10 most famous buildings in Russia

Russia is a country of beautiful and outlandish architecture. In different cities you can find unusual buildings that embody antiquity or, conversely, modernity.

Today we decided to make a selection of the 10 most famous buildings in Russia, trying to choose the really best ones. Here is a monument of ancient Russian architecture, and late baroque, and much more.

10 Well House on Leninsky (Moscow)

Well House on Leninsky is a multifunctional residential complex in Moscow, built in 2010. Initially, the LCD was called “Vertical” and when designing it, the developer tried to take into account all the nuances.

The building cannot be called a landmark in the literal sense of the word, but it still strikes the imagination: 162 meters high, 665 apartments up to 200 square meters, ceilings 3 meters high, free planning, penthouses on the upper floors (more than 250 sq.m.) and much more.

It is pleasant to look at Well House from outside, and living in it is a dream of many Muscovites.

9. Smolny Institute for Noble Maidens (St. Petersburg)

Until the moment when the Imperial Educational Society for Noble Maidens (the former name) was opened in St. Petersburg in 1764, there was no female education in principle in Russia.

Later Smolny Institute for Noble Maidens became the first institution of higher education in Europe where girls could study. Thanks for this is the public figure Ivan Betsky, who took the initiative, as well as Catherine II, who issued the corresponding decree.

The Empress was a fan of progressive European ideas, so she decided that six-year-old children would be taken into society and trained for 12 years.

The charter of the institute stated that the parents, giving the child away, wrote a receipt stating that under no circumstances would they demand the offspring back ahead of schedule.

Catherine hoped in this way to “bring out a new breed of people,” as educated, well-mannered and ennobled girls returned home, who were supposed to change the situation by their example.

8. Tower “Russia” (Moscow)

Project towers “Russia” was designed in 2006 by British architect Norman Foster and the idea was chic: the tallest building not only in our country, but also in Europe – 612 meters.

Offices and residential apartments were to be located on 118 floors, and the tower itself would become the decoration of Moscow City.

Unfortunately, due to problems with investors and the ensuing financial crisis, construction was canceled as soon as it started.

Now this is the rare case when a building that exists only on paper is one of the most famous and discussed in Russia.

Interesting fact: for the first time, the idea of ​​building the famous tower was announced in 1994, and Foster himself initially wanted to build it with a height of 1 meters, but the option was rejected by Yuri Luzhkov, who at that time was the mayor of the capital.

7. Imperial Academy of Arts (St. Petersburg)

It was founded by Ivan Shuvalov, a favorite of Empress Catherine I, in 1757, thus creating the largest university in the Russian Empire in the field of fine arts.

In this form The Imperial Academy of Arts existed until the October Revolution, when it was abolished and transformed. In the future, it repeatedly changed its name, until in 1990 it turned into the Repin St. Petersburg State Academic Institute.

Interesting fact: The Niva magazine in 1870 published an article stating that the first rector of the Academy, Alexander Kokorinov, hanged himself in the attic, although officially he was considered dead from dropsy. This article gave rise to a legend that the ghost of Kokorinov can appear to the most unlucky students and reproach them for poor academic performance.

6. Golden Gate (Vladimir)

Golden Gate in Vladimir – a monument of ancient Russian architecture and a real pride of the inhabitants of the city.

They were built by order of Prince Andrei Bogolyubsky in 1164 and served as both a triumphal arch and a defensive structure.

In those years, the city had 7 gates: Irinins (another name is Orinins), Trade, Copper, Silver, Volga, Ivanovo and Golden. All but the last ones were destroyed or dismantled and have not survived to this day.

5. Mercury Office Tower (Moscow)

Tower “Mercury” is part of the Moscow City business center and is a multifunctional complex.

Construction began in 2005, and the skyscraper was commissioned in 2013. The height together with the antenna is 340 meters, which is 75 ground floors, 5 underground and a huge parking lot.

At the height of 67-68 floors there is a large media facade of 2 million LEDs, which makes it the highest in Europe.

This building was the first eco-friendly building in the capital: 75% of offices are lit by daylight during the daytime, and rainwater is collected for further use.

To make the tower as stable as possible, two independent reinforced concrete frames were installed in it, so even earthquakes of 6 points are not afraid of Mercury.

4. Grand (Catherine) Palace (Pushkin)

Building Big (Ekaterininsky) Palace was founded in 1717 in Tsarskoye Selo (now it is the city of Pushkin) by decree of Catherine I, after which two more empresses lived in it: Elizabeth Petrovna and Catherine II (the palace was their summer residence).

Throughout the XNUMXth century, the palace was repeatedly rebuilt in accordance with the wishes of the inhabitants, and its modern version is a late baroque style.

In 1944, the building was almost completely destroyed by bombing, but already in 1947, restoration began.

3. Moscow State University (Moscow)

Building Moscow State University was founded in 1755, although later it was reconstructed many times.

The main building, together with the spire, is 240 meters high, and the crowning star weighs 12 tons.

“Gigantomania” does not end there: in 1997, the French musician Jean Michel Jarre came to Moscow with a concert, whose performance took place on the square in front of the university. It was then that everyone learned two things: that the main square of Moscow State University can accommodate 5 million people and that Jarre is very popular in Russia.

2. TV tower “Ostankino” (Moscow)

The TV tower, located next to the television center of the same name, is the tallest building not only in Russia, but also in Europe (it is in the top 15 of the world ranking).

TV tower “Ostankino” was built from 1960 to 1967, which is more than an acceptable result for Soviet architecture of the 60s, given the height of 540 meters, which is equivalent to 120 floors.

You can not only look at the tower from the side, but also climb it and even have lunch: at a height of 330 meters, the Seventh Heaven restaurant is located.

1. Spasskaya Tower (Moscow)

The Kremlin Tower in Moscow, also known as the “Jerusalem Gates”, was built in 1491 by the Italian architect Pietro Solari (150 years later, the Englishman Christopher Galovei built on the Gothic top).

Previously, this place was considered holy: it was impossible to enter the gate on horseback, and men always took off their hats before taking the first step.

Now it is one of the main symbols of the Russian Federation, which all guests of the capital come to see.

If the tower “Mercury” or “Ostankino” can be ignored, then do not visit near Spasskaya tower – it’s like not visiting Moscow.