Moscow State University building project. World architecture: Moscow State University

The main building of Lomonosov Moscow State University is not only one of the symbols of the Stalin era. This is one of the symbols of the Russian capital and a building that for a long time held the record as the tallest building not only in Russia, but throughout Europe.

The main building of Moscow State University is included in the list of seven Stalinist skyscrapers and tops it as the tallest building. Initially, the architect Boris Iofan was responsible for the design of the building, but was later removed from work and replaced by L. Rudnev. It was his group that continued to work on the creation of the high-rise building. The thing is that, according to Iofan’s design, the building was supposed to be located directly above the cliff of the Lenin (now -) Mountains, and in the event of a landslide, a disaster would be inevitable. Experts convinced Stalin of the need to build the structure away from the cliff, and this did not fit in with Iofan’s project. The architect's intransigence cost him his job.

There are many legends about the construction of the main building of Moscow State University. One of them is the involvement of prisoners in work. Some sources claim that these were Soviet prisoners, while others are inclined to believe that Stalin was afraid to entrust such work to “prisoners - traitors to the Motherland,” so he used German prisoners of war as labor.

Some numerical data. The main building of Moscow State University, the construction of which took five years (1949 - 1953), has 34 floors plus a balcony under the spire and at least three basements. There is a legend that in one of the basements there is a five-meter bronze statue of Stalin, which was planned to be installed in front of the entrance to the building, but was never installed. Height of the structure– 183.2 m, with spire – 240 m, height above sea level – 194 m.

In the central sector (also known as sector “A”) there are the geographical, geological and mechanical-mathematical faculties, the assembly hall and cultural center of Moscow State University, the Museum of Geography, a scientific library, a meeting room and the administration. On the balcony under the spire there was an observation deck, which previously could be accessed by anyone. However, it had to be closed due to a large number of accidents and suicides. Now students and professors with a special pass can get here - a laboratory for tropospheric research has been equipped here. Thus, the 35th floor of Moscow State University, closed to outsiders, received the unofficial “title” of the highest point of Russian science. Those who are lucky enough to get here without special permission, bypassing the combination lock, can enjoy stunning views of Moscow.

The side sectors consist of a residential area (apartments for professors, dormitories for undergraduate and graduate students), a clinic, and a sports center. When designing, the building was envisaged as a complex with a closed infrastructure, which had everything necessary for study, leisure, and everyday life. That is, theoretically, a student could lead a full life here throughout all the years of study without leaving the university.

Today, the main building of Moscow State University is a historical and architectural monument, one of the main attractions of Moscow and, in fact, a symbol of Russian science. In addition, the walls of the building are often used for laser and light shows. Thus, in 1997, the French composer, arranger and showman Jean-Michel Jarre delighted Muscovites and guests of the capital with an unusual laser show, and in 2011 the 4D show “Alpha” took place, in which the French climber Alain Robert, nicknamed “Spider-Man” climbed the main building of Moscow State University.

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 supposed 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 - Mikhail Lomonosov - was made by sculptor Nikolai Tomsky together with architect Lev Rudnev.

Construction of Moscow State University as a stimulus for technical innovation. During the construction of Moscow State University, innovative technologies for creating a foundation and metal frame were used, which made it possible to construct a building of such enormous height in difficult soil conditions. Their author was the creator of the Ostankino TV tower, Nikolai Nikitin. He envisioned a design in which the pressure of the skyscraper did not fall on the lower floors, but was distributed throughout 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 party's side, the construction was supervised by State Security Commissioner Lavrentiy Beria, which is not surprising: in addition to 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 1000 engineers.

The construction of the main building of Moscow State University on the Lenin (Sparrow) Hills in 1949-1953 was one of the largest construction projects of the post-war USSR.
The Moscow State University building was the tallest administrative and residential building in Moscow before the appearance of the Triumph Palace, and the tallest in Europe until the construction of the Messeturm in Frankfurt in 1990.
Height - 182 m, with spire - 240 m, number of storeys in the central building - 36.
Students of the Working Youth School against the backdrop of the main building of Moscow State University under construction (1951)

In 1948, employees of the department of the Party Central Committee that oversaw science received an assignment from the Kremlin: to study the issue of constructing a new building for Moscow State University. They prepared the report together with the rector of the University, Academician A.N. Nesmeyanov, proposing to build a high-rise building for the “temple of Soviet science”. From the Central Committee, the papers migrated to the Moscow authorities. Soon Nesmeyanov and a representative of the “scientific” department of the Central Committee were invited to the city party committee: “Your idea is unrealistic. A high-rise requires too many elevators. Therefore, the building should not be higher than 4 floors.”

