The main building of Moscow State University was not so long ago the tallest in Moscow; the height, together with the spire and the star, reaches 235 meters. It is one of the seven Stalin skyscrapers in Moscow. The main building of Moscow State University, or as it is sometimes called the high-rise of Moscow State University, occupies the highest geographical point above the Moscow River and to this day retains the value of one of the largest verticals of the capital.
It was the construction of a high-rise building on the Sparrow Hills that gave a powerful impetus to the development of the south-west of Moscow. Together with the Main building of the Stalin skyscraper, other buildings, alleys and parks, avenues and streets of the adjacent areas of Moscow were designed and built.
Initially, the Main Building of Moscow State University was designed by B. Iofan, who was the architect of the Palace of Soviets. According to the town-planning plan, it was supposed to orient all eight skyscrapers of Moscow exactly at the Palace of Soviets.
B. Iofan, using the same methods as when designing the Palace of Soviets, planned to place a sculpture of Mikhail Lomonosov on the roof of the skyscraper, and the skyscraper itself on the very edge of the Sparrow Hills. Joseph Stalin did not agree with such a project and B. Iofan was removed from work on the project a couple of days before the completion of the last drawings.
The architectural project that met all the insistence of I. Stalin was developed by L. Rudnev. The new team of architects was able to erect the Main Building of Moscow State University within the originally set time frame.
Experimental verification
L. Rudnev in his project provided that the Main Building of Moscow State University would be located 300 meters further from the edge of the slope descending to the Moscow River. The complexity of the situation lay in the fact that none of the architects, including L. Rudnev himself, could be sure that the Main Building of Moscow State University would not be lost behind the trees and the last floors of other houses.
It was decided to test everything experimentally. Balloons left over from the air defense of Moscow during the Great Patriotic War were lifted into the air over Vorobyovo Gory.
Each of the balloons was raised to the appropriate height: 240 meters to indicate the height of the central volume of the building, the rest to indicate the 9 and 18-storey buildings. Architects and photographers, being in various parts of Moscow, recorded the visibility of balloons. And so it was proved that the silhouette of the Main Building of Moscow State University will be visible from afar from various points in Moscow.
In 1953, the State Construction Commission accepted the building of Moscow State University and the campus, which included a botanical garden, several dozen ponds for breeding selective fish varieties, 2 sports complexes with swimming pools and many administrative and technical buildings.
The Soviet press wrote that the Main Building of Moscow State University was built by the hands of 3 thousand young Komsomol members - participants in the Stakhanov movement. In fact, much more people worked on the construction of a skyscraper.
In connection with the work on the construction of the Main Building of Moscow State University in the late 40s, a decision was signed in the bowels of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the USSR on the parole of more than 4 thousand convicts related to construction specialties. They worked on the construction of a skyscraper on Sparrow Hills until the end of the term, and sometimes longer.
During the years of completion of construction work, it was decided, in order to save money and time, to move the places for the prisoners' housing directly to the construction site. The new camp site was located on the 24th and 25th floors of the Main Building of Moscow State University under construction. This action was also justified from the point of view of security: prisoners placed at a height of more than 120 meters did not require protection, they had nowhere to run physically.
However, one day an emergency occurred at the construction site due to the disappearance of 2 prisoners. After the shift, the guards did not count them. Clearly realizing that the fact of the escape of the prisoners would cost many posts, and for some even freedom, all the guards were raised to their feet in alarm.
For several hours, the fugitives were searched until they were found in a glass star. As it turned out, they did not hear the end signal and continued to work, according to another version, they just played cards.
Sparrow Hills
Sparrow Hills became a stronghold of learning at the end of the 17th century, when the first school in Russia was opened in the Spaso-Preobrazhensky Monastery on Sparrow Hills, where it became possible to study Slavic and Greek languages. Later, this school turned into the Slavic-Greek-Latin Academy - the predecessor of Moscow State University.
Sparrow Hills has long attracted interest from the authorities. Starting from the 17th century, one of the royal palaces stood on Sparrow Hills. And later, in the 19th century, the territory of the Sparrow Hills was assigned for the construction of the Cathedral of Christ the Savior according to the original project, the architect of which was A. Vitberg.
Work began in 1823, but was stopped due to the peculiarities of the soil - a landslide slope with an extensive network of springs. And the second problem was the impossibility of delivering the stone because of the extremely low level of the Moskva River in this area.
Just like B. Iofan, architect A. Vitberg was removed from construction, accused of embezzlement and exiled to Vyatka. The territory in the Volkhonka area next to the Kremlin was chosen as a new site for the construction of the Cathedral of Christ the Savior.
The temple was built according to the project of the new architect K. Ton for almost 40 years. But less than half a century, the Cathedral of Christ the Savior was destroyed by an explosion for the construction of the Palace of Soviets in its place according to the project of the same B. Iofan. Again, the project never materialised.
Expansion of Moscow State University. Lomonosov
Initially, the Main Building of Moscow State University on Sparrow Hills was conceived as a hotel. However, in the late 40s, I. Stalin considered that in the country that defeated the Nazi army, the level of science was very low, new scientific research was not carried out, and scientists were trying to primitively copy Western developments.
