The biography of the Moscow Kristall plant dates back to 1966, when the decision was made to build it. In May 1966, the USSR Council of Ministers authorized the USSR Ministry of Finance to build a diamond production factory in Moscow. The development of the architectural and construction part was entrusted to Workshop No. 14 of Mosproekt-1. By order of the Executive Committee of the Moscow City Council, a land plot of 2.5 hectares was allocated for the construction of a factory on the territory of the Novonikolsky village in Khimki-Khovrino. In July 1968, a directorate for the construction of a diamond production factory was created under the Goznak Administration, headed by Boris Vasilyevich Andrianov.

Cutting shop of the Moscow plant "Crystal", 1980

By order of the Council of Ministers of the USSR, the construction of a diamond factory was included in the list of especially important construction projects in the country. By Order of the Minister of Instrument Engineering No. 259, the Moscow diamond factory was renamed the Moscow Crystal Factory.

Construction of the plant lasted 27 months, and on December 25, 1970, the State Acceptance Commission signed the Certificate of Acceptance for Operation of the Moscow Kristall Plant with a “good” rating. The developer of the architectural part of the project, Karo Sergeevich Shekhoyan, was awarded the State Prize of the RSFSR.

The Smolensk Kristall plant provided great assistance, sending a group of various specialists to train the necessary personnel and set up diamond production.

December 18, 1970 graduate of GPTU-150 Drykin Vladimir Nikolaevich made the first diamond - this date became the founding day of the Moscow Crystal plant. Two years later, on December 21, 1972, cutter Viktor Ivanovich Chulkov produced the millionth diamond.

Diamond cutter at the Moscow Kristall plant

The enterprise developed at a rapid pace and in October 1974 the Moscow Kristall plant reached its design capacity. By this time, the plant employed more than 2,500 people and trained 198 students. During 1974, 1,603,209 diamonds were produced with a total weight of 127,128 carats.

In August 1975, the first industry competition of the skills of diamond cutters into brilliants was held at the Smolensk Kristall plant. The winner of the competition was the cutter of the Moscow Kristall plant, Grigory Ivanovich Kravchenko, who also became the winner of the second craftsmanship competition held later in Moscow.

The quality of diamonds produced at Kristall factories was highly valued in the West. A special term “Russian cut” has emerged in the global diamond market. The work of the best production workers was highly appreciated, more than 30 plant employees were awarded government awards.

In 1978, changes occurred in the management of the industry. Two production associations were created: Moscow and Smolensk. On the basis of the Moscow Kristall plant, as the head enterprise, the Moscow Production Association (MPO) Kristall was created, which includes the Kiev, Vinnitsa and Barnaul factories. In 1982, the Association included its branches in the cities of Yangier and Shakhrisabz of the Uzbek SSR.

In 1980, for the success achieved in fulfilling and exceeding state plans, the Moscow Kristall plant was awarded the title “Exemplary Enterprise”.

Recreation area of ​​the Moscow Diamond Factory "Crystal"

In 1982, the total number of employees of the enterprise included in MPO Kristall was 10,047 people and 427 students. 8,524,738 diamonds were produced, weighing a total of 410,958 carats.

Much credit for the establishment of the enterprise and its achievements belongs to the plant managers. Over the years, the company was headed by:
1. from May 1970 to October 1978 Potekhin Nikolay Vasilievich;
2. from October 1978 to August 1980 Pershin Nikolai Ivanovich;
3. from August 1980 to March 1985 Podlegaev Mikhail Vasilievich;
4. from March 1985 to January 1994 Sorokin Yuri Filippovich;
5. from January 1994 to February 1998 Dmitriev Yuri Petrovich;
6. from February 1998 to 2000 Blagoder Sergey Petrovich.

In 1999, the Moscow Kristall plant was transformed into a State Unitary Enterprise, on the basis of the property complex of which the Almazny Mir Open Joint Stock Company was created in the same year. The General Director of Almazny Mir OJSC from March 2000 to August 2003 was Vyacheslav Anatolyevich Bychkov. From September 2003 to the present day, the General Director is Sergey Aramovich Ulin.

