Angelina Romanova
Native Muscovite
Moscow is not only a trade, industrial and business hub of Russia; tourist flows, which are growing every year, play an important role. Therefore, more and more attention is being paid to the development of hotels; colossal sums are invested in them and strict compliance with the requirements of international standards is strictly monitored. Hotel "Ukraine", and today "Radisson Collection, Moscow", was no exception. Having received the status of a historical and cultural monument in 2005, it remains a modern and developing organism with its own full life inside.
general information
Hotel "Ukraine" in Moscow is one of the seven Stalinist skyscrapers, known as the "seven sisters". The initiative to erect the buildings belonged to I. Stalin. He coordinated all projects personally, since the task was to globally shape the appearance of Moscow in the post-war period. And since the USSR entered the Cold War with the United States, skyscrapers, as a symbol of American prosperity, had to “rise” in the Soviet Union.
Stalin wanted to time the construction of these key buildings to coincide with the 800th anniversary of Moscow, so the foundations were laid in the late 40s. During the life of the leader, only seven high-rise buildings were built. The project for the eighth building was not implemented.
The Ukraine Hotel building in Moscow is the most recently completed building of the entire project. The towering skyscraper at the source of Kutuzovsky Prospekt, decorated with a 73-meter spire, is slightly inferior in height to the Moscow State University building.
The Stalin skyscraper on Kutuzovsky Prospekt is a historical monument and an example of its time. In addition, since its foundation, the Ukraina Hotel has been loved by many famous writers, politicians, businessmen, and actors from different parts of the world, as evidenced by their entries in the book of honorable guests.
Photos of the Ukraina Hotel in Moscow
Where is it located and how to get there?
Address of the Ukraine Hotel in Moscow: Kutuzovsky Prospekt, 2/1с1.
You can get there from the following metro stations:
- Kievskaya - 13 minutes on foot or 1 stop by bus No. 157 from Kievsky station;
- Krasnopresnenskaya - 19 minutes on foot or 3 stops by bus No. 116;
- Smolenskaya - 21 minutes on foot or 2 stops by bus M2, M27.
You can also take a taxi and drop off at the main entrance or use your own car. Parking is available both outdoor and underground.
Hotel "Ukraine" on the map of Moscow:
Story
According to Stalin's idea, these buildings were supposed to become a kind of symbol of the Soviet era. Initially, this project was given the name “Dorogomilovo”, since the construction of the building was planned on the territory of the Dorogomilovskaya outpost.
In the mid-50s, this was the outskirts of Moscow, built up with slums. But after the construction of the bridge across the Moscow River and the start of construction of the hotel, the slums were demolished. Stalin planned to build one of the main arteries of Moscow nearby, which is why Kutuzovsky Prospekt appeared, turning into the Novoarbatsky Bridge, which connected the high-rise with the city center.
Construction of the hotel lasted 4 years. Due to the proximity to the river and unstable soil, it was necessary to carry out powerful strengthening of the foundation. The project was complex and required the use of all technical knowledge and innovation. An important role was played by the establishment of internal components and communications to ensure the life of such an object.
Moment of construction
The hotel was completed in a hurry, as it was the main venue for foreign delegates of the VI World Festival of Youth and Students in 1957. According to the instructions of Khrushchev, who came to power after the death of Joseph Vissarionovich, construction did not stop even at night, so on May 25, 1957 the first tourists were able to enter the hotel.
The Ukraine Hotel in Moscow subsequently received this name because during construction in 1954 the 300th anniversary of the reunification of Russia and Ukraine was celebrated, and the new head of the USSR gravitated towards it.
By order of Khrushchev, part of the building was given over to residential premises.
At the end of the 90s, the Ukraine Hotel lost its former luxury; it needed not only external, but also internal reconstruction, since both the equipment and interiors were very outdated, and the furniture was dilapidated. In 1997, a small cosmetic renovation was carried out.
In the early 2000s, it became clear that the hotel required renovation and the development of a new concept for its existence. In 2010, after a global reconstruction while preserving its historical appearance, the hotel opened under a different name, namely “Radisson Royal”.
The hotel received 5 stars and meets all international standards of a hotel of this level. And since January 2021, it has been joined to the Radisson Collection brand and is the embodiment of both historical values and high-class service.
Hotel Ukraine in Moscow, history
Hotel Ukraine is one of the seven Stalinist skyscrapers in Moscow. The hotel building was built at an accelerated pace for the International Festival of Youth and Students, which was scheduled for 1957. The Ukraine Hotel in Moscow initially included 1,000 hotel rooms and 254 apartments.
The outer part of the building is decorated with obelisks, vases made of sheaves of wheat, and decorative walls made of five-pointed stars. The hotel's interior is also characterized by lush decorative decoration with marble and picturesque lampshades. Hotel Ukraine is 206 meters high with a spire and consists of three parts. The central part of the hotel includes 34 floors.
