The Ferris wheel in Moscow… This object attracts not even hundreds, but thousands of visitors every week. Moreover, among fans of this type of attraction, as practice shows, there are not only guests of the Russian capital who seek to see the metropolis from a bird's eye view, but also numerous local residents who are in love with their small homeland.
Even at the mention of the Ferris wheel in Moscow, the largest carousel of the city, built on the territory of the All-Russian Exhibition Center, immediately appears before your eyes. True, not everyone knows that there are seven such attractions in the city.
This article will tell you in more detail about what are, without a doubt, the decorations of any park. The reader will get acquainted with the nuances of their origin, design features, as well as champions, among which, of course, there will be the main Ferris wheel in Moscow.
General description of the object
In colloquial speech, this kind of attraction is commonly called a ferris wheel.
Itis a kind of attraction in the form of a large vertically mounted round frame with passenger booths attached to its rim.
The ferris wheel is commonly installed in amusement parks and other crowded places.
The biggest ones are literally amazing. And the spectacle from the very top of the carousel is always breathtaking even for seasoned thrill-seekers.
Creation history and prototype
Even in the XVII century. a device appeared that was set in motion due to the muscular strength of a person. That's it, after some time, it became the prototype of the modern Ferris wheel.
The first, by the way, was installed a long time ago, in 1893, in Chicago, at the World's Columbian Exhibition.
Two years before, the organizers of the event announced a competition for the best project, which, as expected, could become the so-called visiting card of the country, and in scale was supposed to outshine the Eiffel Tower itself in Paris. There was no talk of building a Ferris wheel in Moscow at that time.
As a result, the project of engineer George Washington Gail Ferris Jr. won. He created a 2000-ton attraction, the diameter of which reached 80 m. The wheel moved due to two steam engines. Attached to its rim were 36 cabins, about the size of a bus. Each of these rooms had 40 standing places and 20 seated places, and the total capacity of the carousel was 2160 passengers. Not everyone knows that one revolution of this wheel took about twenty minutes. This building was four times lower than the Eiffel Tower, but significantly higher than all the skyscrapers of that time. The workers barely had time to install the device on time, so among themselves they called it "damn it." This is how the name stuck.
Main types of structures
It is hardly worth saying that the Ferris wheel in Moscow is not distinguished by its unique technology, although the similarities are certainly present.
For example, attractions of this kind always have cabins that are held in position by gravity.
However, more recently, facilities have appeared in many cities that require a more complex mechanical system. Why? The thing is that the designers are tasked with keeping the seats for passengers in the right position.
The so-called observation wheels are a new and somewhat different kind, the main difference being that their cabs must be mounted outside the rim instead of hanging from it.
The first wheel of this type was opened in 1999. It's called the London Eye. To date, the construction of this type of attractions is already underway in Shanghai, Singapore and Las Vegas. By the way, the Ferris wheel in Moscow, whose photo can be seen as a visiting card in almost all guidebooks of the capital, also belongs to this type.
Another unusual type is a device with sliding cabins. This was first built in a park in the Brooklyn area of New York in 1920 and has been preserved there to this day.
Not everyone knows that a copy of it is now operating in California's Disney Land.
However, perhaps the most unusual attraction of this kind was built in the Netherlands in 1999. Now it does not work, but the idea was interesting, because according to the plan of the designers, instead of a booth, a platform was used to fix the car on it.
The most famous attractions in the former USSR
In the former USSR, in every fairly large city there were parks of culture and recreation with all kinds of entertainment and attractions. The capital was no exception.
The Ferris wheel in Moscow, whose height was impressive by those standards, was very popular among tourists. Travelers were eager to see the opening landscapes, because in small towns, and even more so in villages, such power could hardly be fully felt.
During the time of the former Soviet Union, the wheels of the classical type were used in settlements, and they differed only in size.
For example, each of us remembers how in the children's parks there was a small Ferris wheel, intended only for children, called "The Sun".
And nowadays in Moscow there are only 7 Ferris wheels, which are located in different parks. The height of the lowest of them is 25 meters, and the highest is 73 meters. Many rides are over 10 years old. ATIzmailovsky Park is the oldest, which was built back in 1958.
The tallest and newest Ferris wheel in Moscow: VDNH
First of all, we note that it is named after the 850th anniversary of Moscow. From the inscription on the attraction itself, it is easy to guess that it was built for the anniversary of the beloved capital.
The height of this wheel, located on the territory of the All-Russian Exhibition Center, is 73 meters.
It has both closed and open cabins for passengers. There are exactly 40 of them in total, and only 5 of them are open.
Each small room can accommodate 8 passengers, and the speed of one revolution is 7 minutes.
"Moscow-850" gives you the opportunity to enjoy the view of the capital from a bird's eye view. This attraction is truly one of the most amazing, spectacular and romantic not only in the capital of the Russian Federation, but also in the whole world.
"Moscow-850" in the ranking of similar
It should be noted that at the time of construction, this object was the highest viewing wheel in Europe. But it didn't last long.
Later, in the Italian city of Ravenna, in the Mirabilandia park, the Eurowheel attraction was built, which surpassed Moscow in height, reaching 90 meters.
In 2000, a new wheel known as the London Eye was opened to the public in London. Its height today is 135 meters. Until that time, the champions among the wheels were:
- The Great Wheel of London(94 meters).
- Grande Roue de Paris in Paris (100 meters).
Today, every Russian will immediately answer that the highest wheel in the country is "Moscow-850". Many seek to visit it, which means that it is not surprising that such a photo, such as, for example, “The Ferris Wheel in Moscow. 2014" is in almost every family album.
Favorite vacation spot
The second largest attraction in Moscow is located in Izmailovsky Park. This wheel was the largest during the Soviet era.
Today it is the oldest in the capital. In 2014, 57 years have passed since its construction.
The Izmailovo Ferris wheel was installed in 1957 by order of N. S. Khrushchev in honor of the opening of the World Youth Festival.
The height of this attraction is 45 meters. Skating lasts an average of 7.5 minutes. It has 40 viewing booths.
During the entire period of the existence of the Big Ferris wheel, about one and a half million people rode it.
In 2007, a complete renovation and restoration of the entire structure was carried out. The Izmailovo Ferris Wheel is considered the real pride of the culture and recreation park of the same name.
By the way, not everyone knows about the existence of such a tradition as riding newlyweds on this attraction.
Immediate prospects
Currently, a project called "Moscow View" has been created in Moscow. It involves the construction of an attraction in the future, the height of whichwill be up to 220 meters.
This will dwarf the world's tallest ferris wheel, Singapore's 165-meter high Ferris wheel.
The budget of such a project is about 300 million US dollars.
The future Moscow Ferris wheel will be designed a little differently than conventional wheels.
It is planned to use not internal knitting needles, but special rails along which viewing booths will move.
A spire up to 320 meters high will run along the rim. At the base of this building, it is planned to place a concert hall, gallery, restaurants and shopping areas with a total area of 30 thousand square meters. m.
Where the Ferris wheel in Moscow will be located is still unknown. To date, all possible options are being considered, the most suitable of which are Vernadsky Avenue, the All-Russian Exhibition Center and the Central Park of Culture and Leisure. Gorky.
