The Russian Academy Of Arts

On May 18, 2009 Nikolai Shumakov, Full Member of the Russian Academy of Arts, Honored Architect of the Russian Federation gave a masterclass for students of the architecture department of V. Surikov Moscow State Academy Art Institute.

Nikolai Shumakov is an outstanding specialist in the subway construction, a Chief Architect of one of the oldest project institutes “Metrogyprotrans” established in Moscow in 1933. It is during his almost 20-year leadership, after the long period of utilitarian approach to the decoration of underground stations and lobbies, that the remarkable bygone tradition of turning the Moscow subway constructions and interiors into works of architectural and plaster arts has been revived. He attracted to his projects celebrated modern sculptors, artists of monumental art, designers, such as Zurab Tsereteli, Nikolai Andronov, Alexander Burganov, Ivan Lubennikov and others.

Nikolai Shumakov commented a film about the specific character of the underground railway construction process, as well as shared his recent experience in the construction of the monorail in the north of Moscow and the line of “light metro” in Butovo in the south of the capital. He also showed a project of the “Moscow” (Moskovskaya) underground station to be soon completed in the center of Rome (Italy) as a “response” to the “Rome” (Rimskaya) station in the Moscow subway.

For the last years, the sphere of architectural interests of Nikolai Shumakov and the “Metrogyprotrans” he heads has been considerably expanded. Many of Shumakov’s projects of guyed bridges with observation sites are of innovation character and have been appreciated by gold medals at the prestigious European contests. One of his latest successful projects is “Zhivopisny” bridge, the first Moscow bridge supplemented by a 105m tall arch with a suspended restaurant.

At present, Nikolai Shumakov is involved in the construction of the first stage of a new complex of Vnukovo Airport in Moscow which is planned to be the biggest in Europe.

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