02.12.2014

On December 02, 2014 the exhibition “In the shadow of the sovran eagle …”  From history of the main building of small-arms factory” opens in M. T. Kalashnikov Museum and exhibition complex of small arms. The exhibition based on archival materials reveals history of the main architectural monument of Izhevsk throughout the XIX century.

The main building of the Izhevsk small-arms factory is unique monument of industrial architecture of the beginning of the XIXth century designed by the first Izhevsk architect Semyon Dudin. The building is considered to be one of the first multystoried industrial constructions in Russia. According to the plan of A.F. Deryabin, the founder of the Izhevsk small-arms factory, the organization of productions in the building must take place from machine works on the first floors to assembly operations on the top floors.

Throughout the XIXth century the main building underwent a lot: the fire of 1834 which nearly ruined the entire building, numerous reorganizations and superstructures, not to mention loadings from many factory mechanisms.

Speaking about the main building, it is necessary to tell about a tower with triumphal column which was conceived by S. E. Dudin as a symbol of recent victories of the Russian weapon at construction of the building. The two-headed eagle on the column trampled on trophy banners, armor, the French single-headed eagles represented on fittings round the tower.

Numerous drawings and photos from archive of Artillery department and the Main artillery directorate of the war ministry of the Russian Empire, original documents from archives of the city with a help of which it is possible to track how the look of the main building and its filling gradually changed will be presented at the exhibition. Unique models of machine tools of the XIXth century, and also their drawings will reveal secrets of the production of the weapon of that time. 3D visualization of the Izhevsk small-arms factory of the XIXth century will be shown on the big interactive table.

Now the main building is in a deplorable state. In many respects the exhibition is urged to draw attention of the authorities of the republic and the city, the public to the problem of preservation and restoration of the main architectural “pearl” of the city of Izhevsk.

The exhibition will work till March, 2015.