Moscow skyscrapers old and new: construction history and photos

2024 Author: Henry Conors | [email protected]. Last modified: 2024-02-12 02:47

These delightful monumental buildings, giving Moscow a unique look, still attract the eyes of visitors, evoke a sense of amazement and delight. But many of these high-rise buildings in the capital are already over 70 years old! The last 2-3 decades were marked in the architecture of the main city of the country by the appearance of new multi-storey buildings, which also received the status of "high-rise buildings".

History of the creation of the first high-rise buildings

The very first skyscrapers in Moscow are a complex of multi-storey buildings over 100 meters high, erected on the territory of the capital in the forties and fifties of the last century.

Initially, it was planned to build eight multi-storey buildings: in the very center of the city, the Palace of Soviets was to be located, surrounded by seven representative buildings in the style of Soviet monumental classicism. This trend in architecture is better known as the Stalinist Empire style. The number of buildings erected was intended to symbolize the 800th anniversary of Moscow, which was supposed to be celebrated on a grand scale in 1947.

This JanuaryIn the same year, a Decree of the Council of Ministers of the USSR was adopted, which allowed the construction of a series of architectural structures, which later received the name "Seven skyscrapers of Moscow", to begin. However, the construction of one of the buildings was never completed - the process was interrupted due to the death of I. V. Stalin. The legendary Rossiya Hotel was later built on the stylobate of this building.

Seven old Moscow high-rise buildings

Moscow skyscrapers are, first of all, buildings of the Stalin era. These include:

1. The building of Moscow State University, located on Sparrow Hills.
2. A multi-storey residential building built on Kudrinskaya Square.
3. A tall building erected in the Red Gate area.
4. Residential building located on Kotelnicheskaya embankment.
5. The building of the Russian Foreign Ministry.
6. Hotel complex "Ukraine".
7. The hotel known as Leningradskaya.

What is interesting about the skyscrapers of Moscow?

The location of the most monumental buildings of the capital allows you to see all the buildings at the same time. To do this, you need to climb the Sparrow Hills - it is from there that a stunningly beautiful view opens up, allowing you to admire all the tall buildings of Moscow at the same time. From Svobodnaya Rossiya Square, located in the Presnensky district of the capital, you can see four of the seven high-rise buildings at the same time.

The old skyscrapers of Moscow, included in the seven Stalinist buildings, have common features. These are buildings consisting of 17-36 floors, with a height of 136 to 235 meters. Facing blocks for everyonelegendary buildings were made at a plant near Moscow (in the city of Lobnya) using a special technology. The interior decoration of buildings is dominated by natural stone.

MSU is the leader among Stalinist skyscrapers

This majestic skyscraper is still a symbol of the city of Moscow. The Moscow State University building rises 75 meters above the level of the Moscow River, the spire of the architectural ensemble rises to a record high (310 meters).

In the project for the construction of the main building of Moscow State University, initially there was no spire. Instead, it was planned to erect a monument to Mikhail Lomonosov on the roof. However, I. V. Stalin did not support this idea, as a result of which the building of Moscow State University turned out to be similar to other skyscrapers in Moscow.

A tour of the huge university complex reveals that the main building houses:

• three faculties in such areas as geographical, geological and mechanical and mathematical;
• administrative part;
• an assembly hall with a capacity of 1500 people;
• scientific library;
• University Museum.

The sides of the building were designed as living quarters. A significant part of the teaching staff lives here, as well as hostels for undergraduate and graduate students of the university. The architectural complex consists of 27 different structures.

Modern high-rise buildings

New skyscrapers in Moscow can now be found in any areacapital Cities. These original buildings perform completely different functions. High-rise buildings house comfortable modern living spaces, as well as all kinds of offices, shopping malls and hotels.

You can highlight buildings such as:

• business center "Moscow City";
• Triumph Palace building;
• numerous residential complexes (Tricolor, Edelweiss, Continental, etc.);
• Gazprom building;
• Falcon Mountain business center and many other facilities.

The most famous architectural project of modern Moscow

The Moscow City Business Center (MIBC) is considered one of the largest construction projects in the capital. Buildings are being erected on Presnenskaya Embankment. During the construction of the Moscow business center, it is planned to combine such areas as business, accommodation and entertainment in one place.

The initiator of the project was B. I. Thor, who back in 1992 proposed to create an international business center in Moscow. OJSC "CITY" was established - a Moscow management company that performs management and control functions in the creation of a modern complex with the same name.

The most complex object of the MIBC is the "Central Core", which is divided into underground and above-ground parts. Under the ground there will be 3 metro stations, a huge shopping complex and a large parking lot. One of the metro stations and car parking has been operating since 2005.

The land area includes three functional zones:

1. Hotel.
2. Shopping and entertainment complex.
3. A huge cinema and concert hall.

The architecture of the city, thanks to this complex, was replenished with many other structures. The project includes such skyscrapers in Moscow as:

• Tower 2000 is an office building on the banks of the Moskva River (completed in 2001).
• Expocenter - exhibition complex (year of completion - 2008).
• "Tower of Evolution" - a multifunctional center (completed in 2014).
• "Empire" - a business complex (year of completion - 2011).
• Capital City is a modern multifunctional architectural ensemble (completed in 2009).

Of course, this is an incomplete list of buildings included in the MIBC complex. The old skyscrapers of Moscow delight local residents and tourists with their monumentality. From year to year, new buildings appear, surprising with their size and originality. Thanks to this, the appearance of the capital is changing for the better, acquiring more modern features.