Thursday, November 10, 2016
The repair of the MFA building on Smolensk Square entered the active phase - the highway almost dismantled the spire, and, most interesting, in the present form it looks exactly how it was originally found on the project. The spire, of course, recreate anew, but so far we hurry to see. Why did the spire did at the last moment and why did he get so short-lived? Read further in publication.
Today we will show a photo of dismantling and rare photo of the construction of the height -\u003e
Spire at the highlight of the Foreign Ministry of Pure Butaforsky, from light metal structures
View of the Foreign Ministry from Krivarbatsky Lane
The decision on the construction of eight high-altitude buildings was made in 1947, when Moscow made its 800-year-old anniversary. Each of the structures should have to symbolize the century lived by the capital.
The solemn laying of all eight buildings (including the Ministry of Foreign Affairs) took place on September 7, 1947.
Already in 1948 the design began. At the same time, preparatory construction work began on the square. 
Preparation of Kotlovana, 1948
On January 20, 1949, the technical project of the MFA building was approved, submitted by architects Mikhail Adolfovich Martz and Vladimir Georgievich Gelphreich, and in April, the architects were awarded the Stalinist (state) 1st degree award. The initial project of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs did not provide for completion in the form of a turret and spire. Instead, the authors planned to put a number of complex teeth with obels for corners. 
The reason for changes in this project is exactly unknown, but, according to a common legend, it is about the personal instruction of Stalin. The legend says that Stalin, passing by the building of the Foreign Ministry in Arbat, indignant his coherent with American skyscrapers. The spire was decided to add the already built building, which was absent in the initial project. It was impossible to make a stone completion. The structure could not withstand additional loads and collapse. But, the order is an order, and the architects decided to build the Boutaphorian turret and the spire.
Tower and Spire Mid
For these purposes I had to punch five floors to secure the supports of the future design. Then the builders mounted the frame and crossed it with ordinary tin. After the death of the leader of the peoples, the architect V. Gelfreich tried to dismantle the inscribed part of the altitude, watched by the support of the authoritative architect of the Arch Republic, but supposedly N.S. Khrushchev, then leader Of the Soviet state, was adamant. He stated that the spire should stay in place and be a monument of the great stupidity of Comrade Stalin.
In reality, everything was more prosaic simple: the construction of the MFA building began slightly earlier than the decision was made that all high-rise buildings should be completed with the tower and a stereo. The building constructed by the time the building was not designed for an additional burden, so they cost the "butaforskaya" turret and a small spire. For the same reason, a star was not installed on the MIDA building (which also allocates this construction among all heights).
The height on the poster of the late 1940s. The building has already begun to build, and while the project shown everywhere does not provide for the spire
About the construction of the highlation even before its completion, a whole filmstrip was released: 
Installation of cranes for the construction of the hydraulic frame
Mounting frame. 1949
1949
1949
1950
1950
1951
In 1952, the new building fell on the cover of the magazine "Spark" 
Commissioned altitude was passed in 1953.
MFA building effectively closes the perspective of Smolensk street than always used to propaganda
1970
The width of the facade of the building in the Smolensk Square is 160 meters. The height of the central part of the house 27 floors, the wings of 15, and the side buildings of the 6th floors. The base and the lower parts of the Mid wall are lined with the red granite "Carlahti", the portals of the entrance from Smolensk Square are made of the gray granite "Korostyshevo" and shirchavsky limestone, the main volume is lined with ceramic blocks. 
One of the interesting parts of the altitude is the huge coat of arms of the USSR on its facade. The coat of arms mounted from reinforced concrete is located at an altitude of 114 m and covers an area of \u200b\u200b144 square meters. m. Interesting 
The coat of arms is now also on the restoration
Be sure to go look at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in the unusual, but initially conceived architects.
Tuesday, December 12, 2017
Last week in Moscow, premiums were presented to restorers for best projects Restoration of 2017. One of the most significant projects of the year for Moscow, of course, was the reconstruction of the spire of the height of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs at Smolensk Square. The reconstruction was carried out by the Ministry itself, but for the city, this object is one of the main forming the overall appearance of the city.
How to reconstructed an altitude, what a spider has an interesting story and how it looks from the inside, about it in our publication -\u003e
The idea of \u200b\u200bbuilding a height appeared in Moscow after the war, the city needed a holiday and update, so in 1947 it was decided to vividly celebrate the 800th anniversary of the capital. The highlights were found as a gift to the city, and each had to symbolize the lived century. Yes! Heights on the original plan should have been eight, not seven. All of them were symbolically laid on one day - September 7, 1947.
The scheme shows that after the war, they did not even even refuse the 495-meter and 100-storey palace of advice on Kropotkin, and the eighth height had to stand directly next to the Kremlin, on the territory of the charge. For her, the foundation was already laid and several floors of the metal structures were erected, but the "Khrushchev" time refused from the Palace of Soviets, and from the eighth altitude.
Rare frame of the beginning of the 1950s. A quarter of houses have not been demolished on Vasilievsky descent (see our publication of pro), and in the background is built a height in charge.
