Kingdom of ice and snow: Ice Cave opens in Zaryadye Park

The unique art installation called the Ice Cave will open in Zaryadye Park on 17 May, Sergei Sobyanin posted on his official Twitter account.

Visitors will set out on a journey to the kingdom of ice and snow. They will be able to see the beauty of ice crystals covering the pillars and the walls of the cave, and experience the grandeur of the northern nature. Accent lighting will imitate the glimmer of light on the walls, while the floor lights will add to the mysterious atmosphere.

The idea of creating an ice cave in Zaryadye Park came from the employees of the Diller Scofidio + Renfro architectural bureau (New York). The project was developed by artist Alexander Ponomarev and architect Alexei Kozyr.

The structure of the cave consists of hundreds of metal tubes with a total length of 13.7 kilometres. The tubes contain a special liquid, which is cooled down in a separate facility located in the technical centre under the pavilion. This liquid continuously circulates at a controlled temperature and speed, which results in the natural formation of ice and snow crystals. The ice was made in stages, with a total of 70 tonnes of water frozen on the cave’s walls.

Zaryadye opened on 9 September 2017, during celebrations marking the capital’s 870th anniversary. The park has four nature zones: forest, steppe, meadow and northern landscapes, which slope gently down towards the Moskva River. The park also boasts the River Overlook footbridge, Nature Centre, exhibition cultural facility and Media Centre.