More than a hundred-meter titanium stele to the Conquerors of Space - a combination of monumental socialist realism propaganda with abstract art. Having decided to build the monument immediately after the launch of the first satellite, they managed to build it later than the start of manned space flights, only in 1964.
The initial draft design already assumed the current configuration in the form of a rocket on takeoff and its wake, but they wanted to build it from glass, with internal illumination.
The absurdity of the idea was criticized by a pure techie, secret until his death, Sergei Korolev. This man of genius immediately named the most suitable material– sheet titanium for frame cladding. He also helped to knock out scarce metal in the Soviet State Planning Committee, suggested placing a sound idea in a massive pedestal (stylobate), which was opened on the 20th anniversary of Gagarin's flight, in 1981.
When discussing the accompanying sculptures of the most distinguished personalities, he categorically protested against his own candidacy. However, an untimely death, largely due to trauma from beatings in Stalin's dungeons, overtook the great designer two years after the opening. All his merits, titles and awards became known, and the stele to the Conquerors of Space on its alley of Cosmonauts found one of the most deserving of this title.
Accommodation and appearance
Initially, it was planned to set up a record-breaking monument for Moscow near the Moscow State University building on Sparrow Hills, then still Lenin Hills. But the decision to double the height from 50 meters forced us to look for a new place so as not to disturb the existing height balance. The then empty territory near VDNKh was quite suitable for this, now it’s hard to believe that the stele to the Conquerors of Space could have ended up in another area.
In order to visually show our readers the spatial arrangement of the monument, we had to use a flying assistant. The quadcopter not only took a photo, but also filmed, which is even more eloquent. In the picture, the stele to the Conquerors of Space rises above the surroundings as an excellent landmark, and it is not without aesthetic appeal. There is no heaviness predicted by skeptics.
From the side of the park zone, the stele to the Conquerors of Space looks no less impressive than from a height. It doesn't take a heightened imagination to imagine a real rocket taking off while looking at a monument. Titanium, which does not tarnish over time, is a practically non-oxidizing metal that reflects the sun's rays. A ten-meter rocket raised to a height of 100 meters looks small from the surface.
From the walking paths, the rocket and the conditional plume of gases are perfectly visible, gentle slopes with lawns additionally decorate the imaginary spaceport. The surrounding area is a beautiful oasis of vegetation in the midst of a bustling city. Larch trees of considerable age, which are not often found in central Russia, are the main decoration of the local landscape.
Emerging associations
From the north side, the stele to the Conquerors of Space looks like a continuation of the sloping roof of the Museum of Cosmonautics, created and placed on a pedestal according to the idea of the Chief Designer of Ballistic Missiles. Twenty years of Korolev's work in this position brought the USSR to the leaders of world cosmonautics. An unexpected death interrupted his activities, preventing him from completing the lunar program.
A single designer of the monument and the museum building as its integral part ensured the inseparable unity of the entire complex. The wave of the museum's roof looks like a cooling stream of rocket plume gases creeping along the Earth's surface. The building is framed by granite stairs leading to the bas-reliefs on the pedestal of the monument.
From the opposite, southern part, the stele to the Conquerors of Space looks like the fin of a colossal shark. Another emerging association is the bow of the sailboat, with the figure of Tsiolkovsky instead of the caryatids of ancient ships. The adjacent square and the alley of Heroes with monuments to astronauts are like the sea surface in front of a sailing ship.
The monument to Konstantin Eduardovich Tsiolkovsky was made by one of the creators of the stele, and they were opened at the same time. The inscription on the rectangular pedestal is extremely laconic, containing only the surname and words - the founder of astronautics. Surprisingly, the theoretician of space flights, who mastered the most complex calculations, was self-taught, a provincial school teacher.
The founder of astronautics is depicted as a seated sculptor, with his gaze fixed on the heavens. However, he was not the dreamer out of touch with reality that he is often portrayed as. Tsiolkovsky justified the use of the principle of jet thrust for rocket vehicles, calculated the orbits of flights to the nearest celestial bodies. The theory of supersonic motion in the stratosphere, calculations of flights of rockets of variable mass are also his developments.