The Moscow plant "Kristall" has been transforming rough diamonds into polished diamonds for more than a quarter of a century and was rightfully considered the flagship of the domestic cutting industry. As the legal successor of Kristall, Almazny Mir OJSC not only supports the heritage and good traditions of the plant, continuing the great history of Russian Cutting, but also confidently looks to the future, transforming into the Diamond Center of Russia.

The biography of the Moscow Kristall plant dates back to 1966, when the decision was made to build it. In May 1966, the USSR Council of Ministers authorized the USSR Ministry of Finance to build a diamond production factory in Moscow. The development of the architectural and construction part was entrusted to Workshop No. 14 of Mosproekt-1. By order of the Executive Committee of the Moscow City Council, a land plot of 2.5 hectares was allocated for the construction of a factory on the territory of the Novonikolsky village in Khimki-Khovrino. In July 1968, a directorate for the construction of a diamond production factory was created under the Goznak Administration, headed by Boris Vasilyevich Andrianov.

Cutting shop of the Moscow plant "Crystal", 1980

By order of the Council of Ministers of the USSR, the construction of a diamond factory was included in the list of especially important construction projects in the country. By Order of the Minister of Instrument Engineering No. 259, the Moscow diamond factory was renamed the Moscow Crystal Factory.

Construction of the plant lasted 27 months, and on December 25, 1970, the State Acceptance Commission signed the Certificate of Acceptance for Operation of the Moscow Kristall Plant with a “good” rating. The developer of the architectural part of the project, Karo Sergeevich Shekhoyan, was awarded the State Prize of the RSFSR.

The Smolensk Kristall plant provided great assistance, sending a group of various specialists to train the necessary personnel and set up diamond production.

December 18, 1970 graduate of GPTU-150 Drykin Vladimir Nikolaevich made the first diamond - this date became the founding day of the Moscow Crystal plant. Two years later, on December 21, 1972, cutter Viktor Ivanovich Chulkov produced the millionth diamond.

Diamond cutter at the Moscow Kristall plant

The enterprise developed at a rapid pace and in October 1974 the Moscow Kristall plant reached its design capacity. By this time, the plant employed more than 2,500 people and trained 198 students. During 1974, 1,603,209 diamonds were produced with a total weight of 127,128 carats.

In August 1975, the first industry competition of the skills of diamond cutters into brilliants was held at the Smolensk Kristall plant. The winner of the competition was the cutter of the Moscow Kristall plant, Grigory Ivanovich Kravchenko, who also became the winner of the second craftsmanship competition held later in Moscow.

The quality of diamonds produced at Kristall factories was highly valued in the West. A special term “Russian cut” has emerged in the global diamond market. The work of the best production workers was highly appreciated, more than 30 plant employees were awarded government awards.

In 1978, changes occurred in the management of the industry. Two production associations were created: Moscow and Smolensk. On the basis of the Moscow Kristall plant, as the head enterprise, the Moscow Production Association (MPO) Kristall was created, which includes the Kiev, Vinnitsa and Barnaul factories. In 1982, the Association included its branches in the cities of Yangier and Shakhrisabz of the Uzbek SSR.

In 1980, for the success achieved in fulfilling and exceeding state plans, the Moscow Kristall plant was awarded the title “Exemplary Enterprise”.

Recreation area of ​​the Moscow Diamond Factory "Crystal"

In 1982, the total number of employees of the enterprise included in MPO Kristall was 10,047 people and 427 students. 8,524,738 diamonds were produced, weighing a total of 410,958 carats.

Much credit for the establishment of the enterprise and its achievements belongs to the plant managers. Over the years, the company was headed by:
1. from May 1970 to October 1978 Potekhin Nikolay Vasilievich;
2. from October 1978 to August 1980 Pershin Nikolai Ivanovich;
3. from August 1980 to March 1985 Podlegaev Mikhail Vasilievich;
4. from March 1985 to January 1994 Sorokin Yuri Filippovich;
5. from January 1994 to February 1998 Dmitriev Yuri Petrovich;
6. from February 1998 to 2000 Blagoder Sergey Petrovich.

