Description

The accompanying photo features one of the seven behemothic structures towering above Moscow's city center. They were ordered by Stalin in 1947 in an attempt to add a little Soviet grandeur to the city's skyline. Their soaring gothic spires are haunting from a distance and overwhelming at close quarters. The most prominent of the seven is the building of the Moscow State University, a 36-storey beast standing 240 meters tall and topped by a 12-ton star.Other impressive examples include the Hotel Ukraina at Kutuzovskii Prospekt,2, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs building at Smolenskaia-Sennaia Ploshchad', 32/34.