Fountain Mirror Jet (Glass Jet)
Mirror Stream is a gazebo and fountain in Kharkiv, the first symbol of the city. It is located along Sumskaya Street in Victory Square, opposite the building of the Kharkiv Opera and Ballet Theater.
General information
The Mirror Stream Fountain counts its history since 1947. Since then it is one of the most visited places in Kharkov among both citizens and tourists. Not a single wedding and excursion in the city does not do without a visit to this attraction.
.The fountain got its name thanks to the jets, which, bursting out of the bowl, form a semblance of a mirror surface. At night, spotlights illuminate the structure with different colors and shades every few seconds, creating the impression that the rotunda shimmers with all the colors of the rainbow. The fountain “Mirror Stream” is especially beautiful due to the tall snow-white gazebo standing next to it. All tourists without exception are photographed in it, so it is worth being patient to take selfies. They say that if you make a wish at night under the vaults of the luminous dome, it will definitely come true.
.History
On the site of the current square with a fountain was originally a city cemetery, then on it in 1701 built a wooden Myronositskaya Church, then built a stone church. As Kharkiv grew and developed, it occupied more and more space and had to abolish the cemetery on the territory of the church. During the XIX century, the Myronosositskaya Church was repeatedly significantly rebuilt and expanded, it “acquired” the second largest bell tower (after the Assumption Cathedral). Unfortunately, with the coming to power of the atheist government, the fate of the church was predetermined, and in 1930 it was destroyed.
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After the liberation of the place, the authorities thought for a long time what could be built on this tidbit of land (especially since at that time Kharkiv was still the capital of Soviet Ukraine). The authorities planned to build a “Theater of Mass Musical Action” on the vacated place, which would combine theater, circus and cinema under one roof, but with the transfer of the capital to Kiev, the grandiose plan remained unrealized. Eventually, an open-air trolleybus park was built on the site of the newly formed vacant lot in the 1930s.
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In the summer of 2007, by the 60th anniversary of the Glass Stream, it was reconstructed. Almost one hundred and fifty nozzles, two artificial fog units and a special regulation system were installed, thanks to which the “Mirror Jet” is now able to create unique water figures. The structure is illuminated by 135 spotlights, which at nightfall paint the gazebo and the waterbed in different colors and shades, making the fountain fantastically beautiful and truly mesmerizing.
.Interesting facts
- The Kharkov confectionery factory has been producing chocolates in gift boxes “Mirror Stream” with the image of the monument since the 1980s.
- On a hot day, up to 3.5 tons of water evaporates from the fountain bowl. .
- In Kremenchug there is a copy of Kharkiv gazebo with a spire in the park at the intersection of Moskovskaya and Mira streets.
How to get there
You can get to the fountain “Mirror Stream” by buses that carry passengers on routes #20e, 78e, 88e, 119e, 202e and 217e. The stop where you should get off is called “Nikolai Lysenko Opera House”. The exact address of the fountain is 40 Sumskaya St.
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