Looking through postcards, booklets and other souvenirs brought from Poland, you can see that everywhere there is an image of a majestic building with a spire aimed at the heavenly heights. This grandiose high-rise building is one of the ten tallest buildings in the entire European Union. The Palace of Science and Culture in Warsaw was built in 1955 and to this day is the hallmark of not only the capital city, but the whole country.
Gift of the Soviet Union to the friendly Polish people
The idea of building a skyscraper in the center of Warsaw was of political importance and came personally from JV Stalin. It was originally supposed that the Palace of Science and Culture would be erected 120 meters high. This project was approved by the Polish government, but then at the insistence of the Soviet architect Leo Rudnev and his Warsaw colleague Joseph Sigalin, it was decided to almost double the size of the building. As a result, the Palace of Science and Culture grew in height by 42 floors, which together with the spire amounted to 237 meters.
Since the building was a gift to Poland from the USSR, the Soviet side took over the financing of the project, as well as the implementation of construction work. A total of 3,200 people were involved in construction sites since 1952. After Stalin's death, by the decision of the State Council and the Council of Ministers of the Polish People's Republic, the Palace of Science and Culture was named after the Soviet leader. They considered a proposal to erect a monument to Stalin on the square , even a competition was announced for the best sketch of the monument. But then they decided to abandon this idea.
The combination of socialist realism and history
Preparations for the construction of a high-rise building began in 1951. Soviet architects , led by Lev Rudnev, came to Poland and, with a group of local colleagues, visited several Polish cities and villages to study the styles of the country's historical architecture. As a result, the project was taken as the basis for the construction of Moscow State University named after Lomonosov, but taking into account local specifics. It was decided that the Palace of Science and Culture should be "socialist in content, but national in form."
The building was built in the place where once groomed in a mess of groomed houses. The magnificent Palace has become a symbol of the new era, a unique object of modern construction, designed to rid the capital of ugly forms of architecture. From the upper floors, spectacular views of the city that has changed in recent years open up. The silhouette of the building emphasizes the beauty of the surroundings from old areas to multi-storey residential complexes, green parks and sports stadiums. The Palace of Science and Culture will become a symbol of socialist Poland. About this content, publications in local newspapers were timed to coincide with the opening of the structure in 1955.
Polish "colossus" in facts and figures
The Palace of Science and Culture in Warsaw, whose address has not changed over the past six decades, is located on Parade Square, d. 1. This is the highest object not only in the capital, but throughout Poland. The building has 42 floors with a total area of 817 thousand m 2 . The architecture of the building combines the elements of social realism, art deco and Polish historicism.
On the 30th floor there is an observation deck with a panoramic view of Warsaw. Since 1956, a number of suicides have been committed from this site, located at an altitude of more than 100 meters, after which metal fences in the form of protective grilles were installed here.
In 1989, after the cooling of relations between the Soviet Union and Poland, the sculpture embodying the friendship of peoples was removed from the central lobby. In the 90s, there were calls by some politicians in Poland to demolish the building as a symbol of "Soviet domination of a free country."
In 2000, a huge clock dial was placed on the facade of the upper floor, which made the Palace the highest clock tower in the world at that time.
In 2007, the building is listed in the State Register of Architectural Monuments of Poland.
The structure and purpose of the building
Today, the Palace of Science and Culture in Warsaw, the photo of which you see in this publication, is managed by the City Hall. The building houses various companies and institutions, including the Polish Academy of Sciences.
The extensive interiors of the palace accommodate several stage venues, museums, bookstores, offices and business centers. At the service of citizens and guests of the capital are cinemas, libraries, a swimming pool, a post office.
There is also a concert hall for 550 spectators and a congress hall for 2880 seats. Annually, conferences, meetings, exhibitions, forums and festivals of both national and international levels are held within the walls of the Palace.
Controversy over the feasibility of a structure
Despite the fact that the Palace of Science and Culture has long become a symbol of Poland and performs many useful functions, from time to time a debate arises in political circles regarding the ethical background of the presence of the Soviet-era building on Polish soil. Opinions diverge sharply, someone believes that today the Palace has no political significance, others insist on the demolition of the building, and others suggest turning it into a museum.
It is hoped that common sense will prevail, and political troubles will not become the reason for the destruction of the magnificent architectural monument, which is the House of Science and Culture in Warsaw. Reviews of ordinary people who have visited this building never touch on ideological aspects. Both local residents and numerous tourists admire the scale of the structure, the consistency and originality of the architectural style.
Attractions in the vicinity of the palace
The visitors of the Polish capital are primarily attracted by the structure itself, from the observation platforms of which you can see the whole city at any time. A few minutes walk from the square there is a recreation center.
Nearby is the Golden Terraces Shopping Center - the largest shopping complex in Warsaw. There are hotels nearby. From the windows of the most comfortable rooms overlooking the sparkling lights of the towers of the Palace of Science and Culture.