Palace of Soviets facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Palace of Soviets |
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Дворец Советов
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| General information | |
| Status | Never built |
| Type | Supreme Soviet of the Soviet Union |
| Location | Moscow, Russian SFSR, Soviet Union |
| Coordinates | 55°44′40″N 37°36′20″E / 55.74444°N 37.60556°E |
| Height | |
| Antenna spire | 495 m (1,624 ft) |
| Roof | 415 m (1,362 ft) |
| Technical details | |
| Floor count | 100 |
| Design and construction | |
| Architect | Boris Iofan, Vladimir Shchuko |
The Palace of Soviets was a huge building that the Soviet Union government planned to build. It was meant to be a very important meeting place and administrative center. The building was going to be in Moscow, close to the famous Kremlin.
If it had been finished, the Palace of Soviets would have been 415 meters (about 1,362 feet) tall. This would have made it the tallest building in the world at that time!
Contents
Designing the Palace
The idea for the Palace of Soviets started with a big competition. From 1931 to 1933, many architects submitted their ideas for how the building should look. The winning design was created by an architect named Boris Iofan.
His design went through many changes. They even considered different places in Moscow where the palace could be built.
Construction and Cancellation
Construction on the Palace of Soviets began in 1937. However, work had to stop in 1941 because of World War II. The country needed all its resources for the war effort.
Between 1941 and 1942, the steel frame of the unfinished building was taken apart. The steel was then used to build defenses and bridges needed for the war. After the war, construction on the Palace of Soviets never started again.
What Happened Instead
In 1958, the large foundations that were built for the Palace were used for something new. They were turned into the Moskva Pool, which became the world's largest open-air swimming pool.
Later, from 1995 to 2000, a new building was constructed on the site. This was the Cathedral of Christ the Saviour, which had been destroyed in the 1930s.
Images for kids
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Boris Iofan with his Udarnik cinema building. Soviet postage cover, 1990
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Boris Iofan, 1932–1933. The winning entry at the fourth round of the competition.
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The Palace of Congresses in the Moscow Kremlin was built in 1961. It followed the template developed at the 1958–1959 competitions, and inherited the intended role of the canceled Palace of the Soviets, albeit at a much smaller scale
See also
In Spanish: Palacio de los Sóviets para niños