One of the first agreed projects among the height was the building of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
On January 20, 1949, the technical project of the MFA building was approved, submitted by architects Mikhail Adolfovich Martz and Vladimir Georgievich Gelphreich, and in April, the architects were awarded the Stalinist (state) 1st degree award. The initial project of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs did not provide for completion in the form of a turret and spire. Instead, the authors planned to put a number of complex teeth with obels for corners.
Moreover, in this form, the highlight began to be built initially, this project was shown everywhere, published in newspapers and demonstrated on posters:
A little later, it became known that all other highs (including height in charge) will be erected with spiers, therefore, apparently, in the construction process, the project was supplemented with a decorative spire made of light metal structures. It was no longer possible to build a heavy stone completion on a flat roof of the altitude.
Before completing the construction of the high-rise, a small filmstrip with photos from the construction site was released
And even in this film film with photographs from the construction site at the end, the project of the altitude is shown in the original form
Show some more photo of construction:
1949
1949
1950
1950
In 1952, the new building fell on the cover of the magazine "Spark"
Commissioned altitude was passed in 1953.
The spire made of light metal structures from time to time had to paint under the stone, but the precipitation, wind and humidity slowly, but correctly did their job, in the early 2010 spire at the closest review looked like this:
Studies have shown that in the future one painting spire will already be difficult to do, and it was decided to dismantle the metal structures and accurately recreate again according to the drawings and the events.
Works began in 2016:
For a while, the building could even be seen as it should have been originally on the project:
Together with the dismantling of the spire, the upper part of the height was also renovated:
It may not be rejoiced that it was very preferable to historical details, in particular, to the large coat of arch of the USSR on the facade.
So he looked to restoration:
And now it looks like:
The spire remained purely decorative and light, there is nothing inside it.
Even near the absolutely new metal spire does not give anything newly. It looks absolutely also in all the trifles.
View of the spire inside at a flat roof level
Durable technical staircases for service:
You can climb almost the very top of the spire:
Surely, most residents of the city did not even notice that the spire was completely recreated.
Thanks Russian Foreign Ministry for the ability to sit inside and show it to you.
Photo: Alexander Usoltsev, Konstantin Antipin
One of them did not build - in the charge of the charge. The most large-scale project was not embodied: the Epochal Palace of Soviets, for which the Savior's Church was demolished. The death of the main inspirer prevented, and the project remained on paper.
Moscow highlights
MSU at the then Lenin Mountains, Hotels "Ukraine" and "Leningrad", residential buildings on Kotelnichesky embankment and Kudrinskaya Square and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs - the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The height with representation functions on Smolenskoye - the only one of the seven without a five-pointed star on the spire. Yes, and the spire itself on the initial plan was not provided. According to the legend, Stalin personally ordered him, arguing the project of Vladimir Gelfreich and Mikhail Minkus. But since the design has already been fully calculated, the element made "Boutaphor", from lightweight materials. And the MFA building remains without a star.
All buildings were laid on one day - the 800th anniversary of Moscow in 1947. The festive rally was collected by workers. Architectural public Event special attention did not honor. The fate of the Palace of Soviets has not yet been forgotten. The gigantic construction stopped at the beginning of the war. The new project was so large-scale that professionals were doubted that the heights are completed due to the destruction of the post-war time. Why precisely expensive high-rise buildings when the whole country has not yet recovered from the war? Assumptions a lot. From the commitment of Stalin to Gothic to an equalization in the construction of America, which began to build skyscrapers already at the end of the nineteenth century. And Moscow - the capital of the superpower who won the war - still remained low-rise. It was in those years that the onset of industrial construction was found. But the workforce was lacking. And prisoners were attracted to the construction. Worked on construction in kotelniki.
"Only one hour passes between the bookmark of the monument to the founder of Moscow, Yuri Dolgoruky and the bookmark multi-storey buildings. But the entire soul of the Soviet country passes in front of us during this hour: the distant past Rus, a warrior on horseback, in a helmet and chain mail, pointing down: "Here to be Moscow", - and gigantic, multi-story housesbuilt on the latest technology ». (Magazine "Ogonek", №37, 1947)
MFA building
The most high-tech for that time was the building of the Foreign Ministry. By the number of engineering and technical solutions applied for the first time, no height can be compared with it. Organization itself construction work Was in a novelty: the house was built on top. Over 110 days, a metal framework was erected for the entire height, and then it was concreted, again, starting from the top floor. Sunk as concrete is frozen to the foundation.
27 floors with a total height of 172 meters built five years. In a building area of \u200b\u200b65 thousand square meters About 2 thousand premises. Installed unprecedented for those times the amount of elevators - 28, and more than half of them are high-speed. Four escalators lead from the lobby in the underground wardrobe. And, of course, the modern palace in the style of Soviet Art Deco received a rich finish: marble, granite, stained glass windows, lattices from brass, Karelian Birch and velvet.
