Russia: Moscow – Stalin’s Seven Sisters Skyscrapers
This was like a treasure hunt around Moscow – finding and photographing the Stalin’s Seven Sisters. These are seven skyscrapers that redefined the Moscow skyline when they were built between 1947-52. At the time of construction, these were the seven tallest buildings in Europe (and one of them actually held on to the title until 1997). The buildings were built by Stalin as propaganda of the Soviet Union rising after the destruction of the WWII, but also on expectation that everybody would want to rush to visit Moscow – massive amounts of resources were spent in the construction of the seven skyscrapers that easily rivaled the Manhattan skyline. All seven buildings are in the in similar wedding cake style, with the central spire adorned by a star or other Soviet symbol – a mixture of communist brutalism and baroque/gothic. Two of the buildings are government offices (including the Ministry of Foreign Affairs), two are apartment complexes, two are luxury hotels, and the largest and most impressive is the Moscow State University. All seven are spectacularly lit at night.
