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In the center of Moscow bookbinding and constructivist “Biblioteka imeni Lenina” and discreet, “Alexander garden” and pompous “Arbat”, and a characteristic “Borovitskaya”, decorated in white marble and red bricks. It – referring to the Moscow Kremlin, which is known and a white stone, and red brick.

the red brick House, according to legend, discovered when they built the “Borovitskaya” – at a depth of six meters. Though he was unharmed, but inside even survived utensils. However, none of the photos of the house or interview the workers of the metro did not reach us. But artist Ivan Nikolaev down in the dungeon when the “Borovitskaya” does not actually exist.

– House? Perhaps he was, but I have not seen him, although we were down in the tunnels with the station architect Lev Popov, when she was built, – says Ivan Valentinovich. – My wife’s family geologist. So they said that under Moscow so many tunnels and holes in done, such a building could provalitsya this space…

1986. The only lobby "Borovitskaya" built in the West lobby of the station "Lenin Library", which opened in 1935. / Oleg Lastochkin/RIA Novosti

Lev Popov did not back in 2008. Maybe he could know something. But I wonder why nothing from the house was not left in museums. To ask, apparently, already nobody. The Internet has a lot of stories that the builders of the being near this house, felt uncomfortable. So mysterious building made of bricks – again, according to legend – was dismantled and taken to the dump.

And Ivan Nikolaev continued to work on “Borovitsky” – also of brick. “By the way, we used bricks from the same clay that is used for the restoration of the walls of the Kremlin,” he says.

Under swaddle in masonry scattered small clay tiles, on which you can see different stories – “the miracle of St. George and the dragon”, a bouquet of flowers, a couple in the window of drveni a ship and a space ship. Antiquity to the “Borovitskaya” perestroika intertwined with modernity. There are milojkovic Lenin, and the ancient Borovitsky hill with towers.

– “Borovitskaya” was the first station on which I worked, – says Ivan Nikolaev. Agreed, obviously, because of his carelessness, although I have been told that nothing will come that will peck approvals.

Tile on the metroand "Borovitskaya."

But he worked with the architect Popov. Get the Union – and the human, and creative. “Borovitskaya” became the Swan song of the Soviet Union. And the symbol of his “the Tree of Nations,” which grows out of the Kremlin, Borovitsky hill.

– There, on “the Tree”, I depicted the characters living in the Union republics. This abstract imagery, unlike, for example, from portraits of people of the XIX century on other station of this line, the design of which I was doing – “Otradnoe”. Well, the “Tree” on the “Borovitskaya” – in my opinion, a good memory, a large segment of our national life, says 79-year-old Ivan Nikolaev.

in addition to the images of the representatives of the Union republics, it depicts the Kremlin and the grain field.

So strict, at first glance, the station holds many touching moments. Many simply do not notice them – “Borovitskaya” one of the busiest stations and watch here the sides of time, usually no.

coming up with the “Tree of Nations”, Nikolaev, think about their roots. His grandmother – Zinaida Serebryakova, a famous artist whose paintings are known all over the world.

– Perhaps my creativity something in common with her works – says Ivan Nikolaev. – At the time, Nikita Khrushchev did in Moscow metro purely utilitarian, beyond tradition, where each station became a Palace under the earth subconsciously have an effect on the passengers. Aesthetically and spiritually. I’m glad not scared to tread on this path and “Borovitskaya” also became one of those stations.