General » Interesting places

Seven Sisters

Сountry: Russia

Locality: Moscow

Established: 1947 - 1957

Seven sisters this are seven skyscrapers: Leningradskaya Hotel, Kotelnicheskaya Embankment Building, Red Gates Administrative Building, Kudrinskaya Square Building, Hotel Ukraina, Moscow State University, and of course the building of Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The distinctive feature of these sky-scrapers is, their architectural style of Socialist Classicism or as it also well known as Stalinist architecture. They were boiled with large scale and special chic. The skyscrapers are stands out from common Moscow architectural style and are visiting card of Moscow. Even if they are located around Moscow you can see they all together from one place, this is a viewpoint on the Sparrow Hills.

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Creation history

The idea of these skyscrapers was proposed by Joseph Vissarionovich Stalin. According to the decree “About the building the skyscrapers in Moscow” what was issued on 13 January 1947 was planned to build 8 skyscrapers in honor of 800th anniversary of Moscow. However, by 1957 were built 7 buildings. After the death of Stalin was stopped the building of the main Zaryadye Administrative Building. Later, on the foundation of this building was built hotel Russia. In 2017 instead of the hotel Russia was established Zaryadye Park. In 1922 was planned to build the tallest in the world at that time building Palace of the Soviets. The building had to be 420 meters in high. This building had to be built instead of the Cathedral of Christ the Saviour what was blown up in 1931. The building was started in 1939 but it was stopped in 1941 when the Great Patriotic War began. After the war, the building wasn’t continued and later in this place was built big Moscow open air swimming pool “Moscow”. Later, in 1999 instead of the swimming pool was recreated the Cathedral of Christ the Saviour.

How to find

As the skyscrapers are located far from each other, we would like to propose you very interesting walk around Moscow. To start this walk is better from the Kotelnicheskaya Embankment Building. For this go to metro station Kitay-gorod and exit to Kitaygorodsky street. Along Kitaygorodsky street go to Moskvoretskaya Embankment. On Moskvoretskaya Embankment turn left to Kotelnicheskaya Embankment and go till the Bolshoy Ustinsky Bridge. From the bridge, you will see the first skyscraper of seven sisters.

After the first skyscraper go along the Podgorskaya embankment till the Yauzskaya street and turn right. Along the Yauzskaya street go to metro station Taganskaya. By metro go to metro station Komsomolskaya (circle line) and exit to the Komsomolskaya square to the Moscow Kazanskaya railway. On the Komsomolskaya square, you also can see the monument to Melnikov. On the building of the railway you can see very interesting clock. Along the building of railway station go toward skyscraper and at the end of the building turn left. Here you can find the monument to Alexey Shchusev. After the monument again go along the building of the railway station till the Southern passage. On your way to the Southern passage you will find the monument to the founders of Russian railways. On the crossroad with Southern passage turn right and along the passage go till the street Kalanchevskaya. Here turn left and go along the street Kalanchevskaya to the Red Gates square, where you will find third skyscraper - Red Gates Administrative Building.

After Red Gates Administrative Building take a bus number “B” and go to bus stop Kudrinskaya square where you will find fourth sister the Kudrinskaya Square building. After that again take the bus “B” and go the bus stop Smolenskays square. In front of the bus stop you will see the building of Ministry of Foreign Affairs. This is a fifth sister. If you still have energy then go along the Smolenskaya street to the Borodinskiy bridge. Cross the Moscow river and along the Big Dorogomilovskays street go till the crossroad with the Ukrainian boulevard and turn right. Go on the boulevard toward the pedestrian zone of the boulevard. On the boulevard, you can find the monument to Lesya Ukrainka. On the boulevard go till the Kutuzovsky Prospekt. Cross the Prospekt and turn right and go along the Ukrainian hotel till the main entrance. In front of the main entrance you will find the monument to Taras Shevchenko.

Last sister located a little far from the rest of the sister. From the hotel Ukrainian go back to metro station Kievskay and go to metro station University. From metro station University exit to Lomonosovskiy avenue. Go along Lomonosovskiy avenue to the street Lebedeva and turn right. Then go till the street of the member of the Academy Samarskiy turn left and go to the main entrance of Moscow State University.

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