A few days later, Stalin had a special meeting on the “university issue”, and he announced his decision: to erect a building for Moscow State University at least 20 floors high on the top of the Lenin Mountains - so that it could be seen from afar.

The design of the new university building was prepared by the famous Soviet architect Boris Iofan, who designed the Palace of the Soviets skyscraper. However, a few days before the approval “at the top” of all the architect’s drawings, the architect was removed from this work. The creation of the largest of Stalin's high-rise buildings was entrusted to a group of architects headed by L.V. Rudnev.

The reason for such an unexpected replacement is considered to be Iofan’s intransigence. He was going to build the main building right above the cliff of the Lenin Mountains. But by the fall of 1948, experts managed to convince Stalin that this location of the huge structure was fraught with disaster: the area was dangerous from the point of view of landslides, and the new University would simply slide into the river! Stalin agreed with the need to move the main building of Moscow State University away from the edge of the Lenin Mountains, but Iofan was not at all happy with this option, and he was removed. Rudnev moved the building 800 meters deep into the territory, and at the site chosen by Iofan, he created an observation deck.

In the original draft version, it was planned to crown the high-rise building with a sculpture of impressive size. The character on the sheets of whatman paper was depicted as abstract - a human figure with his head raised to the sky and his arms spread wide to the sides. Apparently, this pose should symbolize a thirst for knowledge. Although the architects, showing the drawings to Stalin, hinted that the sculpture could receive a portrait resemblance to the leader. However, Stalin ordered the construction of a spire instead of the statue, so that the upper part of the Moscow State University building would be similar to the other six high-rise buildings being built in the capital.

The solemn ceremony of laying the first stone of the high-rise building of Moscow State University took place on April 12, 1949, exactly 12 years before Gagarin’s flight.

Reports from the shock construction site on the Lenin Hills reported that the high-rise building was being erected by 3,000 Komsomol Stakhanovites. However, in reality many more people worked here. At the end of 1948, at the end of 1948, the Ministry of Internal Affairs prepared an order for the conditional early release from the camps of several thousand prisoners who had construction specialties. These prisoners had to spend the rest of their sentence on the construction of Moscow State University.

In the Gulag system there was “Construction-560”, transformed in 1952 into the Directorate of the ITL of the Special Region (the so-called “Stroylag”), whose contingent was engaged in the construction of the university high-rise building. The construction was supervised by General Komarovsky, head of the Main Directorate of Industrial Construction Camps. The number of prisoners in “Stroylag” reached 14,290 people. Almost all of them were imprisoned on “domestic” charges; they were afraid to take “political” charges to Moscow. A zone with watchtowers and barbed wire was built a few kilometers from the “object”, near the village of Ramenki, in the area of ​​​​current Michurinsky Avenue.

When the construction of the high-rise building was nearing completion, it was decided to “bring the prisoners’ places of residence and work as close as possible.” The new camp point was installed directly on the 24th and 25th floors of the tower under construction. This solution also made it possible to save on security: there was no need for watchtowers or barbed wire - there was nowhere to go anyway.

As it turned out, the guards underestimated their sponsored contingent. Among the prisoners there was a craftsman who, in the summer of 1952, built a kind of hang glider out of plywood and wire and... Rumor interprets further events differently. According to one version, he managed to fly to the other side of the Moscow River and disappeared safely. According to another, the guards shot him in the air. There is an option with a happy ending to this story: supposedly the “flyer” was already captured on the ground by security officers, but when Stalin became aware of his action, he personally ordered the brave inventor to be released... It is even possible that there were two winged fugitives. At least, that’s what a civilian high-rise builder said, who himself saw two people gliding from the tower on homemade wings. According to him, one of them was shot, and the second flew towards Luzhniki.