As Mahina grew up in the historical center of Moscow, the architects became obvious - the look is not enough space. So the idea of \u200b\u200bNew Square was born. From the foot of the height to the Moscow River. The expansion required Smolenskaya Street, and specially "to support" the altitude in the 70s of the twentieth century was built two Towers-Hotels "Belgrade" and "Golden Ring". So a new building completely changed the view of the front entrance to the Moscow Center, from the Borodino Bridge and Smolensk Street. However, the scale of the project is a whole town planning ensemble, at once seven buildings in one style, provided Moscow a completely different appearance. It was the first step to the metropolis.
Stalinist Hig - Midth Building (Ministry of Foreign Affairs) were erected from 1948 to 1953. The architects of the project were Professor architecture M. Minkus and V. Gelfreich.
The facade of the construction is made of ceramic blocks, and the base is separated by a red granite.
Photo 1. Midea building on Smolensk Square in Moscow
The feature of the Stalinist highness on Smolensk Square
The central part of the 172-meter building includes 27 floors. At an altitude of 114 meters, made of reinforced concrete is fixed. The total area of \u200b\u200bthis design is impressive - 144 square meters.
Impressive I. total area premises (65,000 sq.m), and internal space cube (400.000 cubic meters). In the building on Smolensk Square more than 2.000 (!) Premises of various purposes. To the services of employees and guests of the Ministry of 28 elevators, incl. 18 speed.
A distinctive feature of the Midth Building from others stalinist heights is the absence of a symbol of the Soviet state - a five-pointed star. This is due to the probability, with the fragility of the structure of the spire.
The house on Smolenskaya Square became the first of the seven constructed Stalinist heights and called, as they say, the disapproval of the leader.
Legend of the highlight of the Foreign Ministry on Smolensk Square
The legend says that Stalin, driving past the MiDA building, outraged his similarity with American skyscrapers. The spire was decided to add the already built building, which was absent in the initial project.
It was impossible to make a stone completion. The structure could not withstand additional loads and collapse.
But, the order is an order, and the architects decided to build a boutic spire.
For these purposes I had to punch five floors to secure the supports of the future design. Then the builders mounted the skeleton of the spire and truncated it with ordinary tin. The material is unsuccessful and requiring an annual painting due to the appealing rust.
After the death of the leader of the peoples, the architect V. Gelfreich tried to dismantle the discharged part of the altitude, watched by the support of the authoritative architect of the Arch Republic.
But N.S. Khrushchev, then the head of the Soviet state, was adamant. He stated that the spire should stay in place and be a monument of the great stupidity of Comrade Stalin.
The high-rise building was built in 1948 - 1953. Architects: Professor Vladimir Georgievich Gelfreich, Mikhail Adolfovich Minkus. The width of the facade was taken at 160 meters. The height of the building is 172 m. In the central part of the house 27 floors, in the wings of 15, and in the lateral buildings 6 floors. The authors believed that such a long-term building building corresponds to the traditions of Russian architecture. The base and the lower parts of the Mid wall are lined with the red granite "Carlahti", the portals of the entrance from Smolensk Square are made of the gray granite "Korostyshevo" and shirchavsky limestone, the main volume is lined with ceramic blocks. The building completes panorama from the Borodino bridge, forming the area.
The first sketches of the planning of Smolensk Square for the new building were created in 1946. In January 1947, a decree on construction in Moscow of high-rise buildings appeared, and the work began. Several options for the project of different floors were considered. From the right, southern wing of the building was to begin a new Avenue Smolenskaya Square - the Palace of Soviets of 42 meters width. It was assumed to be pierced directly through the alleys and quarters between the prechistenka and the Siva enemy. Arbat was supposed to turn into a large street 33 meter width.
On January 20, 1949, the technical project of the building was approved, and in April, the authors were awarded the Stalinist (state) 1st degree
The building of the Foreign Ministry was commissioned in the summer of 1953, the long-distance part of the right corps was completed later. A large number of building drawings was subsequently used in the construction of the house of science and culture in Warsaw, a very unloved Polish society.
The project of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs did not provide for completion in the form of a spider. Instead, the authors planned to put a number of complex teeth with obels for corners. There is a legend explaining the appearance of the spire.
Stalin has a new trusted guard, accompanying the leader in the car. After the first visit, the newcomer called the squash and asked:
What route went? The guard described.
What did Comrade Stalin say?
Nothing.
Did not say anything at all?
No, when the Smolensk Square was near the altitude new building, he said one word.
Pil ...
Yeah, understandable. You are free.
At night, the author of the project of the high-rise building of the architect Mikhail Vasilyevich Prochina and the creators of other high-altitude houses were invited to Beria. He said: "The traditions of Russian architecture are not taken into account in our projects. You need to complete all buildings with spiers. " One of the architects with tears in his eyes began to beg not touching his project: high building The Smolensk Square has already built, and the spire in it is not provided. Beria Solovo Verso: "We'll have to envisage". Ceremonially published the article on the Russian tradition of the spike architecture, then spiers appeared on high-rise homes.
When the house on Smolensk Square was ready, Stalin, examining him, asked:
And whatever the fool occurs to wenst this building with a spire?
Fragment from the book of Yuri Borev - "Staliniada".
An object cultural heritage regional importance.
