Moscow's changing architecture

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As we entered Moscow on the Moskava River, what surprised me most was the large number of modern high-rise apartment blocks under construction. These architecturally interesting and aesthetically pleasing structures are disbursed among the cold concrete-gray monotonous 8 to 10-story apartment blocks one associates with Soviet era social housing we have seen in other ex-soviet towns. Our guide tells us they are expensive, but as Moscow now has a large and growing economy, lots of people must be able to afford them. Judging by the large number of high-end European cars clogging the street, the guide is probably right.

After Red Square and the Kremlin, the cold war skyline of Moscow was dominated by the iconic buildings, known as the Seven Sisters, that are located in prominent locations throughout Moscow. Our hotel room, faces the Ministry of Foreign Affairs building, one of the group of seven skyscrapers built in the Stalinist style between 1947 and 1953.

Another, the Moscow State University, was the tallest European building from 1953, the date it was finished, until 1990. Located on Sparrow hills it has a prominent position in Moscow and affords a great vista from an observation walkway popular with visitors. We took the Metro to the university for a closer look. The Moscow metro in and of itself is a work of art. Also built in Stalin's era the stations are mini palaces complete with chandeliers and mosaics.

There are two hotels, the Radisson Royal Hotel (Hotel Ukraina-which we are told has an amazing view of the city and plan to visit today) and the Hilton Moscow Leningradskaya Hotel built in the same style and two were built as apartment blocks; the Kotyelnicheskaya Embankment building and the Kudrinskaya Square building.

Red Gates Administration building houses the Ministry of Construction for Heavy Industry. The building frame was built deliberately tilted to one side. When the frozen soil thawed it settled down- although not enough to be perfectly level. To try and correct this the builders pumped hot water under the structure. This worked too well and now the building tilts in the opposite direction.

The post soviet Moscow skyline is changing rapidly with several sky scrapers of varied and unique design that will soon become iconic rivaling the pickle in London. Our tenth-floor room in the Golden Ring Hotel also has a good view and the dining room on the 22nd floor an even better one.

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Photos

Moscow apartments for sale
One of many new apartment blocks under construction

St Basil's Cathedral
Red Square classic

Ministry of Foreign Affairs
View from our 10th floor hotel room

Apartments
One of the seven sisters

Mac Cafe
Breakfast at Mac Cafe, Moscow style

Moscow Metro
Splendid with chandeliers and mosaics

Moscow University
Another one of the seven sisters

Moscow's changing architecture
New business center under construction

Comments

[Judy Blagden]

Thanks for adding me to your blog - Moscow certainly looks interesting and I know Nigel would love a visit to the Metro which looks very impressive. Hope the rest of your trip goes well.