In 1999, the Moscow Kristall plant was transformed into a State Unitary Enterprise, on the basis of the property complex of which the Almazny Mir Open Joint Stock Company was created in the same year. The General Director of Almazny Mir OJSC from March 2000 to August 2003 was Vyacheslav Anatolyevich Bychkov. From September 2003 to the present day, the General Director is Sergey Aramovich Ulin.

The Moscow plant "Kristall" has been transforming rough diamonds into polished diamonds for more than a quarter of a century and was rightfully considered the flagship of the domestic cutting industry. As the legal successor of Kristall, Almazny Mir OJSC not only supports the heritage and good traditions of the plant, continuing the great history of Russian Cutting, but also confidently looks to the future, transforming into the Diamond Center of Russia.

The Moscow plant "Crystal" was the largest domestic plant. It survived the Great Patriotic War, a series of prohibition laws, but today the production of alcohol here has ceased. The main facilities were moved outside the city limits, to the Korystovo branch near Moscow.

Creation

By the end of the 19th century, alcohol consumption in Russia had reached alarming proportions. In order to streamline the alcohol market and accumulate income from its sale, the talented Minister of Finance S.Yu. Witte in 1896 approved a state monopoly on fortified drinks.

In 1901, in the capital on the banks of the river. Yauza, a large wine warehouse was organized, which later became the Moscow Crystal Factory. Every year, up to 2.6 million deciliters (2.1 million 12-liter buckets) of alcoholic beverages of various strengths were produced here. The number of workers reached one and a half thousand. V. A. Velichkin and N. G. Faleev were involved. Their creation still pleases Muscovites and is a protected architectural monument.

The official opening took place on June 24, 1901. Initially, the products of the Kristall plant (Moscow) consisted of only three types of vodka: “Boyarskaya”, “Improved” and “Simple”. After only a week of work, it became clear that the enterprise’s capacity was insufficient due to increased demand for high-quality vodka. We had to increase the number of filters and radically re-equip the premises.

In 1914, the plant already produced 5 types of strong drinks. The most popular was “Moscow Special” vodka. According to legend, its original recipe was developed by D.I. Mendeleev himself. With the outbreak of the First World War, a temporary prohibition was declared. The premises housed a hospital.

In 1923, production of alcohol-containing drinks at Kristall resumed. Prohibition was lifted in stages, so the basis of the product was 20-degree liqueurs. After 1925, the production of vodka was resumed, and the first brand was Rykovka. Over time, the recipes and technologies developed by the plant were transferred to other state enterprises. In 1937, the assortment expanded to include “female” liqueurs (“Vanilla,” “Rose,” “Chocolate”) and “male” fortified liqueurs (“Curaço,” “Benedictine,” “Chartreuse”). During the war, the company combined the production of alcohols (liquid and dry) with the production of Molotov cocktails.

Post-war development

In 1945, production was resumed at the Kristall plant in Moscow. In the new workshop No. 1, they mastered the production of especially high-quality varieties of vodka for the Soviet elite. In 1953, the most famous brand, Stolichnaya vodka, was launched into series.

After the collapse of the USSR, the enterprise was transformed into LLC "Plant "Crystal"" (Moscow). In 1998, a branch was opened in the village of Korystovo, where production was subsequently moved. Back in 2011, Kristall was the largest Russian manufacturer of alcoholic beverages. However, according to corporate policy and the master plan for the development of the capital, in 2015 the equipment was stopped, gradually dismantled and transferred to another site. The famous brand continues to operate, but in a new location.

From production to art

The area of ​​the enterprise exceeds 9 hectares. Buildings built during the reign of the Tsar have architectural value. In the near future, the territory is expected to undergo a large-scale reorganization. According to the urban planning plan, the external appearance of the production premises will be preserved, but the inside will be remodeled.

