These ‘Stalin’ skyscrapers are still considered one of the most magnificent and tallest buildings in several countries, next to the ‘7 sisters’ in Moscow, Russian Federation.
“7 sister buildings” is one of the most characteristic buildings in the Russian capital of Moscow, built in the years 1940-1950 under the idea of Soviet leader Joseph Stalin. Similar “Stalin-style” buildings were also built under Soviet projects abroad. Among them are not only apartment buildings, but also hotels, office buildings and even the Academy of Sciences.
1. Palace of Culture and Science in Warsaw, Poland This 187 meter high building (including the 270 meter spike roof) was built in the center of the Polish capital Warsaw as a “gift from the people of the Soviet Union”. Participated in the construction of the Palace of Culture and Science with more than 3,000 workers from 1952 to 1955. Initially, architect Lev Rudnev (who previously designed the main building of Moscow State University) planned to build the building. a more modest house, only 120 meters high. However, the Soviet leadership finally decided to build the massive building. At that time, the construction process was regularly reported in the press. 
Palace of Culture and Science in Warsaw, Poland. Photo: Nagy Gyula / FORTEPAN (CC BY-SA 3.0); Pannini (CC0 1.0). Today, inside this 42-story building, there is an observation area, exhibition galleries, office spaces, 4 theaters, 4 museums, Polish Academy of Sciences, movie theaters and even a swimming pool. Currently, this is still the tallest building in Poland. 2. International Hotel in Prague, Czech Republic Today, this 16-story building cannot be called a skyscraper, but in the mid-1950s it stood out in ancient Prague with its low-rise buildings. However, it is still one of the largest buildings in the capital of the Czech Republic. Inside the building was supposed to be serviced apartments, as well as government buildings, but later it was decided to build hotels. The interiors of the hall are decorated with mosaic paintings of Czech folk art and the Prague landscape. 
International Hotel in Prague, Czech Republic. Photo: Simon Legner (CC BY-SA 4.0). Up to now, the building still preserves a civil defense shelter that can accommodate 600 people. Currently, this basement is converted to a storage room for building staff. 3. Free press supply in Bucharest, Romania Inside this building built in the 1950s, there was the “Skynteya” Newsroom – the official mouthpiece of the Communist Party of Romania. From 1960 to 1990, on the square in front of the building there was a monument to Lenin. Before 2007, it was the tallest building in Romania – 92 meters excluding the 12-meter high antenna. The building is even pictured on Romania’s largest denomination bill of 100 Leu. 
Free press supply in Bucharest, Romania. Photo: Legion Media 4. The Latvian Academy of Sciences building in Riga The building for scientists was designed by Latvian architects in the style of Moscow buildings. This place is now home to the headquarters of the research institutes of the Latvian Academy of Sciences, the research centers of Latvian language and culture, and at an altitude of 65 meters is the observation area. 
1960s and present-day buildings. Photo: Naum Granovsky / TASS; Sjaak Kempe (CC BY 2.0) The interior of the building underwent changes in 1991. After the collapse of the Soviet Union, people removed all the “ideological” reliefs of Lenin and Stalin, and on the sharp roof removed the star shape. . 5. The Largo Complex in Sophia, Bulgaria Three “Stalin-style” buildings in the center of the Bulgarian capital Sophia were built in the mid-1950s for the public administration. The center court is the seat of the Communist Party of Bulgaria (today the venue for the meetings of the Bulgarian Parliament). In the next building is the Council of Ministers and Department of General Department, the other is the Presidential Palace, the Ministry of Education and the “Balkany” hotel. 
The Largo Complex in Sophia, Bulgaria. Photo: Legion Media In 2000, the Lenin monument was replaced with the statue of “Saint Sophia”, and the star on the sharp roof was replaced by the Romanian flag. 6. Buildings in Kharkov, Ukraine An apartment building in the center of the city of Kharkov in Ukraine is a true beauty spot. After World War II, the central Kharkov area suffered heavy losses. In the 1950s, on the site of war-torn houses, this building was built for turbine factory workers. Interestingly, one side of the gable was completely different from the rest of the building. Specifically, the building was built in the 1960s under the first Secretary of the Soviet Communist Party Nikita Khrushchev, who opposed cumbersome architectural styles. 
Buildings in Kharkov, Ukraine. Documentary photos; Vladimir Korsunsky (CC BY 3.0). 7. Exhibition Center Shanghai, China In 1955, in Shanghai, inaugurated the Soviet-China Friendship House. This building was built by Soviet experts, and the decoration was by Chinese architects. 
Exhibition Center Shanghai, China. Photo: Fayhoo (CC BY-SA 3.0). On the surface, this building is quite similar to the main exhibition hall of the USSR’s National Economic Achievements Exhibition. The author of the project is architect Viktor Andreev, who also designed the Moscow Pavilion. Currently this building is used to organize trade shows.
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