The hotel is located in an important place, from the point of view of urban planning, at the Dorogomilovskaya bend of the Moscow River on the Taras Shevchenko embankment. The building was erected even before the construction of the Novo-Arbatsky Bridge and the active development of the adjacent part of Kutuzovsky Prospekt.
The high-rise was supposed to become a vertical marking the beginning of the newly laid Kutuzovsky Avenue. According to the master plan for the reconstruction of Moscow in 1935, the designed avenue was supposed to be called Constitution Avenue and it was supposed to run past Poklonnaya Gora through the Dorogomilovsky district to the center. Now these are New Arbat and Kutuzovsky Prospekt.
Back view
Architecture
Stalin's skyscrapers, and in particular the Ukraine Hotel, are designed in the Empire style. The hotel building is one of the key points of the city in the light shade of finishing stone characteristic of this style with clear straight lines on the outside and arched curves on the inside, as well as the symmetry of the entire structure. It is formed by a central tower and two buildings on the sides.
The Stalinist Empire style is characterized by the pomp of buildings, which is given by columns and rich decoration in the form of stucco moldings and pilasters. Corner turrets and flowerpots made in the form of sheaves of wheat ears are used as decorative elements. Also in the design of the hotel a large number of Soviet symbols were used: stars, hammers and sickles, wreaths, obelisks. The high-rise spire is crowned with a gilded star framed by a wreath.
After reconstruction in the 2000s, the facades of the buildings, the first and second, as well as the three upper floors, were preserved with all their premises by agreement with the new owners of the project. The heavy wooden doors and vaults in the entrance area were restored, and a large amount of marble and granite in the decoration was left to maintain the original monumental style.
Interior
During the three years of reconstruction, not only the facades of the building were restored, but also elements of the interior decor and interior details. Until this time, the Ukraina Hotel maintained its original interiors and furnishings: inlaid parquet flooring, massive furniture, deep colors.
Heavy and solid columns and tall marble vaults remained in the new interior and harmonize perfectly with it.
It was possible to purchase new ones, as well as preserve and restore unique works of painting and sculpture commissioned by the government for this hotel. The hotel contains more than 1 thousand works by Russian artists. These are originals by V. Polenov, A. Deineka, M. Suzdaltsev, which decorate the rooms, cafes and halls.
The lampshade “Labor and Harvest Festival in Hospitable Ukraine,” created in 1957 to decorate the hall, was not only preserved in the hotel interior, but also supplemented with a painted frame and lighting.
Plafond “Labour and Harvest Festival in Hospitable Ukraine” in the central hall of the hotel
The hotel is also proud of the interactive diorama “Moscow - the capital of the USSR” from 1977. Moscow of that time is depicted on an area of more than 300 meters.
Advantages and disadvantages
Pros and cons of including the Radisson Collection hotel in your wedding itinerary
You can feel the spirit of history at the Ukraina Hotel: it is beautiful, solemn, and at the same time spacious and cozy. However, there are also disadvantages inherent in the center of the capital. First of all, decide on the style of the photo shoot, and then choose a place for a wedding walk that suits your tastes.
pros
pros
pros
pros
pros
pros
pros
pros
pros
- panoramic views of Europe Square, Government House, Ukraine Hotel and Moscow embankments;
- proximity to the Moscow River, the possibility of traveling and filming on a yacht;
- green spaces, flower beds, amenities.
Minuses
Minuses
Minuses
Minuses
Minuses
Minuses
Minuses
Minuses
Minuses
- a large number of travelers and tourists, crowded;
- severe air pollution (as in the entire center), reconstruction work is possible;
- The open Novoarbatsky Bridge is inconvenient in case of bad weather.
Hotel infrastructure today
The hotel infrastructure resembles a “city within a city”. Now the hotel has about 500 rooms of different levels. The rooms feature high ceilings and fine Italian furniture and textiles. On the territory of the hotel, inside and outside, there are 16 restaurants and bars with their own signature cuisine and unique concept.
Hotel "Ukraine", and now "Radisson Collection, Moscow" is famous for one of the largest fitness centers in Europe with an indoor 50-meter pool, gym and spa complex.
A Rolls-Royce dealership, shops, its own library, a congress park with meeting rooms equipped with multifunctional equipment and halls - this is an incomplete list of the opportunities that the hotel offers.
Main entrance to the hotel
Architects of the Ukraina Hotel
The architect of the Ukraine Hotel was A. Mordvinov, who specialized more in the high-speed construction of new quarters of Moscow. His ideas were more relevant to solving problems with the catastrophic shortage of living space for Moscow citizens.
