Main building of Moscow State University, Moscow, Russia

The Main building of Moscow State University, designed by Lev Rudnev, is the highest of seven Stalinist style skyscrapers of Moscow. It is utilized since its inauguration as headquarters of the Lomonosov Moscow State University.

The skyscraper has 36 levels in its central part and is 240 metres tall. Its roof is topped by a 57-metre spire which ends with a 12-ton five-pointed star. Lateral towers are lower than the central one; two 18 and 9 storey dormitory wings define, with the central corpus of the complex, a cour d'honneur courtyard.

The leading architect Boris Iofan bid for the skyscraper project in 1947 but the job was assigned to Lev Rudnev, because Iofan made a mistake placing his draft skyscraper right on the edge of Sparrow Hills, a site concerned with a potential landslide hazard. He set the building 800 meters away from the cliff.

The main tower, which consumed over 40,000 tons of steel for its framework and 130,000 cubic metres of concrete, was inaugurated on September 1, 1953. At 240 metres tall, it was the 7th tallest building of the world and also the tallest in Europe. Its European record lasted up to 1988, when it was surpassed by MesseTurm. It is still the tallest educational building in the world.

Moscow University is probably the best known of Lev Rudnev buildings, for which he was awarded the Stalin Prize in 1949. The University skyline inspired various buildings in the socialist countries, like the Palace of Culture and Science in Warsaw, and also the logo of 1980 Moscow Olympic Games.

References:

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User Reviews

Avinash Walton (2 years ago)
Best Public University in Moscow for international students! ✍️

John (3 years ago)
Wowza! Fantastic place to visit - tourists are not allowed in the buildings (student ID is required) but walking around the campus and absorbing the beauty is highly rewarding too. Cannot recommend it enough.

ASAKAWA GODAI (3 years ago)
Visited here in September, 2014. The Moscow university isn't just a simple and common university. This magnificent cathedral-like university features its intimidating and overwhelming architectural design, making itself the attractive icon in this region. The unique design perhaps reflects local architecture style relating to Russian history as well as its way of building up culture. Unfortunately I don't have a deep understanding in this filed, but I can definitely say I love this nice design. When I visited here, somehow didn't try entering. So I have no ideas on what it is like inside, and how students here spend their time. Hope someone else reports them in detail here!!

Amit Verma (3 years ago)

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Main building of Moscow State University

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