 The fountain became the first hydro-engineering structure at Podil.Not far form Kontraktova Square at Podil was located Zhytniy (Rye) Fairgrounds that existed at least since the 15th century and where was located the main Roman Catholic cathedral Kosciol of Virgin Mary.Before the Great Podil fire of 1811 it was the most populous neighborhood of the city with 2,068 houses out of 3,672 dwellings in all of Kyiv.