her views and agreed to this marriage, deciding that a simple provincial girl could make a worthy match for her son.
The wedding took place in 1894, and soon Anna Nikolaevna gave Vladimir five children: Ksenia, Sergei, Flavius, Vladimir and Vera. Their family became an important part of Shukhov’s life, and he was able to combine his professional achievements with strong family ties.
Passion for photography
There are still photographs taken by Shukhov, which lovingly capture members of his large family-at tea on the veranda of the dacha, reading, playing the piano… Even professionals still admire the stereoscopic image of Vera’s daughter swinging on a swing: Shukhov managed to stop the moment, preserving the dynamics of the moment and the lively mood of the girl, which was almost an impossible task for the photographic technique of that time. Through the tiny print, you can clearly see his engineering and creative talent.
Shukhov was one of the first people to appreciate the advantages of stereoscopic photography in the work of a design engineer. His colossal photo archive (more than 2 thousand glasses and negatives) becomes a valuable source of information about the life and work of the great master, capturing industrial architecture, engineering structures, portraits of relatives and friends, historical events and even the daily life of a Moscow street.
In 1928, Shukhov was elected a corresponding member of the Academy of Sciences, and in 1929 — its honorary member. In 1929, he transferred all his patents to the state.
Viktor Grigoryevich Shukhov was indeed an outstanding engineer and architect, whose work left a deep mark on the history of architecture and engineering. His hobbies, such as photography, theater and chess, emphasize his versatility and desire for self-expression.
Shukhov not only created unique structures such as the famous Shukhov Tower, but also inspired other architects, including Norman Foster. His ideas about mesh floors have become the basis for many modern projects.
It is interesting that at the time when Shukhov was working, technology and art were more closely related to each other. Engineers and architects were perceived as universal specialists, able to combine different areas of knowledge. This era was indeed the time of the Renaissance, when the creative forces of man could freely manifest themselves.
One of Shukhov’s last and most significant projects was the straightening of the minaret of the Ulugbek madrasah in Samarkand. Using his engineering genius, Shukhov created a unique method that made it possible to straighten the minaret with a kind of rocker arm.
Shukhov hyperboloid structures are a vivid example of a combination of economy, practicality, strength, lightness and beauty. He was a visionary who was often ahead of his time, but his ideas and projects continue to inspire and serve as a model of engineering today.
Shukhov became a symbol of this time, refusing to imitate foreign models and creating original solutions based on Russian traditions. His contributions to architecture and engineering remain significant and inspiring for generations to come.
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