Сталинские небоскребы: от Дворца Советов к высотным зданиям

The book by the well-known Muscovite Alexander Vaskin is dedicated to Stalinist architecture and its specific embodiment - the so-called Stalinist skyscrapers in Moscow. From "mastering the classical heritage" of Ancient Greece and Ancient Rome, through "using the traditions of Russian national architecture" to fighting "embellishments and excesses" - such a winding path was passed by Soviet architecture in just a few decades of the last century, which are commonly called the Stalin era. The book contains the most interesting details of the creation of the project of the first Stalinist skyscraper - the Palace of Soviets, which was built on Volkhonka, on the site of the Cathedral of Christ the Savior demolished in 1931. The temple was demolished on the initiative of Joseph Stalin, who was enthusiastically supported by the architect Boris Iofan, the author of the project for the Palace of Soviets. From different points of view, the question is considered why the Palace of Soviets was not built. It also tells about a kind of competition that unfolded in the 1930s. between Stalin and Hitler, for the construction of the largest palace in the world. The history of the construction of eight skyscrapers in Moscow, inspired by Stalin, is viewed through the prism of architecture, politics and culture. Where the eighth high-rise was supposed to stand and why it was not built. The transformation of high-rise construction into an industry producing skyscrapers for the entire Soviet Union. The use of fake decor for interior design of the high-rise building of Moscow State University. Arrangement of camps in Moscow for the residence of convicts building skyscrapers. Exorbitantly high costs for the construction of only eight buildings in the conditions of the most acute housing crisis in the USSR, and much more - Readers will be able to familiarize themselves with the content of historical documents: resolutions of the Council of Ministers of the USSR "On the construction of multi-storey buildings in Moscow", "On the construction of a new building for Moscow State University", "On the elimination of excesses in design and construction." Behind each decision are hidden dramatic events in the fate of many people. The book is filled with a large number of archival illustrations and contemporary photographs.