Russia's No. 1 Exhibition is preparing its fountains for the winter. Conservation of the Friendship of Peoples Fountain is to begin on 13 October.
The iconic gold-plated statues will be cleaned and washed, then covered with wooden boxes for conservation. The decorative fish and dolphin sculptures will be cleaned using extra soft brushes, then washed under pressure. Urban infrastructure specialists will clean the fountain's bowl and balustrade using household cleaning products. All water-holding facilities will be drained, and all structures and conduits carefully cleaned.
The fountain season at VDNH lasted five months, ending on 1 October. All fountains on VDNH grounds stand to be winterised and conserved for the winter within a month. But there will be more work to do during the winter. Hydraulic engineers will perform routine checkups and repair the pumps, electrical equipment, illumination, filters and jet-forming features as necessary.
Friendship of Peoples is one of the most readily recognised fountains on VDNH park grounds. It was architected in 1954 by Konstantin Topuridze and Grigory Konstantinovsky. The fountain was restored as part of the 2018–2019 VDNH revitalisation programme: its utility systems were revamped, selective sculptural features, mosaic décor, granite facing and some other parts replaced.