The design of the airship developed by him was considered by the most prominent scientists, the first wind tunnel found practical use. Much later than the justification and calculations of Tsiolkovsky, but largely thanks to them, orbital space stations were created. It is they who have now become the main component of the study and development of near-Earth space.
Heroes of space flights
The end part of the pedestal, from which the stele to the Conquerors of Space rises, contains poetic and official praises of our successes in conquering space. Although well-deserved, these words are now read with a fair amount of sadness. Russia lost both the race to the moon and the use of reusable spacecraft, and the heroes of space are not at all to blame for this.
The side surfaces of the pedestal are decorated with bas-reliefs, picturesquely describing the contribution of all those involved in the development outer space. Here is an astronaut climbing the stairs, and scientists who create means of transportation in space. Factory workers are not forgotten either, embodying developments and drawings into concrete products.
The western side of the pedestal is decorated in the same way. Both bas-reliefs abound not only with the figures of heroes and workers, there are many elements of Soviet symbols. Flying spaceships and working drawings are next to banners and emblems, indispensable Lenin and a child in the arms of a woman.
I did not want to say anything negative about a truly outstanding monument. However, against the background of the current reality, the then pathos and propaganda seem clumsy and pompous. This is not the fault of those who created the stele to the Conquerors of Space, and even more so the heroes of the monument themselves. Such was the dominant ideology and practice that smoothly led the most powerful state to a dead end.
Do not accuse the observer of hopeless pessimism, faith in a bright future is not empty words, although it can be expressed in simpler terms. Our current reality is far from ideal, but life requires improvement and forward movement. With its slender silhouette, the stele seems to support the Conquerors of Space positive mood helps to overcome negative thoughts.
The story about the monument created in the irrevocably gone past is not nostalgia, but thoughts about the future. The stele to the Conquerors of Space with a soaring rocket seems to call not to stop there and always strive for new achievements.
A variety of foreign companies.
Our next project on the schedule is one of the Blood and Fury expansions. But with this project, we are forced to wait, because, unfortunately, we are not given any information about the schedule for printing these additions. What to release instead of "Gods of Asgard"?
And so we decided to experiment. For over a year now, we've been wanting to publish our own game called "Space Conquerors".
This is a game created in collaboration with the production studio Moroz Publishing. We understand that this is not exactly what we did before, so we won’t be offended at all if you pass by. But, firstly, since we are publishing this game, we decided that:
- it will be fair to offer it to our supporters at a favorable pre-order price;
- we have little doubt that this particular game will be released in Europe and the US (because we already have enough connections, and the game turned out to be very good). So consider that you are ordering a "western" level product;
- the game is generally ready and will be sent to you already in early November. So you won't have to wait long.
So, with pleasure and some excitement we present to you a domestic development authored by Yuri Zhuravlev with design and illustrations by Alexei Kot - a board game "Space Conquerors".
The conquest of outer space is one of the main milestones in the history of the past century. Humanity has entered the space age.
Exactly 60 years ago, the first satellite in history was launched into orbit, which was called Sputnik-1. Just four years later, Yuri Gagarin went into space on the Vostok-1 spacecraft.
The game, which you can get in November 2017, is dedicated to the first space explorers. That is, all those wonderful people, thanks to which flights beyond the Earth became a reality.
So, as Yuri Gagarin said: "Go!"
Each of the players becomes the head of the research corps in the conditional Space Research Center. The purpose of your activity is to implement large-scale space projects.
You invite the best specialists to join your team and, thanks to their efforts, send ships into space and launch satellites.
The game ends when the players have completed all available projects or when one of them recruits 12 specialists to his team. Specialists and projects bring development points. The most successful player with the most points wins.
A game "Conquerors of Space" is a geek filler: easy to learn, but hard to win if you play with experienced players. It vaguely resembles Splendor, although the mechanics here are completely different:
- a closed system of resource circulation (by hiring a specialist, the player pays not to the bank, but to the next player in a clockwise direction);
- another way to get discounts for laying out a card;
- unique activated card abilities.