The flagship of the new project is the so-called art cluster, in which creative life is in full swing around the clock, seven days a week. Already now, in the spaces previously occupied by vodka equipment, exhibitions are being held, flash mobs and installations are being organized. They seem to breathe life into empty workshops.

The future of the plant

According to the project, part of the territory is allocated for residential development. The main building will be used for apartments. Additionally, a school, lecture hall, kindergarten, restaurants and sports grounds will be located on the territory of the Kristall plant (Moscow). The premises of the former factory club will be restored, preserving the ambiance of the Soviet era. It will include performances by theater troupes.

A feature of the reconstruction is the phased implementation of various projects. They will not completely close the area for a total refurbishment. Visitors will be able to watch how a large industrial production site is being transformed into a fashionable holiday destination.

In order to attract professionals in the field of architecture and design to the project, it was decided to hold a competition to create love apartments and public spaces. The capital's chief architect, Sergei Kuznetsov, was involved in the implementation of the ideas.

The Crystal quarter is a pilot project of a “city within a city”. In the future, many industries will be moved to the suburban area, and the vacated industrial zones will be transformed into similar cultural, residential, and social clusters. The fate of other sites depends on how successful the transformation of the Moscow Kristall Plant turns out.

When asked about the Kristall plant, a search returns “Crystal plant Moscow prices for vodka,” but now there is no smell of alcohol on its territory. The production of alcoholic beverages on Samokatnaya Street was discontinued on May 15, 2013, the equipment was moved out of town to the Korystovo branch, and in 2014 the repurposing of facilities on an area of ​​9 hectares for residential and public functions began.

The main idea of ​​the Crystal City project is to create a self-sufficient internal ecosystem of the complex, where goods and services in demand by the domestic market will be provided. The territory will be filled with life 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. For the convenience of residents, a hotel, cafe, co-working space, pharmacy, laundry, and kindergarten will appear here. It is planned to create a city forum, which will become a large discussion platform where residents of the project will be able to choose which services are relevant to them, talk about their needs and influence the environment.

“We say “Crystal City” because we will create a real city Forum here and form a sustainable community through interesting content, including cultural, entertainment, educational, sports and other areas,” said Alex Stolyarik, director of the “New Leaders” educational program territorial development", head of the creative cluster "Crystal" of the company "KRAYS Development".

The formation of a sustainable community will proceed in four directions:

Theatre, cinema, music, multimedia
The pearl of the new quarter is the Soviet-era theater hall. The space will open for modern theater productions, concerts, film screenings and musical performances by famous and emerging authors and performers).

Design and craft workshops
Workshops for working on wood, metal and stone will open in the former production workshops of the plant. An application program will be developed to create small architectural forms, interior items, urban furniture and contemporary art. In support of this direction, the KRAYS company establishes an annual award and announces a competition for the development of the “Crystal” symbol object.

Education and territorial development
Classes and a lecture hall will open on the territory, where round tables, conferences and educational programs on urbanism, architecture, territorial development, design and construction will be held. The project for developing the territory of the new cluster will be included in the educational program of the NLTR (diploma of RANEPA and the MARSH school) in 2014-2015. A co-working space and a hostel will open on the territory of the block for short-term accommodation of project participants and guests.

Healthy lifestyle and sports
It is no coincidence that the first sports club in Moscow opened on Samokatnaya Street. Adjacent to the project territory there is a children's park named after May 1st, Lefortovo Park, a fitness club, a tennis court, a football and volleyball field. Infrastructure will be created on the territory of “Crystal” to allow regular sports activities, and residents will be invited to participate in sports teams.

In November 2014, an open competition for the development of design projects for loft-format premises on the territory of Crystal City was launched, the initiator of the competition was KRICE Development, the organizer was the Archpolis Design Center. Which of the 12 finalists will become the author of the best interior solutions will become known at the end of January 2015.

State-owned wine warehouses were built in the 1890s according to the design of architects N.G. Fadeev and V.A. Velichkin.