Doubting the strength of the leadership of Moscow University, Joseph Stalin proposed to make two universities from one university: in one to collect natural science faculties (physics, chemistry, physico-technical, biological, mathematical and soil-geographical faculties), and in the second - faculties of public (social sciences). ) Sciences (historical, legal, philological, and philosophical faculties). In the old building of Moscow State University, to carry out a major overhaul and leave it to the social sciences, and to build new buildings for the natural sciences.
Ideas to expand Moscow University existed before. In the 18th century, the university management turned to Catherine II with a request to allocate funds and a plot of land for the construction of new premises for the university on Sparrow Hills.
Unfortunately, the expansion of Moscow University took place much later, and in the old building on Mokhovaya Street near the Kremlin, Moscow State University met Napoleon, the October Revolution and survived the years of the Great Patriotic War.
Projects for the construction of new university buildings have been prepared and discussed since the mid-1930s. At first, it was supposed to locate new buildings on Hertsin and Gorky Street. In the future, a plan arose to build on the existing building up to 3-4 floors.
Proposals were put forward to choose a site in the area of Kaluzhskaya Square, since it was planned to build a metro there. For a long time, the position about the need to keep Moscow State University in the center of the capital, as the cultural and educational center of the country, prevailed. This is how the skyscraper on Sparrow Hills became a symbol of the new Soviet students in Moscow.
The main building of Moscow State University today
Now on the 34 floors of the building there are classrooms, an assembly hall, administration, a museum, a library, student dormitories, apartments for teaching staff, as well as a cinema, post office, shop, laundry, gym, etc. The skyscraper was conceived as a closed communal system. Students and teachers had the opportunity not to leave the walls of the Palace of Science throughout the academic year.
Today on the territory of Moscow State University there is a botanical garden with a beautiful arboretum, where excursions are held from May to October, the Palace of Pioneers of Moscow State University, the Museum of Earth Science of Moscow State University. Unique museum exhibits are collected in the Main Building of Moscow State University.
The Museum of Geography of Moscow State University occupies the 29th and 32nd floors of the Main Building. The 30th and 31st floors of the skyscraper are occupied by technical rooms. The 33rd floor under the dome occupies a large meeting room.
On the 34th technical floor there is a door leading to the spire, in which, according to some information, there was one of the operational posts of the KGB to monitor the situation in the center of the capital, including the routes of movement of top officials of the state.
Due to the hasty reworking of the architectural plan by B. Iofan himself, miscalculations during design and construction could not be avoided. Fountains on the square in front of the main entrance to the building appeared in connection with the need for a ventilation system, which the builders and architects simply forgot about.
Fountains and flowerbeds mask the huge air intakes, and the tunnels below them leading to air purification plants. By the way, through these tunnels you can quietly go around all the buildings of the complex, and look into the dining room or audience.
According to rumors, during the construction and decoration of the Main Building of Moscow State University, materials collected from the ruins of the German Reichstag were used, in particular, pink marble and unusually dark granite are often mentioned. It is only known for certain that captured German ventilation mechanisms are used in the ventilation system, and surprisingly, many of them still work fine.
The spire and star of the skyscraper on Sparrow Hills have been sparkling with gold for more than sixty years. Only now there is no gold and never was. The gold coating is very impractical, under the influence of atmospheric phenomena it will quickly become unusable, and therefore, in the construction of the spire and star, yellow glass plates were used, on the inner surface of which a thin layer of pure aluminum was applied.
Botanical Garden of Moscow State University, Pharmaceutical Garden
The Apothecary Garden of the Botanical Garden of Moscow State University has a long history. Long before the construction of the complex of buildings of Moscow State University, including the agrobotanical garden, the first Apothecary garden in Russia was created in Moscow.
At the direction of Peter I, at the beginning of the 18th century, behind the Sukhorevskaya Tower, by then standards, the very outskirts of Moscow, an apothecary garden was planted, in which medicinal plants were grown. Cultivated plants were used both for the preparation of medicinal formulations and for teaching botany to future doctors, chemists and gardeners.
The pharmacy garden has gone through difficult times. It was almost completely burned down in 1812, plundered in 1918. And until the 50s of the 20th century it was abandoned and packed. The revival of the garden was associated with the opening of the Prospect Mira metro station, which was then called the Botanical Garden. And in 1953, the Pharmaceutical Garden became a branch of the newly erected Agrobotanical Garden of Moscow State University.
The restored and greatly enlarged collection of rare plants was divided between the sites. Developing the new territory of the Botanical Garden on Sparrow Hills, the management of Moscow State University encouraged expeditions of biologists who brought unique seeds and plants from different parts of the USSR.
Model houses at Moscow State University
In the depths of the Botanical Garden of Moscow State University, you can find an amazing, almost toy-like structure. A small one-story building, which now houses the Botanical Garden division, gives the impression of an architectural misunderstanding.
