From 1922 to 1991, on the map of the planet, there was a huge state formation with the largest economic potential and economic potential - the Soviet Union (USSR). The sights of this country, monuments of architecture and monumental art amaze today with its scope, massiveness and extraordinary realism. They survived in many cities of the former superpower.
In this article you will find the most famous sights of the USSR: photos, the history of their construction and interesting facts about these objects. It will be about one iconic building of the Soviet era and two magnificent monuments that adorned Kiev and Moscow.
USSR, architectural sights: Kharkov State Industry
If we talk about Soviet architecture, then we can not forget about constructivism - a style that was very popular in the 20-30s. And among the most striking examples of this style is the so-called Gosprom (House of State Industry) in Kharkov. It was the very first skyscraper in the entire USSR.
The sights of Soviet architecture are distinguished by their massiveness and scale. The same can be said of the Gosprom building, built in 1928 from monolithic reinforced concrete on the main square of Kharkov (then the capital of the Ukrainian SSR).
The height of the building is 63 meters, and the total usable area of all its premises is about 60 thousand square meters. The construction of the Gosprom took 9 thousand tons of metal and more than a thousand wagons of cement. The first Soviet skyscraper served 12 elevators (seven of them are still operating).
USSR, sights of monumental art: "Motherland"
One of the most magnificent and most famous monuments of the Soviet heritage is the Motherland in Kiev. The author of this memorial was the architect Evgeny Vuchetich. He designed a similar monument in Volgograd.
Kiev Motherland has a height of 102 meters. The sculpture of a woman with a sword and shield is visible from many areas and residential areas of the Ukrainian capital. It was originally planned that the monument will be gilded, but later this idea was abandoned.
The monument was opened in 1981. It is located on the territory of the “Museum of the History of Ukraine in World War II”. The entire monument weighs 450 tons. It is designed so that it can withstand even a major earthquake of 8-9 points. According to experts, the Motherland in Kiev will stand still for at least 150 years.
Sculpture "Worker and Collective Farm Girl"
Listing all the most famous cultural attractions of the USSR in the 20-30s, this object is worth mentioning in the first place. We are talking about the famous sculpture "Worker and Collective Farm Girl", installed in Moscow in 1939. By the way, for many foreigners it is almost the main symbol of the Soviet era.
The 25-meter-high stainless steel sculpture was originally made for the 1937 Paris World Exhibition. After some time, she was transported to the capital of the USSR and installed near one of the entrances of the VDNH complex. Soon, this monument became the emblem of the Mosfilm film studio.
In 2003, a large-scale restoration of the monument began. The supporting frame of the sculpture was strengthened and its pedestal replaced (as a result, it became ten meters higher). Today, under the monument is a museum that tells in detail about the history of the creation of this monument of Soviet monumental art.