Kotelnicheskaya Embankment Building is one of
seven Stalinist
Stalinism (, ) is the totalitarian means of governing and Marxist–Leninist policies implemented in the Soviet Union (USSR) from 1927 to 1953 by dictator Joseph Stalin and in Soviet satellite states between 1944 and 1953. Stalinism in ...
skyscrapers laid down in September 1947 and completed in 1952, designed by
Dmitry Chechulin
Dmitry Nikolaevich Chechulin (; , in Shostka – 29 October 1981, in Moscow) was a Russian Soviet architect, Urban planning, city planner, author, and leading figure of Stalinist architecture.
Life
Born in Shostka (Sumy Oblast, today in Ukraine ...
(then Chief Architect of Moscow) and Andrei Rostkovsky. The main tower has 32 levels (including
mechanical floor
A mechanical floor, mechanical penthouse, mechanical layer or mechanical level is a story of a high-rise building that is dedicated to mechanical and electronics equipment. "Mechanical" is the most commonly used term, but words such as ''utilit ...
s) and is tall. At the time of construction it was the tallest building in
Europe
Europe is a continent located entirely in the Northern Hemisphere and mostly in the Eastern Hemisphere. It is bordered by the Arctic Ocean to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the west, the Mediterranean Sea to the south, and Asia to the east ...
.
The building also incorporates a 9-story apartment block facing Moskva River, designed by the same architects in 1938 and completed in 1940. Initially built in stern early Stalinist style, with wet stucco wall finishes, it was re-finished in
terracotta
Terracotta, also known as terra cotta or terra-cotta (; ; ), is a clay-based non-vitreous ceramic OED, "Terracotta""Terracotta" MFA Boston, "Cameo" database fired at relatively low temperatures. It is therefore a term used for earthenware obj ...
panels in line with the central tower and acquired ornate pseudo-
Gothic crowns over its 12-story raised corners and center tower. By the end of
World War II
World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
, the side wing was converted to multi-family
kommunalka housing, in contrast to the planned elite status of the central tower.
The central tower, of a conventional steel frame structural type, has a
hexagonal
In geometry, a hexagon (from Greek , , meaning "six", and , , meaning "corner, angle") is a six-sided polygon. The total of the internal angles of any simple (non-self-intersecting) hexagon is 720°.
Regular hexagon
A regular hexagon is d ...
cross-section with three side wings (18 stories, including two mechanical floors). While it is not exceptionally tall or massive, the "upward surge" of five stepped-up layers, from a flat 9-story side wing to the spire, gives the impression of a more massive structure. The structure hides behind itself a so-called "Shvivaya Gorka," a hill with historical architecture and a maze of steeply inclined streets. Chechulin was initially criticized for complete disregard of this area, but his bureaucratic influence brushed off any criticisms.
Notable residents
Notable residents of the building include(d):
*
Vasily Aksyonov
*
Yuri Lyubimov
Yuri Petrovich Lyubimov (; 5 October 2014) was a Soviet and Russian stage actor and director associated with the internationally renowned Taganka Theatre, which he founded in 1964. He was one of the leading names in the Russian theatre world.
...
*
Konstantin Paustovsky
*
Faina Ranevskaya
*
Igor Shuvalov
*
Willi Tokarev
Willi Ivanovich Tokarev (; 11 November 1934 – 4 August 2019) was a Russian-American singer-songwriter. In the 1980s, he became famous throughout the Soviet Union for his songs about life as a Russian ''émigré'' in Brighton Beach, New York.
...
*
Aleksandr Tvardovsky
*
Galina Ulanova
Galina Sergeyevna Ulanova (, ; 21 March 1998) was a Russian ballet dancer. She is frequently cited as being one of the greatest ballerinas of the 20th century.
Biography
Ulanova was born in Saint Petersburg, Russia. Both parents were the so ...
*
Andrey Voznesensky
*
Yevgeny Yevtushenko
Yevgeny Aleksandrovich Yevtushenko (; 18 July 1933 – 1 April 2017) was a Soviet and Russian poet, novelist, essayist, dramatist, screenwriter, publisher, actor, editor, university professor, and director of several films.
Biography Early lif ...