The history of the Kristall plant is told by the authors of the official website: http://www.kristall.ru/ Age limit for viewing materials on this site is 18+
Retrophotographs from the site https://pastvu.com/

"In 1896, by decree of the Minister of Finance of Russia Sergei Yulievich Witte, a state monopoly on the production and sale of alcoholic beverages was introduced in the Russian Empire. In 1901, the monopoly came to Moscow. "Moscow State Wine Warehouse No. 1", the future Crystal plant, was located on bank of the Yauza, and was the largest and most powerful enterprise.At that time, about one and a half thousand people worked at warehouse No. 1.

The opening and consecration of warehouse No. 1 took place on June 24, 1901. At the beginning of its history, the plant produced only three varieties of vodka: “simple”, “improved” and “boyarskaya”. Initially it was planned to produce 600 thousand buckets of top quality vodka per year. However, already a week after the opening of the plant, due to the huge demand for state-owned wine of the highest purity, the question arose about increasing its production. To achieve this, it was proposed: first to increase the number of batteries (filters) for the production of high-quality vodka, and then to “rebuild the entire warehouse for the production of wine of the highest purity.”

From the very beginning, the future "Crystal" was an advanced industrial complex, equipped with the most modern equipment and had a multi-stage product quality control system. By 1914, the range of products expanded to five names: now they produced vodka “Moskovskaya Osobennoy”, “Bread Wine”, “Table Wine”, “Gorilka” and liqueur “Zapekanka”. “Moscow Special” is perhaps the most famous variety of Russian vodka, developed by the great chemist D.I. Mendeleev.

Wounded soldiers in the hospital. 1914: https://pastvu.com/p/280252

On October 31, 1914, the plant was closed due to the introduction of Prohibition in the country during the war. For some time, a military hospital was located in its building, but the ban on production was not absolute; alcohol was produced here for the needs of the army. The ban was extended after the revolutionary events; only in August 1923, the Central Executive Committee and the Council of People's Commissars of the USSR issued a joint resolution on the resumption of production and trade in alcoholic beverages.

In 1937, all vodka factories in the USSR introduced unified recipe standards for the entire range of products. The experience of the former "state warehouse No. 1" in the preparation of table vodkas from double rectified alcohol (brand "Prima-Prima") extends throughout the country. In the same year, strong liqueurs (chartreuse, Benedictine, Curacaut) and dessert liqueurs (rose, chocolate, vanilla) appeared in the plant’s assortment.

Transport workshop. 1930-1940: https://pastvu.com/p/224669

During the Great Patriotic War, the plant, in addition to traditional products, produced dry alcohol and poured “Molotov cocktails” into wine and vodka bottles. Despite the bombing (on July 22, 1941, during a massive German air raid on Moscow, the main building of the plant was almost completely burned out by a bomb), through the selfless efforts of the plant workers, the production of flammable products was put into production. For its work during the war, the plant was awarded the Banner of the State Defense Committee.

In 1953, the famous Stolichnaya vodka was created at the plant. Its author was top-class distiller V.G. Svirida. Already in 1954, this variety received international recognition: during the “blind testing” procedure, Stolichnaya vodka defeated the famous Smirnoff brand. In January 1987, the Moscow Distillery received its current name "Crystal".

Students after a cleanup day to unload boxes. 1984: https://pastvu.com/p/26015

On the official website you can also read an informative article about the five-hundred-year history of vodka in Russia: http://www.kristall.ru/page.php?P=4

By the way, the National Museum of Russian Vodka was opened in the building of the customs warehouse of the plant. This is an authoritative vodka exhibition based on the collection of historian Alexander Nikishin. Among the exhibits are ladles and damasks from the time of Peter the Great, ceramic bottles, vodka that was in orbit in space plastic packaging, hundreds of original sketches of Soviet vodka labels, the sofa on which Pyotr Arsenievich Smirnov died, and a fragment of a vodka production workshop.

This is what the factory buildings look like from the outside

Packaging shop No. 1: hall, staircases and workshops. It is this facility, after the removal of the equipment, that will become the pioneer in the implementation of the design project for creating loft-format premises. At the same time, it is planned to preserve decorative elements - mosaics, ceramics, original lampshades.