The wall of the building is made of cladding panels of the Main Building of Moscow State University. It seems that for the construction of this small structure they used building materials left over from the construction of the university building.
However, no - this is not the result of the most severe savings in building materials. This small building is one of two model houses of Moscow State University, used to demonstrate architectural solutions. The same materials were used on the model as on the facade of the Main Task of Moscow State University, including the granite lining of the plinth.
At the construction site of Moscow State University, not only the model of the exterior decoration of the Main Building was presented, but also models of rooms for students and professors. According to the project, students were supposed to live alone, but at a meeting in the Kremlin it was decided to place students in two in a room, since single living would have a bad effect on the formation of the personality of young Komsomol members.
The apartments for professors consisted of three rooms: a large corridor, a bathroom and a kitchen. There was even a small room for servants, in which only a small table and chair could fit. A full-size balcony was even made in the model house.
After the completion of work on the Main Building of the University, the department of flora of the Botanical Garden was located in the model house. Despite the past years, all the premises of the Main Building of Moscow State University have retained their nobility and solidity.
Preparation for passing entrance tests to all faculties of Moscow State University. M.V. Lomonosov, to other universities, for the Unified State Exam (USE), State Final Certification of 9th Grade Graduates (GIA) and an essay on literature. Enrollment of students in grades 11, 10 and 9 for the 2017/18 school year. Classes are taught by teachers
Moscow State University M.V. Lomonosov. High level of preparation of applicants.
Layout of Moscow State University buildings on the Lenin Hills >>
1. Main building of Moscow State University (Diagram of the Main building):
Rectorate (Sector "A", 9th floor)
Faculty of Geography (Sector "A", 17-21 floors)
Faculty of Geology (Sector "A", 3-8 floors)
Faculty of Mechanics and Mathematics (Sector "A", 12-16 floors)
Association of Classical Universities of Russia (Sector "A", 10th floor)
Swimming pool (Sector "N")
House of Public Services (Sector "B", ground floor)
MSU student house
Eurasian Association of Universities (Sector "A", 10th floor)
Institute for Comprehensive Studies of Education (Sector "G", 1st floor)
Cultural Center (Sector "A", 2nd floor)
International higher hydrological courses under the auspices of UNESCO (Sector "A", 17th floor)
Youth Council (Sector "A", 10th floor)
Museum of Geography (Sector "A", 28th floor)
Scientific and Educational Center for Computer Modeling and Safe Technologies (Sector "B", 2nd floor)
United Trade Union Committee (Sector "A", 10th floor)
MSU Department of Internal Affairs (Sector "B", ground floor)
Russian Union of Rectors (Sector "A", 10th floor)
Russian-German Institute of Science and Culture (Sector "B", 2nd floor)
Sanatorium-preventorium (Sector "E", 5th floor)
Council of War and Labor Veterans (Sector "A", 10th floor)
Women's Council (Sector "A", 10th floor)
Council of Young Scientists (Sector "D", 1st floor)
Dining rooms
Student Union (Sector "A", 10th floor)
Management of dormitories (Sector "B", 1st floor)
Educational and methodological association for classical university education in Russia (Sector "A", 10th floor)
Branch of the clinic No. 202 (Sector "E")
Franco-Russian Center for Applied Mathematics and Informatics named after A.M. Lyapunova (Sector "E", 1st floor)
MSU Media Center (Sector "A", 10th floor)
Technology Transfer Center (Sector "B", 2nd floor)
2. Physics Faculty Building:
Institute for Theoretical Problems of the Microworld named after. N.N. Bogolyubov
Research Institute of Nuclear Physics named after. D.V. Skobeltsyn
Faculty of Physics
3. Building of the Faculty of Chemistry:
Chemical faculty
4. Research Computing Center
5. Research Institute of Nuclear Physics named after. D.V. Skobeltsyn
7. Institute of Information Security Problems
12. Biological and soil building
Department of Biology
Institute of Environmental Soil Science
International Biotechnical Center
Educational and scientific center for retraining and advanced training of personnel in the field of ecology, rational environmental management and nature conservation (Ecocenter)
Faculty of Soil Science
15. Printing house
18. State Astronomical Institute named after. P. K. Shtenberg (SAI)
21. Institute of Information Security Problems
Mechanics Research Institute
27. Meteorological Observatory
29. Innovation and technology center "Moscow State University Science Park"
33. Academic building:
Faculty of Sociology
Faculty of Military Studies
36. Sports arena
37. Three-hall sports building:
Department of Physical Education
Training physical education and health center
40. Laboratory building "A":
Research Institute of Physical and Chemical Biology named after. A. N. Belozersky
44. Dining room No. 8
46. Building of the Faculty of Economics
Faculty of Economics
51. Educational building No. 1:
Higher School of Public Audit (faculty) (4th floor)
Higher School of Innovative Business (faculty) (5th floor)
Higher School of Translation (11th floor)
Higher School of Contemporary Social Sciences (Faculty) (4th floor)
Higher School of Television (faculty) (6th floor)
Confucius Institute (5th floor)
Institute of World Culture (8th floor)
Interfaculty Department of Mathematical Modeling and Computer Research (4th floor)
