Siberian Larch in history … …
In world history Siberian Larch is renowned as a very valuable and durable building material. Many masterpieces of world architecture are famous for their beauty and durability precisely because of this unique natural material increasing the longevity from the foundation up
The city of Venice, Italy
Venice was built in the V – IX Centuries from swampland, marshes and a multitude of varying in size islands connected up with the mainland. To be able to build over this terrain in order to have a habitat close to the shore – Engineers harnessed the strength of using 1000’s of Larch trees bound together and pummelled much like methods used today in reinforced pile foundations. About 400 thousand larch piles were driven. After almost 15 centuries research exam tests carried out upon the foundations showed the piles from the larch forest, on which the underwater part of the city is based, underwent a “Petrified – wood” process making them almost impervious to their surrounding environment. This is the very reason Venice as a whole still stands today.
Bridge of Trajan, Romania
The bridge was built in 104-105AD over the Danube by the architect Apollodorus from Damascus on the orders of the Roman Emperor Trajan (and later destroyed). Piles of larch were used as material for supports. They opened at low water in 1858 (stood for almost 18 centuries) and were so petrified that the axe did not take them. As a result, the piles had to be cut with a chisel.
Parquet floors of the Ostankino Sheremetev Palace, Russia
The Ostankino Palace was built in the last part of the XVIII Century by one of the richest and most notable families of the time – Count Nikolai Petrovich Sheremetev. Famous Russian architects F. Camporezi, V. Brenna and I. Starov worked on the design of this unusual palace. He was embodied by the serf architects of the Count – A. Mironov and P. Argunov. Construction lasted from 1792 to 1798. The palace is entirely made of wood, but the plastered walls seem stone. The embodiment of an outstanding idea was appreciated.
Window frames of the Winter Palace, St Petersburg, Russia
The Winter Palace is the residence of the Russian Tsars, built in 1754-1762 according to the project of F. B. Rastrelli. The palace is located along the Neva Embankment in the very center of St. Petersburg. It is part of the museum complex of the Hermitage and takes a leading place in this unique architectural ensemble, which took shape in the 18th – 19th centuries.
Watchtowers of the Bratsk prison, Russia
It was built in 1631, and later in 1654 it was rebuilt by Cossack Dmitry Firsov at the confluence of the Siberian River Oka into the Angara. One of the watchtowers of Bratsk prison is located in Bratsk, the other in Moscow in the Kolomenskoye museum-estate.
Coverage of a cycle track / Velodrome in a sports complex in Krylatskoye, Russia
In 1979, Moscow opened the world’s largest indoor cycle track in Krylatskoye. It was the world’s largest Olympic Velodrome. A dynamic composition, a complex multifaceted silhouette, an inventive constructive solution distinguish this structure resembling a giant butterfly. An excellent high-speed coating of Siberian Larch is applied to the steel membrane of the track with a thickness of 4 mm. On the track, all kinds of competitions are held – from sprinting to racing for the leader.
The memorial complex “Berlin Wall”
The Berlin Wall memorial complex, an architectural symbol of the separation and unification of the two Germanys, is all that remains today of the border between the German Democratic Republic and West Berlin
When creating the complex, Siberian Larch wood was used as a stable wear-resistant coating. The terrace board from it will not only withstand a large number of people visiting the complex, but also the changeable weather of Western Europe.