Another unusual story is connected with the unique “high-altitude camp zone”. This incident was even considered then an attempt on the life of the leader of the peoples. One fine day, vigilant security, checking the territory of Stalin’s “near dacha” in Kuntsevo, suddenly discovered a rifle bullet on the path. Who shot? When? The commotion was serious. They conducted a ballistic examination and found out that the ill-fated bullet came... from the University under construction. During further investigation, the picture of what happened became clear. During the next change of guard guarding the prisoners, one of the guards, handing over his post, pulled the trigger of a rifle, in the barrel of which there was a live cartridge. A shot rang out. According to the law of meanness, the weapon turned out to be pointed towards a government facility located in the distance, and the bullet still “reached” Stalin’s dacha.

The main building of Moscow State University immediately broke many records. The height of the 36-story high-rise reaches 236 meters. The steel frame of the building required 40 thousand tons of steel. And the construction of walls and parapets took almost 175 million bricks. The spire is about 50 meters high, and the star that crowns it weighs 12 tons. On one of the side towers there is a champion clock - the largest in Moscow. The dials are made of stainless steel and have a diameter of 9 meters. The clock hands are also quite impressive. The minute hand, for example, is twice as long as the minute hand of the Kremlin chimes and has a length of 4.1 meters and weighs 39 kilograms.

View from the Moscow State University building, 1952:

Private sector in the vicinity of the construction site.

The main building of Moscow State University is located at Leninskie Gory, building 1.

The building is sometimes abbreviated as GZ MSU or simply GZ. This is one of the ""

Moscow State University is the main Russian university. Founded on the initiative of a Russian scientist (1711 - 1765) in 1755.

Nearest metro stations: "Lomonosovsky Prospekt", "University", "Vorobyovy Gory".

In addition to classrooms, in the Main Building (GB) of the university there are dormitories for students, apartments for professors, libraries, shops, canteens, cafes, a cinema, a House of Culture, etc.

The main building of Moscow State University has 34 floors and a spire. The height of the MSU main building without the spire is 183 m, and with the spire - 240 m.

How to get to Moscow State University

From the Lomonosovsky Prospekt metro station, the walk to the entrance to the building is about 10 minutes, and from the Universitet and Vorobyovy Gory stations - 10 - 15 minutes. From the Universitet metro station to the "DK MGU" stop you can take buses or minibuses No. 1, 4, 57, 113, 119, or 661.

Map

How to get to Moscow State University

The entrances to the building are guarded by police. MSU graduates are allowed to enter the building if they have a passport and diploma with them. The rest can get to Moscow State University with a tour to.

Structure of the Moscow State University

The main building of Moscow State University is divided into buildings (sectors, zones), which are assigned a letter of the Russian alphabet:

Sector “A” (the main part of the building on which the spire is located) - here there is a dining room (the so-called professor’s room) and a cafe, the Faculty of Geology (3-8 floors), the Faculty of Mechanics and Mathematics (12-16 floors), the Faculty of Geography ( 17-22 floors), rector's office (9-10 floors) and administration, scientific library, Museum of Geography (24-31 floors), assembly hall for 1500 people and the Moscow State University Palace of Culture with a large hall for 640 seats (2nd floor), "rotunda "(31st and 32nd floors: meeting room on the 31st floor, observation deck on the 32nd floor), 33rd floor - gallery, 34th floor - technical and spire.

Buildings "I", "K", "L", "M" - apartments for the teaching staff.

Zones "B", "C" - student dormitories, canteens.

Zones "G", "D", "E", "F" - dormitories for graduate students.

Near the MSU complex there is a large sports complex, several parks, the MSU library (built in 2005), and the MSU Botanical Garden.

On the side of the main entrance there is an alley of academicians - along this alley there are busts of famous academicians related to Moscow State University.

So, you can see busts of Lomonosov, Pavlov, Michurin, Lobachevsky, Lebedev, etc.

Moving from the Moscow State University building along the Alley of Academicians, you can come to the observation deck.

The Moscow State University was built during the Stalinist period. Naturally, the decision to build and the construction itself were shrouded in secrecy. Here are some stories and legends.

They say that when the civil protection plan was brought to Stalin for approval, he pointed to the alleys around the building. “What trees are you going to plant here?” - asked the leader. The architects were not ready to answer the question, since they were not the ones who determined the types of trees to be planted. Then Stalin said, “Why not plant apple trees here?” Since then, numerous apple trees have grown around the university, and students often gladly supplement their meager diet with free apples.