Faculty of Global Processes (11th floor)
Faculty of World Politics (5th floor)
Faculty of Physics and Chemistry (4th floor)
Faculty of Philology (9th floor)
Faculty of Law (6th floor)
52. Educational building No. 2:
Graduate School of Business (Faculty)
Institute for retraining and advanced training of teachers of the humanities and social sciences (8th floor)
Preparatory department (1st floor)
Faculty of Computational Mathematics and Cybernetics (6-7 floors)
Faculty of Further Education (8th floor)
Faculty of Teacher Education (2nd floor)
Center for Intensive Foreign Language Training (3rd floor)
Center for Social Sciences (4th floor)
53. Clinic No. 202, pharmacy
56. Dining room No. 10
59. Dining room No. 14
61. Higher School of Public Administration
Moscow School of Economics MSU
62. Nonlinear optics housing "
International Educational and Scientific Laser Center
70. Stadium
73. Laboratory building "B":
Graduate School of Management and Innovation (faculty)
Dining room
Faculty of Bioengineering and Bioinformatics
Faculty of Materials Sciences
74. MSU Archives
78. Baseball stadium
LP27. Intellectual Center - Fundamental Library of Moscow State University (Lomonosovsky Prospekt, 27):
Museum of History of Moscow State University
Science Library
LP27-4. Educational building No. 1 on the new territory (Lomonosovsky Prospekt, 27, building 4):
History department
Faculty of Public Administration
Faculty of Political Science
Faculty of Philosophy
MC. Medical Center
31-1. Faculty of Foreign Languages and Regional Studies (Lomonosovsky Prospekt 31, building 1)
31-5. Faculty of Fundamental Medicine (Lomonosovsky Prospekt 31, building 5)
Moscow State University named after M.V. Lomonosov has long ceased to be only the center of national culture and science. Its building on the Lenin (Sparrow) Hills and the surrounding area is a full-fledged landmark of Moscow, which every guest of the capital should admire.
History of the Main Building of Moscow State University
Without Stalin's skyscrapers, which became the face of Moscow, it is no longer possible to imagine the appearance of the city. They reflected the era and were a source of pride for both the Soviet government and ordinary citizens. The seven high-rise buildings also include the main building of Moscow State University, which for a long time was among the tallest buildings not only in Moscow, but also in Europe. It was built on the highest place in the city and is visible from everywhere, as befits the main Soviet and Russian temple of science. After all, it was science that was the driving force that made our country a leading world power.
The history of the new building of Moscow State University began in 1947, when, by order of I.V. Stalin, a decision was made to build high-rise buildings. A year later, several decrees were issued regarding the project. The first was adopted in 1948 - this date is officially considered the birthday of the university. The design and construction work was entrusted to the architect Boris Iofan. It was he who conceived the design of the main building, but due to a number of disagreements, the design was entrusted to the architects Chernyshev, Rudnev, Khryakov and Nasonov. The supporting system of the entire structure was developed by Nikolai Nikitin. He proposed new solutions that made it possible to build a high-rise building in difficult geological conditions and provide it with the necessary strength.
In 1951, J.V. Stalin personally endorsed projects for landscaping and road construction, general estimates, number of storeys, spire height and technical design. And, just 6 (!) years after the end of the most destructive war in history, construction began...
The opening of the renewed University took place in the fall of 1953. On the same day, September 1, classes began.
Interestingly, at the time of its opening, the Main Building of Moscow State University was a record high building by European standards. Its height exceeds 183 meters, and together with the spire - 240 meters. Interestingly, the university held this title for 37 years, until 1990. And until 2003, the building was the tallest in Russia.
For information: in the central sector - “A” - the rector’s office, mechanics and mathematics, geological and geographical faculties, the assembly hall and the administration are located. The side sectors are a residential area with student dormitories and teachers' apartments.
It is very interesting that in terms of everyday life the building of Moscow State University is self-sufficient. There is a library, canteens, a post office, a hairdresser, a sports center with a swimming pool, shops and an atelier. It is worth noting that the services and infrastructure of the Main Building (in local jargon simply “GZ”) are such that you don’t have to go outside for the entire 5 years of your studies.
Inspection of the Main Building of Moscow State University.
First of all, at MSU, the main interest is the building itself. Moreover, from the spire, topped with a star, which can be seen from afar, to the deepest basement. Both the cellars and the spire are shrouded in so many legends that it is impossible to retell them...
It seems that the star and the spire are covered with gold. But they were lined with more durable plates of yellow glass, which sparkles in the sun...
The main building of Moscow State University, both inside and outside, is richly decorated with many sculptural compositions. Famous artists worked on their creation: Georgy Ivanovich Motovilov, creator of the design of many Moscow metro stations, Sergey Mikhailovich Orlov, author of the monument to Yuri Dolgoruky, the famous Vera Mukhina and many others.
