The Mosaic Courtyard in Saint Petersburg owes its existence to Vladimir Lubenko – Honored Artist of Russia. Everything in the courtyard was created by his hands over a quarter of a century.
A year before the start of perestroika, a club for teenagers called "Volcano" was organized in a residential building on Tchaikovsky Street. Vladimir Lubenko was its leader. In the club, the younger generation learned the intricacies of creating works of art. Lubenko used a teaching method for teenagers that he developed himself. After some time, the club became the Small Academy of Arts. It was then that the idea arose to make the courtyard a model of mosaic art.
In his work creating unique compositions and panels, the artist used materials such as marble, smalt, and ceramic tiles. Some fragments were made from porcelain dishes. The residents of the district, then called Dzerzhinsky, upon learning about the interesting artist, supplied him with the necessary materials. Lubenko’s students helped the master as much as they could.
The mosaic courtyard on the Fontanka River is an amazing open-air museum that can be visited any time of the year. It is best to visit this marvel of mosaic art on a sunny summer day for the fullest impression. So, what can you see here?
These are:
a wall depicting the entire history of the founding of Saint Petersburg in mosaic form;
Atlantes three meters tall, supporting the universe;
miniature angels;
mosaic sundials, by which on a clear day you can tell the time. They also feature all 12 signs of the Zodiac;
a fountain with light and music called "Mother and Child".
In the center of the courtyard is the Mosaic Olympic, consisting of 64 paintings. Each illustrates a specific fairy tale, legend, or myth. Here is also a mosaic fountain, which, when looked at, seems to have bright blue streams of water flowing to the ground and spreading in all directions like waves. Even the curb in this fairy-tale courtyard is decorated with mosaics. On a sunny day, people inclined to optimism feel joy and even delight at such beauty, while in the gloomy Petersburg weather, this is the perfect place for a melancholic person, whose mood immediately improves.
Twice a year, fans of Vladimir Lubenko’s work apply a special water-repellent to the mosaic, which protects the mosaic images from damage and mold.
Vladimir Lubenko, the creator, called the mosaic courtyard on Tchaikovsky Street the "Olympus of Culture," because here the history of the city on the Neva, its mythology, and culture are simultaneously embodied.
Sources:
https://trip-spb.ru/mozaichnyj-dvorik/
http://vladimir-lubo.ru/mozaichniy-dvorik/
Author of the "Open-Air Museum 'Saint Petersburg Olympus of Culture'" - Honored Artist of Russia VLADIMIR VASILYEVICH LUBENKO
