The Secrets of Stalin’s Skyscrapers

Did you know originally, it was planned to build nine such buildings? It was Stalin's intention to symbolise the strength and power of each of the planets in the solar system, to form some kind of magic circle! However, the central object of this mystical ring - the House of Soviets was never destined to materialise, as they had planned to erect it on the ruins of the Cathedral of Christ the Saviour, blown up by the Soviets. Stalin's skyscrapers are not just vast projects of brick and concrete, the fate of many people ended here, including architects, the German prisoners who worked as builders and their famous tenants - all inseparable from the history of each building.

During this fascinating tour you will learn:

• How the observation deck on Sparrow Hills came about, and what the relationship is between Moscow State University (MSU) and the Cathedral of Christ the Saviour.
• Which design features meant that surveillance had to be carried out on eminent tenants of the house on Kotelnicheskaya embankment and whose ghosts live here.
• Why one of the «Sisters» is not crowned with five-pointed star.
• How the Soviet engineers were able to «surpass America» ​​and solve the problem of skyscrapers swaying.
• Why the building at the «Red Gate» was built with a deviation of 16cm off vertical and much, much more.

For some, high-rise buildings are a symbol of the victorious proletariat and the Soviet past of our country. For others, they are a reminder of Stalin’s repression and cult of personality. Nevertheless, even today, Moscow’s «Seven Sisters» amaze us with their rugged beauty and grandeur. Let's remove the veil of secrecy that surrounds this Soviet mega-project!