All sculptures and bas-reliefs represent science and enlightenment, as well as the abundance brought by education...
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By the way, there is a Museum of Geography at Moscow State University, which is located on the last 7 (!) floors of the building. Its extensive collection consists of thousands of exhibits. Among them - rocks, minerals, samples from the bottom of the oceans, meteorites. The museum offers interesting thematic excursions, including for schoolchildren.
There are also a lot of interesting things around the Main Building of Moscow State University. First of all, these are the buildings of the Physics and Chemistry faculties, built simultaneously. They stand on opposite sides of the square and are twin buildings. Between them there is a monument to Lomonosov, with which there is a curious story. For many years, Moscow State University students argued about which faculty the monument was closest to. Using a laser rangefinder, they calculated that the “victory” was for the Department of Chemistry. Naturally, physicists did not recognize the accuracy of the device as sufficient and the dispute continues.
There is a complex of fountains in front of the Main Building of Moscow State University. Classic fountains are also installed in the park near the entrance - urban legends are also associated with them. According to rumors, a secret underground city is located under the fountains.
A significant landmark of the Moscow State University territory is the Alley of Scientists. It leads from the Main Building to the slope of the Sparrow Hills. Along the alley there are granite busts of 12 great Russian scientists: N. I. Lobachevsky, N. G. Chernyshevsky, M. V. Lomonosov, A. I. Herzen, D. I. Mendeleev, I. P. Pavlov, N. E. Zhukovsky, K. A. Timiryazev, P. L. Chebyshev, V. V. Dokuchaev, A. S. Popov, I. P. Michurin.
One of the newest monuments at Moscow State University is the monument to construction brigades. This is no coincidence - the first student construction team was formed at Moscow University in 1959.
You cannot pass by the rich Botanical Garden - one of the most interesting parks in Moscow. It was created in 1953 for scientific purposes, and now the collection consists of 2.5 thousand plants from all over the world. You can visit the Moscow State University Botanical Garden only as part of an excursion. It involves getting acquainted with the arboretum, rock garden and collection of ornamental crops. There are also workshops on caring for plants and making floral card designs.
All these attractions can be seen by combining the sightseeing with a walk along the picturesque shady alleys. At the same time, it’s worth visiting the Vorobyovy Gory observation deck, from which the entire city and its attractions are clearly visible.
How to get to Moscow State University
The closest metro stations to Moscow University are Lomonosovsky Prospekt and Universitet. From each station to the Main building of Moscow State University it is approximately 1.5 kilometers and 20 minutes on foot. You can also go three stops by bus - routes 1, 113, 661.
By the way, the address of the Main building of Moscow State University is Moscow, Leninskie Gory, 1.
Moscow State University M.V. Lomonosov on the map of Moscow.
- Main building of Moscow State University;
- Monument to M.V. Lomonosov;
- Entrance to the Botanical Garden;
- Fountain and Alley of Scientists;
- Observation deck on Vorobyovy Gory;
- Monument to construction teams;
- Great Moscow State Circus;
- Moscow Palace of Pioneers.
Photos of the Main building of Moscow State University
The main entrance of Moscow State University is decorated with a bas-relief “The Creator People”, and bronze sculptures “Athletes” are installed on the sides.
The main entrance is considered to be the one facing Moscow. The opposite one is usually called “Club”, since the Moscow State University House of Culture is located next to it. By the way, “home” is a relative concept. This is the name of the complex of “cultural premises” in the Main Building.
The lighting of the Main Building is most impressive on a winter evening.
The building of Moscow State University is one of the iconic landmarks of the capital. "Kultura.RF" recalls interesting facts about the construction of the famous high-rise building.
Monument to Soviet Gigantism. Built in 1949–1953, the University was considered the tallest building in Europe for almost 40 years - only in 1990 it was overtaken by the Fair Tower in Frankfurt am Main. In Russia, the main building of Moscow State University maintained its leading position for 13 years longer: only in 2003, a higher building appeared in Moscow - the Triumph Palace residential complex. The height of the main building of Moscow State University, including its spire, is 240 meters.
Hundreds of millions of bricks and other construction records. It took 40 thousand tons of steel to create the steel frame of the building, and 175 million bricks to build the walls. It is not surprising that the same amount of funds were allocated for such a grandiose construction as for the restoration of the entire post-war Stalingrad. Also, it is on the main building of Moscow State University that the largest clock in Moscow is located: the diameter of its dial is 9 meters.
The struggle of architects for the right to erect the main building of the 1950s. Initially, the construction of the high-rise was to be led by Boris Iofan. He owned the first design of the building. But shortly before construction began, he was removed from the post of chief architect, and Lev Rudnev was appointed in his place. The reason for this replacement was that Iofan, knowing about the not entirely successful potential location of the building (he intended to build the building directly above the cliff of the Sparrow Hills), did not want to change anything in his project and was ready to take risks. Lev Rudnev turned out to be more compliant and moved the construction site 800 meters deeper.