Therefore, to work on the Ukraine Hotel project, he attracted the newly released architect V. Oltarzhevsky, who took part in the work on the project of the All-Union Agricultural Exhibition in Moscow and was repressed in the 1930s on charges of sabotage.
After the death of I. Stalin, the architects of the skyscraper had to justify their construction for a long time. At the suggestion of N. Khrushchev, incredible criticism began of both the structure and the architects who created it. Most of the architects who took part in the work on high-rise buildings, including the Ukraine Hotel, lost Stalin's prizes and high positions. Architect A. Mordvinov was disgracedly removed from the post of President of the USSR Academy of Architecture.
Side view
Residential apartments
Two symmetrical extensions on the sides of the main high-rise building contain 254 apartments. Of course, already in the 50s, after the construction of the hotel, housing was considered elite, so the main owners of apartments here were political workers, stars of music, cinema, and art.
At one time, the director of the film “Quiet Don” Sergei Gerasimov, Soviet writers A. Rybakov and B. Bedny, relatives of USSR Marshal K. Voroshilov and hundreds of other equally famous people lived here.
Also, many Soviet poets loved to be here. Until now, this housing belongs to a high class, especially since in 1987 the building of the Ukraina Hotel was included in the register of cultural heritage sites.
Hotel pier
The pier was built in 1961, several years after the construction of the hotel itself. It is located on the Taras Shevchenko embankment, which is adjacent to the hotel park. In 2010, the pier was reconstructed. It was from that moment that the hotel had its own Radisson Royal flotilla.
Flotilla Hotel
Thanks to ice-class ships, at any time of the year everyone has the opportunity to explore the main attractions from the water. The flotilla has ten yachts with first-class restaurants and service. The panoramic glazing of the yachts will make the route through the Sparrow Hills to the Cathedral of Christ the Savior and back through Zaryadye Park unusually impressive.
Stalin's skyscraper - Hotel "Ukraine"
The five-star hotel "Ukraine", which now bears the official name "Radisson Royal Hotel Moscow", is included in the list of famous "Stalin's skyscrapers" and ranks second in height after the main building of Moscow State University. Opened in 1957, it is still considered one of the largest hotels on the European continent. Nowadays, opposite the hotel building there is the so-called “White House” - the House of the Government of the Russian Federation.
The hotel, located on the Moskva River embankment at the very beginning of Kutuzovsky Prospekt, received its name during the reign of N. Khrushchev. The project name under Stalin was “Hotel complex in Drogomilovo”. The modern name - “Radisson Royal Hotel Moscow” - was assigned to the hotel after large-scale restoration work completed in 2010.
Such masters as architect A. Mordvinov and design engineer P. Krasilnikov worked on the creation of the future hotel. V. Kalish, V. Saprykin and V. Oltarzhevsky also took part in the development of the project. The latter specialized in the design and construction of hotels, and also studied the technology of constructing high-rise buildings in New York. In total, more than two thousand people took part in the design and construction of “Ukraine”.
The architectural design of the hotel organically intertwined the latest construction technologies of that time and the traditions of palace architecture. The severity of the geometry of the wings, the presence of corner turrets, the spire on the tower of the central building - all this gives the building the severity and grandeur inherent in the residences of monarchs. It wasn't just the appearance that was royal. The interior decoration of the rooms, corridors, service - all this made the Ukraine Hotel a luxurious five-star hotel for its time, the largest in all of Europe. This reputation continues to this day.
Some numerical data. The height of the hotel is 206 m with a spire, the number of floors is 34, the total area is about 90,000 square meters. Tourists are offered 497 luxurious rooms of different categories and 38 apartments, which have everything they need for a long stay. In addition, the hotel’s “arsenal” includes six stationary bars with the most diverse menus and cocktail menus (the bars are located on the upper floors, which allows visitors to enjoy not only food and drinks, but also a stunning panoramic view of Moscow), as well as a flotilla of ten pleasure yacht-restaurants making voyages along the Moscow River even in the winter season. The first yachts appeared in 2009, and between 2012 and 2014 their number increased from five to ten. Yachts ply from the hotel pier to the Gorky Park pier and back.
The hotel has a conference center, and after a large-scale restoration, a beauty and health center appeared. There is a swimming pool, rooms for martial arts, a gym, a massage room, a spa, three types of baths (Russian bath, European sauna, Turkish hammam), and an entertainment corner for the youngest guests.
Hotel "Ukraine" is attractive not only for tourists, but also for film directors. To begin with, footage depicting the construction of a high-rise appears at the beginning of the film “True Friends.” It is in “Ukraine” that the main events of the film “The Saint” and part of the plot of the film “Northern Lights” unfold. And the hero of the film “The Russia House” Barley Blair (played by Sean Connery) often comes to Moscow on duty and stays in one of the rooms of the “Ukraine” hotel.
