The architect of the resorts of KMV: to the 155th anniversary of the architect Andrei Klepinin
If Kislovodsk had a soul embodied in stone, it would certainly speak in the voice of Andrei Klepinin.
If Kislovodsk had a soul embodied in stone, it would certainly speak in the voice of Andrei Klepinin. October marks the 155th anniversary of the birth of an outstanding civil engineer – the man who gave the Caucasian Mineral Waters their most recognizable and exotic look.
Andrei Klepinin arrived in the Caucasus in 1899 as a young but brilliantly educated specialist. Behind him were the Yekaterinburg Gymnasium, St. Petersburg University and the prestigious Institute of Civil Engineers. Years of hard work awaited, forever changing the landscape of the Kislovodsk Group.
The Oriental Palace and Engineering Genius
The main triumph of Klepinin, indisputably, became the main narzan baths (1901-1906). This building, resembling a fabulous oriental castle with its majolica panels and Indian shikhara turrets, became the hallmark of the resort. Klepinin managed the impossible: to combine the luxurious aesthetics of the East with an engineering breakthrough. The architect placed the building below the level of the source of narzan, so that the healing water flowed into the tanks by gravity, preserving its natural gassing.
Temples and mansions: the legacy of the master
But the legacy of the Honorary Citizen of Kislovodsk is not limited to one masterpiece. Under his leadership, the city acquired the features of a modern European resort. The monumental “Grand Hotel” was erected, the majestic Panteleimonovskaya (“Red”) church was built, in which Alexander Solzhenitsyn was later baptized. Elegant private mansions were created, such as the houses of Sklotovsky and Manessi.
In Pyatigorsk, the eye still pleases the architect's own cottage on Gagarin Boulevard (now the building of the sanatorium "Rodnik"). This elegant building made of Mashuk stone with pointed windows and a tent dome is a sample of exquisite eclecticism of the beginning of the century.
The Heart Left in the Caucasus
Andrey Klepinin was not just a builder - he was sincerely devoted to this land. Here he found family happiness, marrying the daughter of the titular adviser in Pyatigorsk. His contribution to the improvement – from the design of temples to the paving of streets – turned the resort cities of the Caucasian Mineral Waters into the “pearl” of Russia.
Although his life journey took him to distant Paris after the revolution, his heart remained forever imprinted in the yellow sandstone and turquoise ceramics of Kislovodsk buildings. Today, walking along the Resort Boulevard, we see not just architectural monuments, but a living testimony to the talent of the man who taught the stones of KMV to sing.
Earlier it was reported that an exhibition on Soviet modernism of Elbrus region was opened in Moscow.