Features of the architectural design of the main building. The building design consists of a central high tower, flanked by four lower buildings topped with turrets. The length of the longer part of the building is two kilometers; the shorter one is 850 meters.
The whole city in one high-rise building. The main building of Moscow State University houses the faculties of geology, mechanics and mathematics, and geography, as well as the administration office, a scientific library, the Museum of Geography and the Palace of Culture. According to the concept invented by the architect, the university complex included all the infrastructure necessary for students (libraries, post office, store, canteen, swimming pool, telegraph, etc.). Thus, the student who crossed the threshold of Moscow State University on September 1 could never leave the building until the end of the academic year.
View from the “crown of Moscow”. When designing Moscow State University, Lev Rudnev also provided several observation platforms - after all, in addition to the fact that the building was the tallest in the capital, it was also located at the highest point of the city. This place has always been called the “crown of Moscow”. The highest observation deck is located on the 32nd floor. In the center of the city's panoramic view is the Luzhniki Arena. On either side of it, Moscow City, the Ukraine Hotel, the White House, the high-rise building on Kudrinskaya Square and the Foreign Ministry building are clearly visible. A little further you can see the Cathedral of Christ the Savior, St. Basil's Cathedral, the monument to Peter I and the Shukhov TV Tower.
Alternative sculptural design options. Instead of a five-pointed star on a high spire, the building could be crowned with the figure of Mikhail Lomonosov or, perhaps, even Stalin. But this idea was abandoned - they thought that the spire with a star would logically connect the university building with other Stalinist skyscrapers. The star and ears of corn, created from yellow glass and aluminum, were made in the workshop of Vera Mukhina, as well as the rest of the sculptural design. The artist offered to install her sculpture “Worker and Collective Farm Woman” in front of the main building, but Beria refused her.
The color of Soviet artists and sculptors at the main construction site of the country. In addition to Mukhina, other leading artists and sculptors of their time took part in the design of Moscow State University - about 200 specialists. Thus, Pavel Korin became the author of a mosaic panel with flying banners in the assembly hall. Alexander Deineka worked on the decoration of the foyer - he created mosaic portraits of the world's leading scientists. Sergei Konenkov and Mikhail Anikushin made sculptures of scientists for the Museum of Geography. The author of the famous monument to Yuri Dolgoruky in front of the Moscow City Hall, Sergei Orlov, created bronze figures of athletes on the portico of the main entrance and the compositions “Youth in Science” and “Youth in Labor”, located in front of the main building from Lomonosovsky Prospekt. The main monument of the complex - to Mikhail Lomonosov - was made by the sculptor Nikolai Tomsky together with the architect Lev Rudnev.
Construction of Moscow State University as a stimulus for technical innovation. During the construction of Moscow State University, innovative technologies were used to create a foundation and a metal frame, which made it possible to build a building of such a grandiose height in conditions of problematic soil. Their author was the creator of the Ostankino TV tower Nikolai Nikitin. He envisaged such a design in which the pressure of the skyscraper was not on the lower floors, but was distributed over its entire height, which made the building more reliable and significantly reduced the cost of construction.
The building is the result of the labor of tens of thousands of people. From the side of the party, the construction was supervised by the Commissar of State Security Lavrenty Beria, which is not surprising: in addition to the Komsomol-Stakhanovites and military personnel, the building was erected by camp prisoners. In total, about 10 thousand people worked at the construction site, not counting 2.5 thousand administrative and technical personnel and more than 1,000 engineers.
The main building of Moscow State University is one of Stalin's seven skyscrapers. But the idea to transfer the Soviet skyscraper to the students did not come up immediately: initially, they wanted to place a hotel and apartments in a high-rise building on the Lenin Hills. In 1948, Joseph Stalin signed a decree on the construction of a new building for Moscow University. The author of the project was initially the architect Boris Iofan, thanks to whom the House on the Embankment and the Baumanskaya metro station appeared in Moscow. He designed the building in the form of a giant pedestal: according to the architect's idea, a monument to Mikhail Lomonosov was to be located at the top.
A few months later, Stalin removed Iofan from work on the university building. The newly created design group was headed by architect Lev Rudnev. The project was finalized, deciding to complete the building with a spire with a five-pointed star. The architects tried to emphasize the Soviet character of the building: a spire, a star and ears of corn, sculptures of workers with hammers and collective farmers with sickles. However, the new dominant of the Lenin Mountains still came out looking like a skyscraper Manhattan Municipal Building in New York.
All Moscow skyscrapers were founded on the day of the 800th anniversary of Moscow - September 7, 1947. During construction, students could see what conditions they would live in: the first Soviet showrooms worked at the construction site. The stages of construction were reported in an original way: on holidays, a star was lit at the highest point of the erected building. First on the sixth floor, then on the 12th, 20th and 26th. On September 1, 1953, students came to study in the new building. The Village visited Moscow State University at the beginning of the next academic year and found out how people work and live here.
