Spire of Moscow State University (MGU), Sparrow Hills, Moscow, Russia

            The 'Seven Sisters', Stalin's answer to the USA landmark skyscrapers of the 1930s, were built at key points around Moscow, to maximise their impact.

Each was designed according to Stalin's specifications, in a distinctive 'wedding-cake' style of a horizontally-extensive building drawing the eye to a central tower, with patriotic decorations and mouldings. Stalin also insisted that each be given a spire, in order to distinguish them from their American counterparts: super buildings for a super people.

At 240 m tall (182 m to the roof plus this 58 m spire), with 36 storeys, the main building of Lomonosov Moscow State University (MGU) is the largest of the Seven Sisters and the second to have been completed.

Boris Iofan, architect of the abortive Palace of Soviets, chose the location: 5 km from the city centre on the edge of the Sparrow Hills, an area considered to be a landslide hazard. He was swiftly replaced by Lev Rudnev who moved the site 800 m back from the slope and began construction in 1949. Proximity to the water table still threatened the stability of the foundations, which bear 40,000 tons of steel and 130,000 m³ of concrete; pumps are still in operation decades later. Its size was thus limited by technology and experience of working with such weights – far in excess of the US competition – rather than by political will.
The workforce, peaking at 14,290, included prisoners of the Gulag and German prisoners of war yet to be repatriated. To prevent their escape, they lived high in the tower.

Accommodating ~30,000 students in the one 1.6 km² building, with ~33 km of corridors and ~5,000 rooms, this was Europe's largest building from 1953 until 1990; it remains the world's tallest educational building. The tower contains such central facilities as administration, museums and a swimming pool, alongside teaching facilities and student accommodation, whilst the four radiating wings house further classrooms, accommodation and support facilities.

The five-pointed star on the spire weighs 12 tons and contains a small room and viewing platform.  Incidentally, if that gives you ideas: MGU is not open to the public.

Taken in: Russia / Moscow / Vorob’yovo (show map)

Taken on: October 21, 2012

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Sets appears in: • Moscow

Groups appears in: • Russia • Sculpture more » • MOSCOW / МОСКВА • Statues and Sculptures. • Moscow's Seven Sisters • MOCKBA • Architectural details and decorative elements • Russia in Photographs • Geotagging: Russia « less

Camera: Canon EOS 450D, f/7.1, 1/400 sec, 250mm, ISO 100 (more info) (hide info)

Camera:	Canon EOS 450D
Aperture:	f/7.1
Exposure Time:	0.003 sec (1/400)
Focal Length:	250mm
ISO:	100
Exposure Bias:	0 EV
Flash:	Off, Did not fire
Exposure Program:	Program AE
Exposure Mode:	Auto
White Balance:	Auto
Color Space:	Uncalibrated
Software:	Adobe Photoshop CS4 Windows
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