From the mast to the dream: how the scenery for "Scarlet Sails – 2026" was created
There are only a few days left until the main graduation celebration. After its revival in 2005, the famous scarlet sails will open for the 22nd time on the majestic ship to escort yesterday's schoolchildren into adulthood. While the organizers are putting the finishing touches and checking the readiness of all systems, Izvestia learned how the decorations of the holiday were created. According to their authors, this year they will exceed the wildest expectations.
Portal to the future
In a few days, the Palace Square of St. Petersburg will once again become the epicenter of a grandiose show, and the legendary brig Rossiya under scarlet sails will pass through the Neva River. Millions of graduates across the country and, of course, residents of the Northern Capital are waiting for this event every year. But in order for a holiday of this magnitude to be perfect, thousands of specialists are working on it in several cities of Russia at once.
By tradition, the decorations were created in Moscow. The work began last fall: first, the artists developed the concept, then engineers, 3D modeling specialists, milling workers, seamstresses and painters joined the business. Each element was carefully worked out to impress the audience not only with its scale, but also with its artistic intent.
The production designer of the concert part of the festival, Nikolai Orlov, turned to the aesthetics of the Russian avant-garde and constructivism. This year, the building area has almost doubled compared to last season. Now it occupies about 2,300 square meters. m is 75 m wide and more than 30 m high. The total area of the screens exceeds 1 thousand square meters. m. Two independent sloping roofs have become one of the main engineering solutions.
— This is quite a complex engineering study to take into account and align all the elements. It is the tilt and complete independence of the structures that is their most interesting feature," said Anna Yoda, production manager of the concert part of the alumni celebration "Scarlet Sails — 2026".
The details of the registration are still kept secret. However, Nikolai Orlov revealed to Izvestia the main idea of the set design.
— This year's stage will be a collective image of the portal, combining elements of the platform, station, port and pier. It is a portal that connects the city of the present, the past and the future. It symbolizes the beginning of a long journey towards the realization of a dream. Based on the traditions of the Russian avant—garde and constructivism, we are creating a space that looks to the future," said the production designer.
The next station is a dream
The organizers are preparing a multi-layered show in which music, drama, set design, lighting, video art and interactive elements will merge into a single story about a dream, growing up and choosing your own path. But before this story comes to life on stage, every element of it goes through a long and painstaking preparation.
The props promise to be no less impressive. Two tons of metal were used for its manufacture alone. It took 6.5 km of pipes of various profiles with a total weight of 6.5 tons to build the stage. It is precisely such structures that make it possible to embody the most daring ideas of the Scarlet Sails artists.
— Our engineers try to lighten the structures as much as possible to make it easier for the artists to work and move around the stage. We use modern 3D cutting, CNC milling, composite materials, foam, special enamels. All the elements are mobile and appear at the most unexpected moments for the audience,— said Nikolai Orlov.
One of the key elements of the show will be the train. It will not just be an artistic image of a life's journey, but a real carriage with a length of 15 m. That is, almost life-size!
Several hundred people worked on its creation. First, the specialists developed the project, then they manufactured the structure, sanded it, painted it, installed lighting, installed sliding doors and put the car on rails. Some parts were printed on a 3D printer.
To deliver this large-scale structure from the Moscow workshop to the Palace Square, the train was disassembled into 16 parts, loaded into special trucks and transported to St. Petersburg. Then, over the course of five days, it was reassembled and all the mechanisms were tested so that during the holiday the car would move at a precisely adjusted speed.
But this is only a small part of the prepared surprises.
From school
The concept of this year's concert is based around the main idea: a dream is not an abstract desire, but a path that a person follows throughout his life. That is why the plot of the show will unfold like a great journey — from childhood and school memories to the first serious decisions and the exit into adulthood.
The journey through the "City of Dreamers" will begin with school years. The authors of the concert will recreate on the Palace Square the atmosphere of courtyards, corridors and classrooms familiar to every graduate — places where the first dreams are born, real friends appear, the first confessions happen and important decisions are made.
— There they fell in love, made friends, discussed important things and shared their dreams, returned to classes, listened to their favorite music, met their favorite teachers and continued to dream. Because the dream does not disappear anywhere — it always lives inside us," said Tatiana Troshneva, director of the concert part of the alumni celebration "Scarlet Sails — 2026".
Viewers will also hear the stories of people from different regions of Russia who once, like today's graduates, stood on the threshold of adulthood and made plans for the future. According to Felix Mikhailov, the artistic director and chief director of the concert part of the festival, these stories should help the children feel like they are part of a huge country where millions of people share their hopes and are ready to support them.
— So that they understand that they are not alone. There are not just thousands of them on Palace Square, but millions of them all over Russia," Mikhailov emphasized.
"Scarlet Sails" has long been much more than a beautiful performance. This is a celebration of those who are not afraid to dream, take the first step towards the future and believe that the wildest plans can become reality.
That is why, having appeared in 1968, the holiday managed to survive a long break after 1979 and return in the new century. In 2005, Scarlet Sails was revived on the initiative of ROSSIYA Joint Stock Bank, the Government of St. Petersburg and Channel Five.
For two decades, the holiday has gained recognition on the international stage, has been awarded prestigious professional awards and has won the love of millions of viewers. But his main achievement is not records and awards, but the ability to remind yesterday's students from year to year: great achievements always begin with a dream.
It is with this thought in mind that thousands of graduates will gather again on the Palace Embankment to watch the brig Rossiya spread its scarlet sails over the Neva River. For each of them, this evening will not only be a farewell to school, but also a symbol of the beginning of their own path — a path on which a dream turns into a goal, and then into reality.
Переведено сервисом «Яндекс Переводчик»