For a detailed look at all the components of the game, to see the starting layout, turn order, the properties of some cards, the stage of completion, scoring and determining the winners, you can watch this video.
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All character art in the game is based on collective images. Any resemblance to real people is purely coincidental.
The box contains the rules (16 pages) with detailed description, illustrations and examples, as well as:
Before the start of the game, participants receive a tablet divided into 5 sections of different colors, 5 unique research tokens, a memo with symbols and one specialist card from the deck.
The tablet is a research corps run by the player. It has several divisions. They will be filled by specialists of various space professions. Builders, engineers, scientists, testers and, of course, astronauts will work here.
Without a certain composition of specialists different profile you will not be able to launch a particular spacecraft.
Each illustration corresponds to a real satellite, space ship or interplanetary station. The game features eight Soviet spacecraft and two American ones.
The higher the skill level of a specialist, the more difficult it is to attract him to your Corps. A certain level of research is required.
A deck of specialists is laid out in the center of the table, from which 6 cards are opened onto the table, and project cards (according to the number of participants plus two more).
Adding Specialists to the Corps
Players take turns taking turns. On your turn, you can take one of two actions:
- take a specialist card in hand from those that are open on the table,
- add the card to your case (on the tablet).
You can add not only from your hand, but also by moving it from the table to the tablet, if you can immediately fulfill all the conditions.
Let's take a closer look at the map.
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1. Illustration. 2. Development points. Counted at the end of the game. 3. Skills. They indicate the unit in which a specialist can be placed, and which projects will require his skill to complete. 4. Difficulty in attracting a specialist. Measured in research symbols. 5. The arrow determines the order in which the attraction difficulty decreases. 6. Ability. Lasts as long as the specialist card is on top of the unit card pile, or counts towards development points at the end of the game. In this case: after completing the project, you can take 2 cards from the pile into your hand. 7. Card number. Abilities are described at the end of the rules and in the memo (if clarification is required). |
Each employee is highly qualified in a particular area, in other words, a skill. You can place him in a hull unit that matches his skill in color. For example, with a red skill - in the red, construction division of the corps.
Some specialists have skills in two areas. In this case, you yourself decide which of the units to send them.
To attract a specialist, you need to dial the research symbols depicted on the map.
Now that we have all the necessary research symbols, we place the map on the tablet.
Implementation of space projects
Card abilities
Specialists have unique abilities.
All the abilities of employees are described in detail in the rules, and in the memos that are distributed at the beginning of the game. The type of card and number will allow you to quickly find the necessary explanation if it is required.
End of the game
The game will end when one of the players recruits 12 specialists to his corps or when the last of the projects is completed.
Each player sums up the development points on the cards in his corps and on the projects he has implemented.
The player with the most development points wins!
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Yuri Zhuravlev is one of the most famous and experienced Russian game designers. The first game was published six years ago. Yura created the well-known board games Viceroy, Costa Ruana, ZooMagic, Guilds of Laar, Catem City and a number of others. From 2013 to 2016, he worked at the Lifestyle company, being one of the organizers and curators of the KORNI publishing project. In the same period (until the beginning of 2017) he supported the Moscow club board games"Random Place" Also, for 3 years in a row, he led an author's blog with publications on the topic of game design. |
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Aleksey Kot, creator of the visuals for The Conquerors of Space, often draws in a retro style. Many of his illustrations are familiar from the board game "Takeoff is allowed!". He also wrote the image on the box of the Flashlight game, published in Russia by Crowd Games. Alexey draws in many areas. For example, at one time his poster for the epic movie " Star Wars”, drawn by him for fun, was officially acquired by Lucasfilm to officially introduce the game. |
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Denis Davydov, Producer of the Conquerors of Space game, heads the Moroz Publishing studio, which produces and publishes board games in Russia and abroad. Previously, Denis worked for Hobby World and Nival Interactive. But he is mostly known as Chief Editor magazine "Igromania", and later - as the head of the publishing house, which also published "World of Science Fiction", "Best computer games and other magazines. |
Yuri Zhuravlev: “When playing Space Conquerors, try to feel the unity of all participants at the table. After all, what one uses can be used by another! Give and life will flow. Get greedy and you'll be the first to feel the discomfort of being stuck with this acquisitive strategy. Life is a process that does not tolerate static. But she also teaches us that responsibility must be taken into our own hands!”