They say that on one of the basement floors there is a 5-meter bronze statue of Stalin. She was supposed to stand in front of the main entrance to the GZ. But Stalin died in 1953 and this statue was left in the basement of the still unfinished State Building.

Many believe that the GZ was built by prisoners. But in fact, the building was mainly built by German prisoners of war. They say that one day one of the prisoners flew off the spire on a piece of plywood to Ramenki. He was later caught by NKVD officers. This rumor started with an article published in Komsomolskaya Pravda in 1989. We cannot guarantee the accuracy of the information.

The poet Afanasy Fet hated Moscow University so much that every time he drove past it, he stopped, opened the carriage window and spat in the direction of the university (Donald Rayfield “The Life of Anton Chekhov” (translation by O. Makarova)). It is known that the poet studied at Moscow University from 1838 to 1844.

Historical information about Moscow State University

The decree of Empress Elizabeth Petrovna on the establishment of the university was signed on January 25, St. Tatiana's Day (January 12, old style). This day has become a Russian student holiday (Tatiana's Day). I.I. played a major role in the creation of the university. Shuvalov, who sent a special report to the Senate. At first, 3 faculties, 10 departments and 2 gymnasiums were created.

The opening ceremony of classes at Moscow University took place on the day of the anniversary of the coronation of Elizabeth Petrovna on April 26 (May 7, new style) 1755. Since then, these days have been traditionally celebrated at the university with student celebrations, the annual scientific conference “Lomonosov Readings” and days of student scientific creativity are timed to coincide with them.

The first intake was for the Faculty of Philosophy - 30 students. The faculties of law and medicine began work in 1758. The duration of training was three years.

The university was under the jurisdiction of the Governing Senate.

The first building of the university was located in the building of the Main Pharmacy (former Zemsky Prikaz) on the site at. When the university moved to the building on the opposite side, which was built between 1782 and 1793 according to the design of Matvey Kazakov. Subsequently, after the Moscow fire of 1812, the building was restored by the architect Domenico Gilardi. Now the complex of MSU buildings on Mokhovaya Street includes the Scientific Library, Printing House, Faculty of Journalism, House of Culture, Church of St. Tatiana, MSU Publishing House, Institute of Asian and African Countries, Faculty of Psychology, Faculty of Arts.

In 1949 - 1970, a new Moscow State University complex was built on Vorobyovy Gory. The complex includes the main and other buildings, sports grounds, a park and a botanical garden.

The main building (GZ) was built in 1949 - 1953 by architects L.V. Rudnev S.E. Chernyshev, P.V. Abrosimov, V.N. Nasonov. The building houses faculties, a scientific library, university museums, the rector’s office and administrative part, a club part with an assembly hall for 1,500 people, student dormitories, and teachers’ apartments.

The main building has 34 floors and a spire, and an unknown number of floors down (basement). In Soviet times, it was rumored that KGB specialists had settled in the spire and were monitoring the capital. We cannot vouch for the veracity of this rumor.

“Past and Thoughts” (1868) - “Moscow University grew in importance along with Moscow after 1812; demoted by Emperor Peter from the tsarist capitals, Moscow was promoted by Emperor Napoleon (either willingly or twice as unwillingly) to the capitals of the Russian people From the pain they felt at the news of her occupation with the enemy, the people guessed about their blood connection with Moscow. From then on, a new era began for her. In it, the university became more and more the center of Russian education - all the conditions for its development were connected. historical significance, geographical location and the absence of the king."

“The Past and Thoughts” (1868) - “Alma mater! I owe so much to the university and for so long after the course I lived its life, with it, that I cannot remember it without love and respect. He will not accuse me of ingratitude, at least in relation to the university, gratitude is easy, it is inseparable from love, from the bright memory of youthful development... and I bless it from a distant foreign land!

“Course of Russian History” - “Moscow University, founded in 1755, was not in a better position. When the university opened, there were 100 students; 30 years later, there were only 82 students. In 1765, there was only one student on the list. all the law faculty; a few years later, one survived in the medical one. During the entire reign of Catherine, not a single physician received an academic diploma, i.e., the lectures were given in French or in Latin. contemporaries says that not only is it impossible to learn anything in it, but you can also lose the respectable manners acquired at home."

