Vysotki - Seven Sisters, Moscow

The Seven Sisters in Moscow consist of seven similiarly designed skyscrapers, built during the 1940's-50's under Stalin's instruction. They consist of:

1. Moscow State University (Constructed mostly by German prisoners of war),
2. Ukrainia Hotel (Tallest hotel in Europe, was tallest in world when completed, with over 1000 rooms)
3. Ministry of Foreign Affairs,
4. Kotelnicheskaya Naberezhnaya (Kotelniki Apartments)
5. Red Gate Square (Ministry of Transport, other Administration and apartments),
6. Leningradskaya Hotel,
7. Kudrinskaya Square (Apartment block, containing 452 flats)

The buildings are all impressive, it is worth while to visit some if you have the opportunity, to feel their dominance up close.

A couple of months ago construction of one more vysotka was completed near metro Sokol. This is block of elite flats called "Triumph-Palace". Now it is the tallest house in Moscow - 264,5 m. (And I guess in Europe! Commerzbank in Frankfurt is 257 m. Correct me if I am wrong). Next in Moscow is MSU building on Vorobjev hills - 240 m. "Triumph-Palace" is now in top 100 tallest buildings of the world (No.63) between Bocom Financial Towers, Shanghai and 120 Collins Street Melbourne pushing MSU one step lower to the position 126.


Sorry, I have not jet taken a photo of it. This is a photo of the scale model from internet.

My guide assured me that this was as "grand" a hotel as Grand Hotel Europe in St. Petersburg. Unfortunately I did not have the oppertunity to go into the Ukrainia to verify that asserttion for myself. While in deed Grand Hotel Europe in SPB is "GRAND" in an "old world" style on the interior, it' s setting in the center of "downtown" St. Peteresburg where the buildings are barely distinguishable one from the next all in a row, the Ukrainia easily far surpasses GHE in as an "artistic" statement on the landscape.

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The Seven Sisters are one of the finer points of Stalinist rule. In 1947, foundations were laid for the Seven Sisters as part of the city of Moscow's 800th anniversary celebrations, and were aimed at bridging the "Skyscraper Gap". Now they dominate the skyline in Moscow, whilst still being very beautiful. The magnificent seven are:

The Foreign Affairs Ministry (Smolenskaya-Sennaya pl. 32/34)
Hotel Leningradskaya (ul. Kalanchevskaya 21/40)
Hotel Ukraina (Kutuzovsky prospekt 2/1)
Kotelnicheskaya apartment block (Kotelnicheskaya nab. 17/1)
Kudrinskaya apartment block (Kudrinskaya ploshchad)
Moscow State University (Universitetskaya pl. 1)
Transport Ministry (ul. Sadovaya-Spasskaya)

Stalinist architecture you cannot escape and is worth seeing. The style of the seven sisters is unique although there are copies in Warshaw and Riga. It's worth going close to one, so you can really appreciate its dimensions.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs is one of seven skyscrapers that were erected during Stalin's rule. Due to their wedding cake appearance, they were nicknamed the Seven Sisters. We noticed at least three of them, from various points in the city, during our walks, but this one was the only one whose doorstep we reached.

Construction of the building began in the 1930s and was completed in 1952. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of External Economic Links and the Ministry of the Russian Federation are located in the offices. Although we didn't go inside, it is worth checking out one of these Sisters up close, to get a good sense of their awesome dimensions (172 metres high).

There are 7 tall buildings in Moscow built in 1950-s - so-called Stalin's Skyscrapers.

1. Lomonosov Moscow State University
2. Block of Flats on Kotelnecheskaya enbankment (on the photo)
3. Block of Flats on Krasnaya Presnya
4. Hotel "Lenindradskaya"
5. Hotel "Ukraina"
6. Ministry of Foreign Affairs
7. Ministry of Transport

All are worth to see, but first two in a list I consider to be masterpieces of architecture.

When you stand next to these buildings, they are very impressive. They look different from the side or the front. These landmarks are easy to reach. This one is just outside Metro Barrikadnaya. But you first see it from the side, for this view you will have to walk along the street and round the corner.

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Stalin did build seven other skyscrapers however, allegedly inspired by the Municipal Building in New York. They form a series of huge, cathedral-like structures with intricate exteriors, and are given various labels: 'The Seven Sisters', 'Stalinist Gothic', 'wedding cake architecture' and so on...

One of 7 Moscow's high-rise buildings -
on Kotel'nicheskaya is an apartment house - lots of actors live there

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Stalin did build seven other skyscrapers however, allegedly inspired by the Municipal Building in New York.

They form a series of huge, cathedral-like structures with intricate exteriors and are given various labels: 'The Seven Sisters', 'Stalinist Gothic', 'wedding cake architecture' and so on.