Denis Davydov:“While working on the creation of the game “Conquerors of Space”, I tried to recreate the atmosphere of the golden era of astronautics as much as possible. This should have manifested itself in everything, in every little thing, whether it was a line in the rules or an icon on the map. Exactly the same approach was followed by Alexei Kot, phenomenally talented artist and a designer who makes the game look exactly the way it should!”
The game was tested by: Daria Bessonova, Evgenia Borisonik, Denis Varshavsky, Konstantin Vakhnin, Ekaterina Gorn, Alexander Gorny, Sergei Grafchikov, Irina Grafchikova, Maxim Grigoriev, Yulia Grigorieva, Maxim Gudkov, Anton Demyanov, Andrey Dorofeev, Pavel Yeltsin, Olga Ermakova, Artyom Zhdanov, Alexander Kazantsev , Fedor Kvashnin, Denis Kokorev, Yaroslav Kryslov, Oleg Meleshin, Eldar Morozov, Yegor Nikolaev, Evgenia Ovinnikova, Anatoly Okhapkin, Viktor Pavel, Arkady Pavlov, Pavel Podkorytov, Sergei Pritula, Svetlana Pritula, Pavel Rezanov, Andrey Rumyantsev, Ekaterina Rumyantseva, Oleg Silukov, Ksenia Silukova, Igor Sklyuev, Vadim Trishkin, Nadezhda Filippovich, Damir Khusnatdinov, Vlad Janus and others.
A lot of gaming sessions were held with 2 to 4 people. Testing was carried out both on the basis of the Moroz Testing Ground club and in the author's game cell.
The game was evaluated according to various parameters. The art of the game, the originality and elegance of the mechanics were highly appreciated.
The disadvantages were the complexity of the iconography on the maps, but most noted that thanks to the memos it is easy to figure it out, and from the second batch, the memos are no longer needed.
Thanks to everyone who took part in testing the game! It's funny that according to the final table representatives of the fair sex more often won.
OLEG SILUKOV
What did Crowd Games, Moroz and Yuri Zhuravlev do? To the depth and variability, they added several atypical mechanics and beautiful design. It turned out to be a candy that many will want. A pleasant aftertaste and a desire to repeat is guaranteed.
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SERGEY GRAFCHIKOV
"Conquerors of Space" good game with stylish art and quite interesting gameplay. Some of the mechanics will seem familiar to an experienced boarder, but there are also some interesting finds. Of the minuses - not very intuitive iconography, but after several games, the properties are remembered, and the players stop being distracted by studying the memo with decoding.
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SERGEY PRITULA
A solid game that looks like a filler but isn't! Leaves a pleasant aftertaste like Race for the galaxy. Resource circulation is a very good idea!
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ANTON DEMYANOV
"Conquerors of Space" is an atmospheric game about a scientific race. Most of all, it catches dynamism and simplicity, which at the same time is combined with depth and good choice strategies. If you are into a cold battle in the theme of science and space exploration, this game is for you!
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OLEG MELESHIN
"Conquerors of Space" family game With beautiful design in the style of the Soviet era. The game is suitable for the whole family, both tacticians and strategists will like it, while it has a very simple and fast gameplay. In terms of mechanics, I will put the game on a par with both Master of Orion and Splendor at the same time.
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VLAD YANUS
The game is fun and exciting. Intercept a project before another player completes it on their turn? What could be nicer!
All tokens will be 1.75mm thick, printed on linen. The size of the cards is 63 x 88 mm. Tablets are made taking into account the possible use of protectors.
Cards and memos are dense (300 g), a booklet with rules - 16 pages.
Box size - 20 x 20 x 5 cm (like "Patchwork").
The price on the shelf in stores will be about 1000 rub.
The game "Conquerors of Space" is a modern and fast game,
which will allow you to immerse yourself in the golden era of astronautics!
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The universe, as an unknown and boundless world, has always attracted and beckoned with undiscovered mysteries.
