The legendary Stalin skyscraper on the Red Gate

In the postwar years, grandiose construction projects were launched throughout our country. The destroyed cities were rebuilt, and in the least affected were erected the most real symbols of the great victory over fascism. Artistic buildings with a rich decor of the facades, executed in the style of the Stalin Empire, and today there are many settlements in Russia. Especially a lot of them in Moscow, and the most famous among them are the "seven sisters" - the first Soviet skyscrapers. Among them there is an administrative-residential high-rise on the Red Gate.

Skyscrapers of Comrade Stalin

With the Moscow skyscrapers built under Stalin, there are many different legends connected. According to one of them, the skyscrapers should not be 7, but 8. The solemn laying of the first stone was held simultaneously for all designed buildings. The date and even the exact time for these events was not chosen by chance - on that day Moscow celebrated its 800th birthday.

Some mystics argue that the laying of the first stones of the structures was carried out on the basis of astrological calculations. Whatever it was, the skyscraper on the Red Gate and 6 other similar buildings were laid down on September 7, 1947. For the construction of the skyscraper, the highest point of the Garden Ring was chosen. Thanks to this ingenious decision, the building visually looks even more large-scale and majestic.

Description and architectural features

The main architects of the project are A.N. Dushkin and B.S. Mezentsev. The house was commissioned in 1953. The hight on the Red Gate consists of three isolated buildings from each other. The central tower has 24 floors and is topped by a spire. Two symmetrical wings of 10 to 15 storeys on each side adjoin it. It is possible to get from one building to another only through a common cellar. Skyscraper, like other buildings of the "seven sisters", is marked by a gradual step-by-step layout.

The greatness of geometric shapes is emphasized by vertical pilasters going through the entire lower tier of the building. The facade is decorated with a large coat of arms of the USSR and other bas-reliefs with Soviet symbols. According to one version, in the original project the skyscraper did not have a spire with a star. This element appeared exclusively at the request of Comrade Stalin himself. Perhaps this is only a beautiful myth, but today it is difficult to imagine the legendary Stalin skyscrapers without bright stars.

The total height of the building is 138 meters. The central tower houses the Ministry of Transport Construction of the USSR. Residential apartments were occupied by outstanding workers of this and other organizations, as well as well-deserved doctors and teachers.

The mystery of building a house on Sadovaya-Spasskaya

In the left wing of the legendary building there is an exit from the metro station "Krasnye Vorota". This feature required the implementation of complex engineering calculations and the use of innovative technologies in construction. Part of the high-rise building was erected directly above the foundation pit of the metro station. To avoid collapse of the building at the time of its construction part of the ground was artificially frozen. But even this bold decision would not prevent the subsequent shrinkage of the building.

The skyscraper on the Red Gate was built with a slope. And after the natural shrinkage of the soil, the building deviated and assumed the correct position. This technology was very bold and risky for its time. Subsequently, it was no longer applied.

What is the difference between a skyscraper on the Red Gate and its "sisters"?

Sadovaya-Spasskaya 21/1 is the address of one of Stalin's skyscrapers, better known as a house on the Red Gate. It is worth noting that this skyscraper differs in many respects from the other six buildings. This skyscraper is the lowest among 7 "sisters". But thanks to the advantageous location of the house, this difference is visually invisible.

Stalin's skyscraper on the Red Gate can not boast of rich interior decoration. In its vestibules there are no theatrical chandeliers and mosaics. Everything is simple enough for a house of this scale, but with a taste and a moderate luster. The apartments are mostly two- and three-bedroom, differing by a small number of square meters and inconvenient layout. But happy new settlers could enjoy high ceilings, wooden parquet and standard furniture, ideal for the size of the room.

What is noteworthy, in most of the apartments there was a special room for the servant. There is in the famous high-rise and a small number of luxury five-room apartments. Once they were occupied by ministers and other high officials.

The height on the Red Gate: history and our days

For its time, the house on Sadovo-Spasskaya was distinguished by an ideally thought-out infrastructure. In one of the housing buildings of the skyscraper there was a kindergarten. The building has an underground parking. In the basement of the skyscraper there are shelters with all necessary equipment in case of emergency evacuation.

If you believe the legends, there is a Stalinist skyscraper, even a swimming pool with a large supply of clean water. Address Sadovaya-Spasskaya 21/1 can be found today in many tourist booklets.

What is the modern fate of the legendary building? In the central tower today is still the Ministry of Transport Engineering, the Transstroy Corporation, the Moscow Currency Exchange, the Bank, and a number of other organizations. The side buildings occupy residential apartments, and on the ground floors various shops and offices are open.

How can I get there and can I get on a tour inside?

Where is the Stalin high-rise on the Red Gate? Address of the legendary house: Sadovaya-Spasskaya street, 21. The easiest way to get here by metro. It is necessary to go to the station "Krasnye Vorota", the northern exit from which is directly in the building of interest to you. It is quite difficult to get into the central building - there is a serious security-access regime in the building. But residential buildings are allowed to guests, and sometimes some of the old residents even organize private excursions.