In 1971, during the height of the Cold War, we were surprised and honoured by a commission to design the chandelier for the new Assembly Hall of the Supreme Soviet in the Kremlin. Surprised above all because we didn’t find out exactly where the chandelier was going until it was time for delivery. Peter Rath, managing director of the company at the time, designed a monumental ring chandelier 12 metres in diameter. The enormous dimensions prompted us to collaborate with the Austrian Waagner-Biro company, which specialises in the manufacture of steel structures such as bridges. The structure of the huge chandelier includes, among other things, a small wagon for workers to ride in when carrying out maintenance and cleaning of the lustrous piece. The Cold War, however, did cast its shadow over the project: Though the foreman with whom Peter worked was from East Germany, the two had to communicate with each other through a translator, as the foreman either refused or was forbidden to speak German.