History of the Soviet Union

22 Amazing Russian and Soviet Era Structures

• Report rights infringement
• published: 30 Aug 2016
• views: 873

These are buildings and statues you won't see anywhere else in the world but within Russia including beautiful cathedrawls & statues. Subscribe to Talltanic http://goo.gl/wgfvrr 12. Yerevan Russia Cinema This unique structure was used as a two screen cinema and is located in Armenia. It was designed to be a cinema by the Soviets in the 1970’s, but it is used as a clothing bazaar today. 11. Ostankino Tower A jewel of Soviet engineering at the time of it’s completion in 1967, this television and radio tower was the tallest freestanding structure in the world until 1976. While it is now the 8th tallest freestanding structure in the world, it remains the largest freestanding structure in Europe. The tower caught fire in August of 2000 killing 3 firefighters and one lift operator. The fire knocked out almost all television broadcasts in Moscow and the surrounding regions. 10. Smolny Convent Located on the bank of the River Neva in Saint Petersburg, this convent consists of the Smolny Cathedral and a complex of building surrounding it. The church was closed by the Soviets in 1923 and was allowed to decay until 1982 when it was converted into a concert hall. The surrounding buildings are currently used to house various government and educational institutions. 9. New Jerusalem Monastery Founded in 1656 by Patriarch Nikon on the outskirts of Moscow, a site chosen for its resemblance to the Holy Land, it was intended to represent the multinational Orthodoxy of Heavenly Jerusalem. The site was closed down in 1918 and the German army ransacked the monastery in 1941, blowing up its unique great belfry and cathedral before their retreat. It was only re-established as a religious community in the 1990’s. 8. Fyodor Dostoevsky Novgorod Theater In an effort to stop mass migration in the 1960’s, the Soviet government decreed that any city with over 200,000 inhabitants were required to build a theater. In response the Russian city of Novgorod built this unique monstrosity in the center of its town. 7. Mayakovskaya Metro Station This metro station is located 108 feet beneath the surface of central Moscow, and it is considered to be one of the most beautiful and famous Metro stations in the world. It became famous during World War 2 when it was used as an air shelter and was also a place where Joseph Stalin would take residence. 6. Red Banner Textile Factory This structure was designed by German Erich Mendelsohn in 1925. It was the first time the USSR had asked a foreign architect to design something in the communist state. While it is no longer used as a textile factory, it is still partially in use as storage space. 5. The Motherland Calls When it was erected in 1967 this statue was the largest free-standing statue in the world, towering 170 feet high. 200 steps lead to its base, representing the 200 day battle of Stalingrad during World War 2. As impressive as this structure is, it is in dire need of repairs. The statue is slowly tilting and has reached a point where it could collapse at any moment. 4. Fort Alexander This amazing structure is a naval fortress located on an artificial island in the Gulf of Finland near St. Petersburg. The fort was used as a research laboratory on plague and other diseases from 1899 to 1917, after which it was primarily used as storage facilities and a repair shop by the navy. The fort was stripped to the bone and abandoned in 1983 and became a popular location for rave parties in the 1990’s and early 2000’s. 3. Historical and Ethnographic Museum on Sulaiman-Too Mountain Located in Kyrgyzstan, this cave on the side of a hill was converted into a museum that was built by the Soviet Union in 1978. It was initially planned to be used as a restaurant, but is now one of the largest museums in Kyrgyzstan. 2. Peterhof Palace Peter the Great ruled the Russian Empire from 1682 until his death in 1725. During his rule Peter traveled to Versailles and was impressed by the city’s architecture. The impression the city left on the ruler inspired Peterhof Palace or the Russian Versailles, which Peter started building in 1714. One of it’s most famous attributes is its vast assortment of decorative fountains that are adorned with magnificent bronze statues. 1. Saint Basil’s Cathedral Probably the most recognizable structure in Russia, Saint Basil’s Cathedral is located in Red Square in Moscow. This beautiful landmark was constructed on the orders of Ivan the Terrible from 1555-1561. Now a museum, it was originally built to be a church but was confiscated from the Russian Orthodox community by the Soviet State as a part of their anti-theist campaigns in 1928.