*
Lyudmila Zykina
Gallery
File:030529-Moscow-IMG 0894-2.jpg, Kotelnicheskaya Embankment Building, Moscow
Moscow is the Capital city, capital and List of cities and towns in Russia by population, largest city of Russia, standing on the Moskva (river), Moskva River in Central Russia. It has a population estimated at over 13 million residents with ...
, Russia
Russia, or the Russian Federation, is a country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia. It is the list of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the world, and extends across Time in Russia, eleven time zones, sharing Borders ...
File:030524-Moscow-IMG 9825-2.jpg, Kotelnicheskaya Embankment Building, Moscow
Moscow is the Capital city, capital and List of cities and towns in Russia by population, largest city of Russia, standing on the Moskva (river), Moskva River in Central Russia. It has a population estimated at over 13 million residents with ...
, Russia
Russia, or the Russian Federation, is a country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia. It is the list of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the world, and extends across Time in Russia, eleven time zones, sharing Borders ...
File:Kotelnicheskaya Embankment Building 2014.JPG, Kotelnicheskaya Embankment Building, Moscow
Moscow is the Capital city, capital and List of cities and towns in Russia by population, largest city of Russia, standing on the Moskva (river), Moskva River in Central Russia. It has a population estimated at over 13 million residents with ...
, Russia
Russia, or the Russian Federation, is a country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia. It is the list of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the world, and extends across Time in Russia, eleven time zones, sharing Borders ...
File:Kotelnicheskaya Embankment Building in winter.jpg, Kotelnicheskaya Embankment Building, Moscow
Moscow is the Capital city, capital and List of cities and towns in Russia by population, largest city of Russia, standing on the Moskva (river), Moskva River in Central Russia. It has a population estimated at over 13 million residents with ...
, Russia
Russia, or the Russian Federation, is a country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia. It is the list of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the world, and extends across Time in Russia, eleven time zones, sharing Borders ...
File:Kotelnicheskaya Embankment Building (24394388734).jpg, Kotelnicheskaya Embankment Building, Moscow
Moscow is the Capital city, capital and List of cities and towns in Russia by population, largest city of Russia, standing on the Moskva (river), Moskva River in Central Russia. It has a population estimated at over 13 million residents with ...
, Russia
Russia, or the Russian Federation, is a country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia. It is the list of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the world, and extends across Time in Russia, eleven time zones, sharing Borders ...
File:Moscow - Kotelnicheskaya Embankment Building.jpg, Kotelnicheskaya Embankment Building, Moscow
Moscow is the Capital city, capital and List of cities and towns in Russia by population, largest city of Russia, standing on the Moskva (river), Moskva River in Central Russia. It has a population estimated at over 13 million residents with ...
, Russia
Russia, or the Russian Federation, is a country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia. It is the list of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the world, and extends across Time in Russia, eleven time zones, sharing Borders ...
File:Moscow. Kotelnicheskaya Embankment Building P5142338 3585.jpg, Kotelnicheskaya Embankment Building, Moscow
Moscow is the Capital city, capital and List of cities and towns in Russia by population, largest city of Russia, standing on the Moskva (river), Moskva River in Central Russia. It has a population estimated at over 13 million residents with ...
, Russia
Russia, or the Russian Federation, is a country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia. It is the list of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the world, and extends across Time in Russia, eleven time zones, sharing Borders ...
File:Tupolev Tu-160 overflying Moscow fix.jpg
File:Kotelnicheskaya Embankment building 01 March 2014.jpg
File:Kotelincheskaya Naberezhnaja Moscow.hires.jpg, Kotelnicheskaya Embankment Building, Moscow
Moscow is the Capital city, capital and List of cities and towns in Russia by population, largest city of Russia, standing on the Moskva (river), Moskva River in Central Russia. It has a population estimated at over 13 million residents with ...
, Russia
Russia, or the Russian Federation, is a country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia. It is the list of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the world, and extends across Time in Russia, eleven time zones, sharing Borders ...
File:Another day of Moscow (3067405533).jpg
Notes
External links
*
History of Moscow Skyscrapers
video from top of building
{{Authority control
Office buildings completed in 1940
Residential buildings completed in 1952
Stalinist architecture
Seven Sisters (Moscow)
Residential skyscrapers in Moscow
Skyscraper office buildings in Moscow
Cultural heritage monuments of regional significance in Moscow