“The highest nobility raised their children at home; the teachers were first Germans, then, from the reign of Elizabeth, the French. These French were such famous tutors in the history of our education. Under Elizabeth, they were first brought to Russia. These tutors of the first import were very simple teachers; They are bitterly complaining about the decree of January 12, 1755 on the establishment of Moscow University. In this decree we read: “In Moscow, the landowners have a large number of teachers at their expense, most of whom not only cannot teach science, but also have not even begun to do so. have; many, having not found good teachers, take in people who have spent their whole lives as footmen, hairdressers and other similar crafts." The decree speaks of the need to replace these unsuitable imported teachers with worthy and knowledgeable "national" people. But it was difficult to get " national "people in the described state of both universities."

The main building of MSU (Moscow State University) named after. Lomonosov on Sparrow Hills is a town in a big city, with its own shops, museums, student dormitories, canteens, a clinic, a hairdresser and a huge library. It is in this building that the largest educational institution in Russia is located.

Since the mid-20th century, the main building of Moscow State University has been included in the list of Stalinist skyscrapers. The height of the Moscow State University building Lomonosov with its spire is about 240 meters and includes 34 floors in the central building. It truly has colossal dimensions, which impress with its majestic forms. Construction of the building began in 1949 and lasted 4 years. During the work, the project changed many architects. The first of them was B.M. Iofan, who was almost immediately removed from office due to disagreements with party workers. Further, the planning of the structure was carried out by such masters of architecture as Chernyshev, Rudnev, Khryakov, Nanosov. Sculptural decoration of the facades of the Moscow State University building. Lomonosov was led by V.I. Mukhina.

Lomonosov statue.

Initially, instead of the spire, they planned to install a statue of Lomonosov, following the example of the Palace of the Soviets, and the figure of the scientist was supposed to be about 40 meters high. Such a project was rejected, since it would have given the building the appearance of a huge pedestal for a small figure, in which hardly anyone from below would have recognized an outstanding personality. As a result, the top of the building was crowned with a spire 58 meters high with golden ears of corn and a star. Subsequently, the statue of Lomonosov was placed opposite the central entrance to Moscow State University building.

Spire on the building of Moscow State University. Lomonosov.

When you look at the spire, it seems that it is made of real gold, but it is not. Gold is a “soft” metal; under the influence of wind and precipitation it would quickly become unusable, and the cost of such decoration of the building would be quite high. In fact, the spire, ears of corn and star are made of yellow glass in the form of small plates.

The Faculty of Geology occupies the third to eighth floors of the building. The Faculty of Mathematics is located from the 12th to 16th floors, and the Faculty of Geography from the 17th to 22nd. The administration offices are located on the 9th and 10th floors. Further, 24 and 31 are reserved for the Museum of Geography, from here there is an elevator to the upper floors. The 30th, 31st and 34th floors have a technical purpose, on the 32nd there is a round meeting room, and on the 33rd there is a gallery under the dome. It is on the 34th floor that the entrance to the spire is located. Nobody knows what is inside the spire, but some historians believe that in Stalin’s times there were premises in the spire itself that belonged to the KGB and were used for external surveillance, and that Stalin’s dacha seemed to be clearly visible from there.

How was the construction of the main building of Moscow State University carried out? Lomonosov.

Build main building of Moscow State University. Lomonosov There should have been Komsomol members, but few people know that the work was carried out by prisoners who had construction specialties, and there were more than 14 thousand of them. As a rule, these were people convicted on domestic charges: they were afraid to bring political prisoners. In the village of Ramenki, land was allocated, where barracks were hastily built and guard towers were placed around the perimeter of the camp. The prisoners were transported to the construction site under escort by trucks, and in the end they were housed on the 24th and 25th floors in order to save on transportation costs. In parallel with the construction of the building, work was carried out to improve the area around the main building of Moscow State University. Lomonosov. Parks and agrobotanical gardens were created. 20 experimental ponds were dug, in which the fishery subsequently raised fish. Two gyms and 11 sanitary facilities were also built. A ceremonial meeting to mark the opening of the main building of Moscow State University (MSU). Lomonosov took place on September 1, 1953, and the temple of science opened its doors to students.