Charles River Editors

The Palace of the Soviets Charles River Editors

*Includes pictures
*Includes online resources and a bibliography for further reading
The Palace of the Soviets (Russian: Dvorets Sovetov) was an unrealized project for the construction of a high-rise administrative building in Moscow, to be used for sessions of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR and mass demonstrations. According to architect Boris Iofan's plans, the height of the Palace of the Soviets, together with the one hundred-meter statue of Vladimir Lenin, would be 415 meters. The palace was to become the center of the new Soviet Moscow and the tallest building in the world, symbolizing the victory of socialism (Khmelnitsky, 2006, p. 7). Designing and the beginning of construction of the palace marked the transition to the Stalin Empire style in Soviet architecture (Rogachev, 2014, p. 187-230).
In 1931, on the proposed site of construction for the Palace of the Soviets, the Cathedral of Christ the Savior was blown up. The preparatory works began the following year. The foundation of the palace was completed in 1939, but because of the beginning of the Great Patriotic War the project was frozen. In 1941-1942, the steel structures of the Palace of the Soviets were dismantled and used during the defense of Moscow for the construction of bridges (Kruzhkov, 2014).
Another competition for the design of the Palace of the Soviets was held between 1956 and 1958, and a new site in the southwest of Moscow was prepared for it, but the plans were never implemented. In 1960, the world's largest outdoor winter swimming pool was created on the foundation of the original Palace of the Soviets, and it lasted until the 1990s. After its closure, the temple was rebuilt (RIA Novosti, 2013).
The Palace of the Soviets: The History of the Proposed Administrative Center for the Soviet Union examines the grand designs envisioned by the USSR, and how the horrors of war indefinitely scrapped the project. Along with pictures of important people, places, and events, you will learn about the Palace of the Soviets like never before.