And if once a person only dreamed of going beyond the bounds of the familiar world, then with the first flight into space, dreams began to come true. At the moment, the development of the universe is very hot topic. Many countries are developing various projects and investing huge funds in space exploration programs. Many cities also have monuments commemorating mankind's space achievements. There is a monument to the conquerors of space, including a huge monument to the history of the exploration of the Universe, which attracts attention. It is impossible to safely pass by this building. When looking at the monument, a person is breathtaking from its grandeur and beauty.
in Moscow
The exhibition complex in is one of the fifty major centers similar purpose in the world.
The territory of the complex covers an area of 520 hectares. It houses many tourist centers, various thematic pavilions. In addition, there is a large number of recreation areas: parks, squares, fountains, cafes. The monument to the conquerors of space is also located on the territory of VDNKh.
The number of visitors to the Exhibition from Russia and other countries of the near and far abroad reaches several million people on the days of the celebration. And over the weekend the complex is visited by up to 500,000 tourists and local residents.
It is the property of the country. Over 40 objects of the complex are recognized as monuments cultural heritage. Various festivals are held annually at VDNKh, international exhibitions, congresses and holidays.
Monument to the conquerors of space. History of its origin
This building was installed at the very beginning of VDNKh. The monument was opened in 1964. Its discovery took place on the 7th anniversary of the launch of the satellite. The central part of the monument has the shape of an obelisk topped with a model of a space rocket.
This building reaches a height of 107 meters. Architects M. O. Barshch and A. N. Kolchin worked on it. The sculptor of the monument is A.P. Faydyshev-Krandievsky.
The monument to the conquerors of space looks very harmonious, despite its grandiose size. It resembles a rocket, striving up and leaving a trail behind it. At the base of the structure is an image of the first person to fly into outer space - Yuri Gagarin. In addition to the first cosmonaut, at the base of the monument there are images of scientists, engineering and technical workers and ordinary workers - all those who helped take steps towards space exploration. In front of the monument is a statue of K. E. Tsiolkovsky. Under the base of the building is the Museum of Cosmonautics. There is also science Library. Everyone who visits the monument to the conquerors of space in Moscow has the opportunity to talk with astronauts, taste food from special tubes that are used in zero gravity, and also practice on space simulators.
Other "space" places in Moscow
In addition to this monument, in Moscow there are some more places dedicated to space topics. This is leading to the monument, the memorial house-museum of Academician S. Korolev, Gagarin Square, the Moscow Planetarium, the monument to the developers of the first Earth satellite, the monument to V. and Laika. Total in Moscow total nine "space" places.
All these monuments and museums are dedicated to such important event in people's lives, like space exploration. They remind us of what a great achievement man has made.
Conclusion
The monument to the conquerors of space, as well as other similar cultural heritage of the country, inspire a sense of pride. All of them are designed to glorify such a significant and grandiose event of the 20th century as a flight into space.
Previously, this idea seemed fantastic, and few believed that such flights would be quite feasible. Now we see that this is not a fairy tale at all, but a reality. Space exploration has not yet been completed, every year people carry out new projects and expand their knowledge about this mysterious and vast space.
31.12.2018
2018 is the year of the yellow dog and 2019 is the year of the yellow pig. A frisky and cheerful dog passes the reins of power to a well-fed and calm pig.
31.12.2017
Dear friends, on the last day of 2017, the fiery rooster, we want to congratulate you on the New Year 2018, the year of the yellow dog.
31.12.2016
In the coming new year 2017, we wish that fiery rooster brought you good luck, happiness and bright and positive impressions while traveling.
31.12.2015
On the last day of the outgoing, we want to congratulate you on the advent of 2016, the year of the energetic and cheerful monkey.
16.10.2015
On October 16, 2015, a monument was stolen People's Artist Soviet Union Evgeny Leonov.
A country: Russia
City: Moscow
Nearest metro: VDNH
Was passed: 1964
Sculptor: Andrei Faidysh-Krandievsky
Architect: Alexander Kolchin, Mikhail Barshch
Description
The monument, 107 meters high, is a rocket soaring into the sky, which leaves behind a plume of exhaust gases from engines. On the base of the monument, Yuri Gagarin is depicted climbing the stairs to conquer space. Behind him are the people whose labor made these steps possible. Lines are inscribed on the base of the monument Soviet writer Nikolay Gribachev.