Location: Leninskie Gory, 1
Years of construction: 1949–1953
Architects: Boris Iofan, Lev Rudnev group
Ekaterina Lapteva
Researcher at the Museum of Geography of Moscow State University
About myself
It can be said that I was practically born at the university - my parents worked at the scientific station of Moscow State University for the study of avalanches in the Khibiny. We lived on the Kola Peninsula for five years, and then left for Moscow. Here we got a cooperative apartment in one of the two university buildings in Konkovo, where I still live. She studied at Moscow State University and graduated from the Faculty of Geography with a degree in Cartography. Previously, you could get to the university in half an hour, but now the journey takes longer - you have to change three buses and the metro. But this is such a familiar path that I can walk it with my eyes closed.
I have been working at the Geography Museum since 1991. I came here as a cartographer: I made museum maps, designed large stands, and I was also good at leading excursions. So for almost 20 years now, every day I have been telling schoolchildren and students something.
About work
According to a government decree of 1948, which was signed by Stalin, the creation of a museum was envisaged in the Main Building. In two years, almost 700 scientists, academicians, and professors created and designed this amazing place. The Main Building houses only three faculties: geology, mechanics and mathematics and geography, and the museum occupies the top seven floors. Most often I work on the 24th, 25th or 32nd floor - sometimes we almost touch the clouds, it's so high.
I always come to work with joy, I feel very comfortable here. Students come to us almost every day to study: they study the collection of soil monoliths, geological samples, herbariums, and maps. Even the furniture here is adapted for group classes. Schoolchildren also come to us. The topics of the excursions are very different: the nature of the continents, oceans, plants, soils. The museum is made on the principle of hyperlinks: one topic seems to go into another, opening up and deepening. But without an organized group, you can only get to us during the science festival Nauka+0.
My job is to design exhibitions, prepare exhibitions and conduct excursions. But not one day is like another - the materials, faculties and guests are so different. For lunch breaks I prefer to go to the student canteen in sector B or to the diet room. But sometimes there is simply no time to get out, so we drink tea with colleagues. Sometimes I buy home the famous university pies. There are other shops here; if necessary, I use a pharmacy and a service center.
About the place
I have to walk around the building a lot, I know where the most beautiful and most comfortable places are. I love the audiences of the Faculty of Geography, the halls of the library. In the reading room on the sixth floor, for example, lamps with green lampshades, like in Leninka, still work. In the assembly hall on the second floor, I like the Roman-style mosaic by artist Pavel Korin, who participated in the design of the most beautiful metro stations. At the entrance to the building from the side of the Palace of Culture there are sculptures of young men and women. One young man is holding a book in his hands, and only this summer I read what is written on the cover. I thought that he was holding a physics textbook, but it turned out that “Lenin” was written there. By the way, there are a lot of symbols of Soviet power here. These are tiny stars on door handles where almost no one sees them. The bas-reliefs depict workers and students. There are also a lot of symmetries and symbols of natural sciences. These are physical and chemical devices, crystals of minerals, globes. The building is decorated with steel coats of arms on four sides; behind one of them is the nest of our famous falcon.
Everything large that is in this building was brought in during construction. On the 20th floors of the museum there is a stuffed moose, I think it was brought up here through the windows. Although there are freight elevators. By the way, there are about 60 elevators in the building, and when they were replaced with new ones in the early 2000s, we had to climb some of the floors on foot for almost two years. And nothing, no one complained. We still did the tours, even though it takes almost an hour to get to the top.
Peregrine falcons were brought here more than ten years ago, but in the end only one pair remained, which raised three chicks this year. The family really likes it here, despite the laser shows and street racers. Sometimes a falcon flies past us. In general, many birds fly through the Main Building of Moscow State University - this is the green zone of Moscow, they sometimes sit down to rest on our balcony.
Everything large in this building was removed during construction. There is a stuffed moose on the 20th floors of the museum, I think it was brought up here through the windows
Sergey Slobodov
Deputy Director of the Museum of Geography
About myself
In 1995, I entered the Faculty of Biology of Moscow State University. In 2000, he became a certified zoologist, then defended his Ph.D. thesis. My interests in zoology include jellyfish and polyps. This is what I did as a student and graduate student. I came to the museum as a researcher, but for seven years now I have been involved in purely administrative matters - the entire current life of the museum revolves around the deputy.
I work on the 26th floor. I use the canteen every day. There are at least five of them in the Main Building. There are professorial and student, regular and dietary. My friends from the Faculty of Biology and I try to have lunch together regularly - we get together and communicate.
The Main Building has almost everything: laundries, canteens, and shops. It is quite possible to live here without leaving for more than one week. I sometimes use clothing repair. I don’t go to the pool as much as I would like - you can come at seven in the morning and swim before work.
About the place
The only thing higher than our museum is the spire. The museum is located at a high altitude, and several features are associated with this. The first difficulty is just getting here. At Moscow University there is even a special vertical transport service that manages all elevator facilities. When people come to the Main Building, they are immediately faced with the question of how to get to this or that floor. You must not get lost, since all the elevators are distributed according to routes. There are only two elevators leading to us.
