Ivan Vitali Fountain

The Ivan Vitali Fountain is a neoclassical monument with intricately carved stone figures and water displays on Teatralnaya Square in front of the Bolshoi Theatre. The installation features multiple sculptural elements arranged around a central water basin.

The fountain was completed in 1835 by Giovanni Vitali, an artist of Italian and Russian origin. Its construction occurred during a period when Moscow was undergoing major urban transformation, with many public squares receiving their modern appearance.

The fountain bears the name of its Italian-Russian creator and shows how European artistic techniques took root in Moscow. The classical stonework and water features reflect the taste that Moscow society preferred in the 1800s.

The fountain sits centrally on Teatralnaya Square and is easy to reach on foot from the metro station exit. Visitors can walk around the installation and photograph it freely, and the square tends to be busier when people are arriving or leaving nearby theaters.

The artist Giovanni Vitali later became director of the art school in Moscow and influenced multiple generations of Russian sculptors through his European techniques. His training in Italy and his work in Russia made him a bridge between two artistic traditions.