“... And our efforts were rewarded,
What, overcoming lawlessness and darkness,
We forged fiery wings
To his country and his age!”.
And below the inscription “In commemoration of outstanding achievements Soviet people in the exploration of outer space, this monument was built in 1964.”. As well as the date of the world's first successful launch of an artificial earth satellite and the date of the first manned flight into space. Under the base of the monument is the Museum of Cosmonautics. And in front of the monument stands a monument to the founder of modern cosmonautics, the Soviet scientist Konstantin Eduardovich Tsiolkovsky.
History of creation
It was decided to install the monument immediately after the successful launch of an artificial earth satellite. In 1958, show jumping was announced best project. And on the seventh anniversary of the launch of the satellite in 1964, the Monument to the Conquerors of Space was solemnly opened.
In the north of Moscow, not far from VDNKh, there is the Alley of Cosmonauts, an entirely pedestrian street, which is part of the so-called Cosmopark. The alley was named in 1972 in honor of the heroes of space, whose busts are installed along the alley. It leads to the monument to the Conquerors of Space. In 2007-2008, the alley underwent reconstruction and appeared in an updated form.
You can get to the alley by driving to the VDNKh metro station on the orange line and exiting through the southern exit. Then 2 globes will appear in front of the entrance to the alley. One of them is a globe of the Earth, the other is a globe of the Universe, with a map of the starry sky. 
The alley is laid out in such a way that it is a visual continuation of Prospekt Mira for those who move along it from the center of Moscow. As a result, the prospect of a grandiose monument to the "Conquerors of Space" opens up for them from afar. 
From the beginning of the alley and almost to the monument itself, pedestals in the form of stars are installed, on which dates are affixed with memorable events related to space exploration. 
A layout is installed in the center of the alley solar system always attracting lots of kids on weekends. 
To the left of the layout in 2008, a monument to Sergei Pavlovich Korolev was erected. Its authors are sculptures S.A. Shcherbakov and S.S. Shcherbakov, architects A.V. Kuzmin and I.N. Voskresensky. Originally, this place was a bust of the Queen. 
Gradually, we are approaching the monument, where we see that there are no commemorative plaques on some of the pedestals. Looks like a vision for the future. 
Directly in front of the monuments is a monument to Konstantin Eduardovich Tsiolkovsky, erected in 1964 (sculptor A.P. Faidysh-Krandievsky). 
Next to the monuments there are busts of famous astronauts, installed in 1967. In 2008, they were moved to this place in connection with the reconstruction of the alley of Cosmonauts, previously they were located a little to the south. 
Bust of Vladimir Mikhailovich Komarov: 
Bust of Alexei Arkhipovich Leonov: 
Bust of Pavel Ivanovich Belyaev: 
Bust of Valentina Vladimirovna Tereshkova: 
Bust of Yuri Alekseevich Gagarin: 
Opposite them is a monument to Valentin Petrovich Glushko: 
And a monument to Mstislav Vsevolodovich Keldysh: 
View from the monument in the opposite direction: 
The monument to the "Conquerors of Space" was erected in 1964 to commemorate the achievements of the Soviet people in the exploration of outer space. 
The main part of the monument is a 107-meter-high obelisk lined with titanium panels, depicting a plume left behind by a rocket located on top of the obelisk. 
The stylobate of the monument is surrounded by high relief figures Soviet people- scientists, engineers, workers - whose work space flights have become a reality. 
Monument to Tsiolkovsky and the hotel "Cosmos": 
Hotel "Cosmos" was built in 1979 and received guests Olympic Games in Moscow in 1980. 
You can also see the Tricolor multifunctional residential complex under construction from here. 
Main entrance to VDNH: 
Of course, the Ostankino TV tower is visible from all the adjacent territories. 
April 11, 2009 Grand opening Museum of Cosmonautics after a long reconstruction. It will be discussed some other time. 
