The palm of Mertsalov. Monuments of Donetsk. Artistic forging

Aleksei Mertsalov is a blacksmith from the town of Yuzovka (now Donetsk), famous for his own name and native land in the centuries. A talented master 120 years ago forged a palm tree, which today is a symbol of the main city of Donbass. Palma Mertsalova during its existence has acquired a host of legends and myths. Some of them are real, and some of them have absolutely no justification. In this article, we will try to determine where the lie is, where the truth is.

Legend of the author's idea

The very first myth is connected not even with the process of forging itself, but with the birth of the idea of creating an iron tree. Very popular is the version that the Yuzovsky blacksmith once drank in a tavern and saw a large palm tree in a tub. An unusual plant struck him and he decided to repeat it in metal. Yes, so that from a single piece, without any soldering and welding there. No sooner said than done. Alexei Mertsalov immediately took up his work. And then he presented his creation to the employer - the famous industrialist John Hughes, whose name at that time was the entire developing industrial town, which later became the capital of the whole region.

Can this be true? Could in those days a simple blacksmith without the knowledge of the owner 2 weeks to engage in creativity, "shirking" from the main job? Could I get a whole rail weighing more than a centner? Of course, this is nothing more than a colorful Donbas legend.

In fact, Mertsalov's palm was created on the orders of Hughes himself for an industrial exhibition in 1896. The Yuzovsky Plant of the Novorossiysk Society of Carboniferous, Rail and Iron Production was among the participants. This enterprise in those days was the only one in the south of the Russian Empire engaged in smelting pig iron and processing it into steel and iron. The main raw material was ore, which is so rich in Donetsk region.

Palm Mertsalova became not only the emblem of the powerful iron empire of John Hughes, but also a kind of symbol of the entire developing industry of the Donbass.

Excursion as a gift

Grateful Hughes sent a blacksmith on a trip to Nizhny Novgorod - as the following legend says.

In fact, John Hughes did not differ in excessive sentimentality. Although Alexei Ivanovich Mertsalov really visited Nizhny Novgorod, but not as a tourist, but with a different task - he participated in the installation of the exhibition. And the design, I must say, was simply grandiose! It was framed by three steel arches made of high-quality metal with a square cross-section. Their height reached 8 meters, and length - 7. On each side of the arches stood two-meter turrets. The total weight of the structure reached 20 tons. Elements of the exhibition were delivered in disassembled form and collected already on the spot.

It is logical to assume that Hughes brought his best masters to the exhibition. There was among them a smith Alexei Mertsalov.

The main object of the exposition was a round leather sofa. Visitors could sit on it and rest under the shadow of iron palm leaves. The tub for palm was collected from 23 steel rings of different diameters.

Some Donetsk regional specialists believe that the author of the idea to create palm trees from metal was John Hughes himself, whose house was decorated with these southern plants.

Non-random number

Palma Mertsalova has another interesting legend. It is said that the number of rings in a tub is a symbol of the age of the plant. The exhibition was held in 1896. If this number is taken away from 23, then it will be 1873. But this year the plant has already worked - in 1872, it received the first cast iron. However, the palm tree was created in 1895, a year before the exhibition. It turns out, what exactly this date also means. That is, the age of the young enterprise is not at the time of the Novgorod exhibition, but at the moment when the art forging of the palm tree was completed.

From one-piece rail

Even today, with the modern development of technology, this version seems to many to be mythical. However, for a long time it was considered pure truth. The creators, as well as many art historians and local historians argued that the Marzalova palm was indeed forged from a monolith - a whole railway rail. The hammer Philip Shkarin, who helped the blacksmith during his work, personally testified about this fact. According to him, they really heated the rail on an open forge horn, forged it on the anvil with the help of a heavy bald chopper. The work of the hammer was conducted under the strict guidance of an experienced blacksmith. The heated rail was torn in the right places, and then the metal was stretched and spat, it was applied art forging.

The stem of the steel plant has ten branch-leaves and a corolla at the top. The total height of the palm tree is 3.53 m, and it weighs 125 kg.

Today, and this myth is debunked. In 2014, the festival of blacksmith's skill was held in St. Petersburg, where the conference "Golden Doubt" was held. Modern technologies and knowledge made it possible to find traces of forge welding on a palm tree. Yuri Shagunov, vice-president of the Union of Blacksmiths of Russia, notes in his reports that some parts were welded to the palm, and not pulled out of a single piece of metal.

First place at the exhibition

This myth was very common for a long time. However, it is worth digging deeper, and it becomes clear that no one was giving any medals at the exhibition for the palm tree. For the simple reason that there were no awards at all. Consequently, the palm tree could not be awarded either the first place or the gold.

However, there is some truth in this legend. Award industrialist Yuz from Novgorod still brought. She became the right received by his company for the image of the state emblem on the manufactured products. It was considered a great honor.

Location - Donetsk

Most people, who are slightly interested in the history and culture of the Donbass, are sure that the palm tree today stands near the building of Donetsk Regional State Administration, at the very beginning of Pushkin Boulevard. Moreover, even some Donetsk residents are sure of this. The image of the legendary symbol with the history and culture of the city is so closely intertwined that the Donchans consider the palm of their own. Moreover, everyone knows that this image is also adorned with the coat of arms of the Donetsk region.

In fact, all the exhibits after the exhibition was brought to St. Petersburg. The palm was donated to the Mountain Museum in 1898, and is still there. And on the boulevard there is an exact copy of the legendary tree. Like many monuments of Donetsk, it is a popular story for the creativity of local artists and photographers who celebrate their hometown in their works.

Place on the arms

But this is not a myth. The tree depicted on the coat of arms of the Donetsk region is the palm of Mertsalov. Donetsk often uses this image, which has become a kind of symbol of the edge of hardworking miners, studious metallurgists, talented blacksmiths.

Mertsalov's legacy today

The main value of the Donetsk region is its people. The great master left behind him not only the famous palm tree, but also a great experience in blacksmithing. Today many monuments of Donetsk are made by skilled smiths.

Speaking about the sights of the city, we can not fail to mention the park of forged figures, which is located in the heart of the city, near the sculpture of a palm tree. Of course, it's worth it to stroll and see with your own eyes its magic exhibits.