For the first time people started talking about the Kristall distillery as another space from which machines have been removed and they are going to import culture and small businesses when it hosted the last summer food market Stay Hungry Backyard, which had already made its mark in iconic industrial zones - at the Danilovskaya Manufactory, where Afisha is located, and in Krasnaya Roza, where Yandex is based. For everyone, excursions around the Krystalovsky territory were then held with the story that soon a self-sufficient ecosystem with lofts, offices of creative companies, workshops, showrooms and all other attributes of an ideal commune, including kindergartens and laundries, would be built here.

Moscow has already gotten its hands on projects to return industrial spaces to the people; the closest example is Artplay across the river from Kristall. The most significant difference between the Moscow rethinking of factories and factories from Western gentrification is that our self-government is completely undeveloped, small companies do not know how to negotiate in order to act together, and new life in industrial zones arises exclusively at the behest of development companies. And they are driven by the only motivation - to earn money. Now, while the currency is rising, small businesses are collapsing and the rental market is in a fever, the rules for reconstructing factories have once again changed. So people who take up the task of re-equipping Kristall will have to be patient and show ingenuity.

Here is a video from Stay Hungry demonstrating the capabilities of the Kristall plant. Video: Mitya Langleben

Team

The opportunity for rebirth of the most famous vodka factory in Russia appeared thanks to the fact that the Krays company, which has so far been seen in the construction of conventional housing and shopping centers in the regions, took on it. It is believed that the initiators were the structures of Arkady Rotenberg, whose people manage Crystal. Krays began to conquer the capital by recruiting a strong marketing and production team into their project.

Its leader is Alex Stolyarik, whose background includes Harvard and MIT, director of the educational program “New Leaders of Territorial Development”, who was involved in the development of Nikola-Lenivets, and even earlier was the general director of the company that built Afimall. Anna Manyuk is responsible for marketing - the right hand of Oleg Goncharov, the former head of the Flacon design factory, who now works in Maxim Nogotkov's Archpolis and also works with Nikola-Lenivets. “Flacon” is a key landmark here: unlike “Winzavod”, where the galleries were mired in communal squabbles, “Flacon” embodied the idea of ​​a cluster, as in Berlin, where the development concept was spelled out from the very beginning, and tenants participated in its implementation, and not just bore rent to the owners. Timur Bolotov, director of administrative and operational affairs, was lured from Flakon to Kristall.

Now, however, the team faces a task on a completely different level than filling the neighborhood with cozy falafel stalls and festivals where they sell Chinese glasses and felt beads. The territory of “Crystal” is 9 hectares, that’s almost four “Flacons” three minutes by car from the Garden Ring, and new development is planned on 2.5 hectares.

Photo: Varvara Gevorgizova

Architectural design and development

While the development of “Crystal” is subject to long-term approval from the authorities, the architectural bureau Map Architects, headed by Alexander Poroshkin, is working on its core - the historical part. Among the projects he has implemented are the area in front of the Roomer shopping center on Avtozavodskaya and the improvement of Port Plaza, a new business complex with a port on ZIL. The essence of the architectural concept of “Crystal” is the combination of historical buildings with modern construction. Here, as an example, the “Stanislavsky Factory” is set on the site of the “Electroprovod” plant, where the business center and the theater “Studio of Theatrical Art” by Sergei Zhenovach are adjacent. During the construction it is planned to use brick, metal, wood - all those materials that are associated with the industrial aesthetics of the 19th century.

“It’s also worth remembering that this is a vodka factory,” says Poroshkin, “its semantic component is quite strong, plus artifacts in the form of barrels or a “vodka pipeline” have been preserved - along it you can go through all the buildings and return to the same place you came from. We want to preserve this history and add to it.” “Our task, as people who understand the importance of creative infrastructure,” adds the architect, “is to show that a balance is necessary between commercial efficiency and cultural fullness.” By the way, about vodka: there is a Museum of the History of Vodka on the territory and will not go anywhere, where, in addition to collectible bottles and the inevitable stuffed bear with a tray, you can also look at pre-revolutionary production.

