From 1922 to 1991, on the map of the planet there was a huge state formation in terms of area and the most powerful in terms of economic potential - the Soviet Union (USSR). The sights of this country, monuments of architecture and monumental art still amaze today with their scope, massiveness and extraordinary realism. They are preserved 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. We will talk about one iconic building of the Soviet era and two majestic monuments that adorned Kyiv and Moscow.
USSR, sights of architecture: Kharkiv Gosprom
If we talk about Soviet architecture, we can't help but think of constructivism, a style that was very popular in the 20s and 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.
Sights of Soviet architecture are distinguished by their massiveness and scale. The same can be said about 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 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 in operation).
USSR, sights of monumental art: "Motherland"
One of the most majestic and most famous monuments of the Soviet heritage - "Motherland" in Kyiv. The author of this memorial was the architect Yevgeny Vuchetich. He also designed a similar monument in Volgograd.
Kyiv Motherland has a height of 102 meters. The sculpture of a woman with a sword and shield is visible from many districts and residential areas of the Ukrainian capital. It was originally planned that the monument would be gilded, but later this idea was abandoned.
The monument was unveiled 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 in such a way that it can withstand even a large earthquake of 8-9 points. According to experts, the "Motherland" in Kyiv will stand for at least 150 more years.
Sculpture "Worker and Collective Farm Woman"
Listing all the mostfamous sights of the culture 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 perhaps the main symbol of the Soviet era.
The 25m high stainless steel sculpture was originally made for the 1937 Paris World's Fair. After some time, it was transported to the capital of the USSR and installed near one of the entrances of the VDNKh 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 was replaced (as a result, it became ten meters higher). Today, under the monument there is a museum that tells in detail about the history of the creation of this monument of Soviet monumental art.