The next feature is complex engineering communications. And they are also dealt with by a separate service. I can say that almost everything here is authentic. Of course, the fire alarm system, for example, is modern, but the old red buttons to call the dispatcher are still preserved. In general, engineering communications are done quite interestingly. It is a pity that there is no centralized dust removal system, although there are still ports in the walls for connecting to vacuum cleaner hoses. The general system for maintaining temperature in the building is also not working. Although I don't know exactly how it was built, you can still see special devices in some of the offices.
Engineering communications occupy large spaces. There are entire technical floors both above and below us. Other inaccessible rooms include the basement under the building. The stupidest rumor is that the foundation contains freezing units for freezing the soil. In fact, the premises there were equipped for emergencies. In the 50s, a whole life support system was created, although I don’t know if it can work now.
The interiors are also authentic. We try to protect them. For example, under my feet there is parquet from 1953. All this is pleasing to the eye: no matter what mood you are in when you come to work, it always calms you down and brings you into balance.
All this is pleasing to the eye: no matter what mood you come to work in, it always calms you down and brings you into balance.
Marina Kuznetsova
Deputy Director for Production at the Moscow State University food plant
About work
I came here a long time ago. At first she was a technologist and deputy head of the sixth canteen, then she became the head of the eighth canteen, then she became responsible for the entire food plant. It is arranged in a very interesting way: there are 13 dining rooms and 12 buffets, which are located in different educational buildings. There are separate dining rooms for teaching staff.
In general, we have the same range of dishes. Only the dietary canteen is slightly different - the diet there necessarily includes boiled meat, poultry, broths and soups. But in general, we are creative people and do not work strictly according to a collection of recipes. Each production manager makes his contribution. We often host days of national cuisines.
I live far from Moscow State University and get to work by car. My working hours are irregular. If there is some kind of event, we can start at six in the morning. By the way, we also prepare mead on Student’s Day. It's a whole story. We take as a basis a recipe with various herbs, which Viktor Antonovich Sadovnichy once brought to us from Germany. We start preparing it two to three months in advance.
The plant has a website where we tell students about the news - that they have come up with a new cake or other dishes. The MSU initiative group regularly meets with our director. Therefore, all issues, including discontent, are resolved in a working manner.
About the place
University is a whole life. I spend here every day from morning until late evening. I haven’t worked in other food factories, but I know that once you get to university, it’s very difficult to leave. And I'm not the only one saying this. My favorite place here is the eighth dining room near the sports ground. And also the Botanical Garden. When lilacs or peonies bloom, you just can’t take your eyes off them.
I haven’t worked in other food factories, but I know that once you get to university, it’s very difficult to leave
How is life here?
Konstantin Romanenko
PhD student, Faculty of Soil Science, Moscow State University
About myself
The first time I got to Moscow State University was in the eighth grade on an open day. I don't remember the details very well, but I remember being impressed: marble, oak paneling, large rooms. Even then, I outlined my goal to my parents. I wanted to enter the chemistry department, but I did not go there. As a result, he entered soil science.
For the first two years I studied at the Main Building once or twice a week. And then I was here only for some administrative needs, not very often. After graduating from the specialty, I decided to go to graduate school, but only got in the third time. All this time I have worked and am working at least two jobs: now I am also an engineer in the interdepartmental laboratory of electron microscopy at the Faculty of Biology.
About the place
Graduate students are usually accommodated in the hostel of the Main building of Moscow State University. In general, the Main Building is 80% residential premises and only 20% educational and scientific. And therefore, when all sorts of bastards who love street racing start ringing their tires at two in the morning, it really pisses everyone off. Of course, we call the police, but that doesn't help.
There are two people living in the graduate student's room. These are such "coffins" 3.3 meters in height and an area of eight square meters. There is a table, two chairs, a bed, a secretary, a built-in wardrobe. The two-room block has a shower room and a toilet.
The worst thing is the size of the room. There are cockroaches, but not so many. There is fungus in the bathroom on the ceilings. There is also a specific smell of the Main Building. It is a mixture of the smell of burnt wiring and rotten plywood. We no longer feel it, although everyone else does. I try to store all my clothes in the closet - this way they don’t get too wet, but a light flair still remains.
The site manager checks the rooms periodically. He looks to see if there are crumbs on the floor, if the dishes have been washed, if the garbage has been thrown out. If there are systematic comments, then a note is written to the faculty. They scold you there.
All this compensates for the cost: accommodation costs 3 thousand rubles per year. But there is a condition: graduate students must attend classes. At the same time, have time to work: the scholarship is 7 thousand rubles, and many are employed as engineers or laboratory assistants at Moscow State University or other institutes, and are engaged in tutoring.
It is truly possible to live in the Main Building without going outside if external sources of funding can be found. There is a dining room, laundry, sweet stalls, a swimming pool, and a hairdresser. If Auchan were also opened on site, it would be very convenient. Although bread, milk, and fruit can be bought in local stores.
My favorite place at MSU is the Orangery building. I work there and it takes me 15 minutes to get from home to work. Get out, go down, walk through the courtyard and a little bit along the street.