The main building, where exhibitions are planned to be held until spring, will later be divided into residential lofts, and workshops will operate in adjacent rooms. The project for the development of public spaces - the entrance area, terraces near the lofts, courtyards, gardens and vegetable gardens - has not yet been formed. The most energetically powerful place on the territory of the factory, where Stay Hungry Backyard was held, is an abandoned railway station and overgrown rails. It shares historic buildings with hangars that will be replaced by new housing, and feels like a cross between a Western landscape and the High Line. “There are ideas to connect this line with the adjacent territories,” says Alex Stolyarik, “to build a bridge across the Yauza, run a tram to Artplay and to Kurskaya.” So far this is all just at the level of ideas, but this piece of the southeastern district definitely requires rethinking. Opposite here Andrey Grinev is going to develop "Art Quarter", there is both the 1st May Park and the Lefortovo Park. In the “New Leaders of Territorial Development” program this year, “Crystal” is considered as a key case; Britannia students lined up to Stolyarik with their ideas - the plant will clearly provide the architectural and urban community with tasks for the years ahead.

Cultural cluster concept

“While working on “Flacon,” we understood what a creative territory is, which is something more than just a real estate object,” Anna Manyuk shares her impressions, “we built several semantic levels of the project, making “Flacon” an experimental laboratory for the city, for young creative businesses that are able to independently create their own spaces for work and leisure. For example, Seasons magazine, which has an office at Flakon, landscaped the area at its Design Cleanup Days, and in the spring they will hold the same cleanup at Kristall. Here we want to create a full-fledged prototype of a self-sustaining economy. Of course, we will not raise cows or plant cereals, but it is assumed that all the vital needs of the townspeople - beautiful things, good leisure time, education of children, sports and culture - will be fulfilled at Kristall.

“We say “Crystal City,” says Stolyarik, “because we will create here a real city forum with an internal decision-making system and the exchange of products between people. We will reinvest part of the rental funds into the territory; we are thinking about establishing import-export relations with Flacon, Artplay and Elektrozavod. About creating a special economic zone for residents. There is even a great idea to achieve tax breaks if we manage to create the Made in Kristall brand.

You won’t surprise anyone with lofts in industrial zones as such - they are at the same Danilovskaya manufactory. But around them, besides parking, offices and a couple of chain cafes, there is only concrete and a couple of lawns. Employees have the same emotional connection with these spaces as with office centers in the most sophisticated new buildings - it’s just a place to work. “Crystal” assumes that the residents of future lofts, new, more budget-friendly houses and residents of workshops, creative offices and cafes are the same people who themselves invest in the development of their territory. “If we compare it with similar real estate projects, that is, there is such a micro-city “In the Forest,” says Manyuk, “where apartment residents can buy commercial space on the ground floors at a discount and open their own bakeries, yoga studios and veterinary clinics. We profess a similar approach, only “In the Forest” is located on the 7th kilometer of Pyatnitskoye Highway, and we are inside the Third Ring.”

What and when

Production was removed from Kristall only in April 2013 - by order of the city authorities, the entire industry had to move beyond the Moscow Ring Road, but in some workshops there were still old tanks and other props. In the summer, on the territory of the plant, if you listen closely, you could catch the ghostly smell of vodka. Some of the distillery workers moved to the region, others did not want to, but, importantly, all the personnel servicing the plant retained their jobs. For now, the access system is maintained at Kristall; during public events everyone is allowed in freely, and soon the security will switch to video surveillance mode.

The second big project after Stay Hungry at Kristall was the exhibition “MediaNovation”, opened on November 1. Young artists - Elena Rykova, Alexey Dyakov, Vladlena Gromova, Greta Demaris (most of the names will not tell you anything) - present art objects using new technologies: manual tsunami, microscopic photography and more abstract works like “Smiles of a Superbeing”. The exhibits of the exhibition were located right in one of the production workshops - with white tiles on the supporting columns and many communications on the ceiling. On the eve of the opening of the exhibition, the initiative