Recently I went to one of the most incredible excursions. Last year’s message that the businessman, collector and philanthropist Leonid Mikhelson decided to transform the territory of the former Moscow hydroelectric power station in the largest cultural space, of course, I missed.

But that I will have the honor (or not say, because I have been here only two tripper – Sergey Sobyanin and Leonid Parfenov) to see what happens on the most prominent site of Moscow, I never dreamed of. And especially do not assume that my guide will be the amazing Teresa Iarocci of Mavic! This woman, long ago fallen among the most influential people of artmire, also called (with admiration and a whisper, of course) as the gray cardinal of Russian contemporary art – solely for the fact that in addition to her work nobody knows.

Even at the University in Naples Teresa of Mavik started to study Russian – I wanted to read in the original his beloved Anna Akhmatova, and it is very significant that since the end of 80s the lady began to live in Moscow. On one of the Venice Biennale, she met with Leonid Mikhelson.

“I was terribly annoyed that Leonid kept calling and distracting, and I certainly could not hide the discontent, because we watched an art, and it is more important to me in many phone conversations. And the Russian pavilion (I didn’t know then that the company Michaelson – his main sponsor) spoke very directly,” says Teresa, who eventually became the head of the Foundation for contemporary art VAC, the founder of which, as you know, was Leonid Mikhelson.

Teresa (sorry it is a violation of safety – elegant hairstyle more expensive) holds is specially made for our trip spectacular construction helmet, and we find ourselves in the midst of what is happening today, the famous GES-2 on Bolotnaya embankment. In 1907 it erected Vasily Bashkirov – talented capital’s architect, worked together with the artist Victor Vasnetsov and on the legendary façade of the Tretyakov gallery. Today’s Moscow entrusted the transformation of the HPP in the most ambitious art-the territory of the Russian compatriot Signora Teresa – the Titan of modern architecture 80-year-old Renzo piano. In the list of his creations – the Centre Georges Pompidou in Paris. Then older colleagues Renzo considered this recognized the provocation of ill-mannered youth.

Arriving in the Russian capital, the indefatigable Signor Renzo thoroughly researched the area. “The first thing he asked, looking at the embankment in front of GES: “How to use the river when it freezes?” For Renzo as Genoese the theme of water is very important,” explains Teresa.

I know that from the West the building of the power plant will be completely hidden from the birch grove: 630 trees specially grown in Pereslavl-Zalessky. You return to the overview bridge, the new pier. But the highlight of the project will be a historic steel pipe – they will turn to wind turbines.

“In the heart of Moscow we are opening two hectares, which after reconstruction will result in the socio-cultural environment, surrounded by nature. There will be artists ‘ studios, a concert hall, exhibition and educational centers, the store’s collection of contemporary art. We’re going to do a program, using a variety of artistic languages. We are interested in painting, sculpture, theater, performance art, and film” – in the voice and gestures of the lady Theresa so much enthusiasm that no doubt: in 2019 all of us waiting for the unique construction of the Prime Minister.