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Natalia Tarnavsky for many years finds the old Moscow signs, plastered and painted. And together with volunteers returns “Bakery” on Pokrovka, “Strelets bakery” in kostyanskiy pereulok, “Zavodska technical office Valkevich” in krivokolenny… And now they got the biggest fish – a sign of the house porcelain Kuznetsov Matthew butcher.

This house was built in 1903 by the famous architect Fyodor Schechtel. The first floor was traditionally connected with the porcelain.

Before the revolution it housed the trading house of Matthew Smith. And lately there is also traded porcelain from around the world.

the fact that under the plaster can be hidden vintage sign, Nataliya Tarnavska learned by studying pre-revolutionary photos and the building project:

And when we opened the plaster, it turned out that it is not drawn letters, not plaster casts, and a rich glossy granite with carved letters covered with gold leaf.

the facade of the house 8 butcher street, where the detected sign. / Artem Lokalov

With these letters someone treated unmercifully. So plaster stayed on them, all the letters did the scoring saw-grinder, which seriously affected the coating of gold. In addition, in order to make a modern sign in the wall punched a huge pins that were only cut off, but do not remove…

– Yes, the sign is defaced. But the main thing – letters have been preserved. This brand “T-at of M. S. Kuznetsova” know it all. So far we’ve restored signs of Falkovich offices, pharmacies… But this level of signage was not yet, – Natalia explains.

the Correspondent of “homeland” rose to the woods to participate in the restoration. The sign is high, about eight meters from the ground. Under the scorching sun, which by the evening shines with a Lubyanskaya square, volunteers have a hard time. But they are hard to clean the sign with a chisel, putty knife and hammer.

Top layer comes away easily, the second is harder, third is kept tight only. Obviously, this is the basis of oil paint… Alexander Ivanets, a student from art school, tells what layer and what tool is best to clean it up. To sign treated with awe: after removing the layers of paint and plaster, granite is rubbed with a cotton swab impregnated with a safe solvent. With gilded letters will work separately.

Alexander Ivanets know how to clean vintage signs. / Artem Lokalov

“T-in M. S. Kuznetsova” manifests itself gradually. And gold on the letters dimly glitters in the setting sun.

Conservators are thinking about how to consolidate remnants of the gold and what part to choose to cover letters, to be seen, where the historical part, and where – new.

this sign volunteers thought about for a long time. But the owner of a porcelain shop, which was located here until recently, were not allowed to carry out any work and very nervous when I came to him with a request. Despite the fact that restorers were provided documents from the Department of cultural heritage.

the letters are partially preserved coating of gold leaf. / Artem Lokalov

Volunteers raise funds for restoration. As a rule, from the town and the owners just need permission.

– We have eight years of dealing with vintage signs. And if the original was looking at us like crazy, now not just allowed to restore them, but also understand what it’s about. And the important point, of course, that we do not ask for money and do a good job – says Nataliya Tarnavska.

In shentalinsky house on Myasnitskaya, 8 for the first time in a long time do not sell the porcelain. But the sign with the name of a person who of the peasants had escaped in the porcelain kings of the Russian Empire, come back here right now. Its restoration plan to be completed by early August.

But things can happen faster, because the volunteers can help.

it looked like the front of the house before the revolution. / facebook.com/Реставрация Moscow sign