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Source: Moscow Government – Moscow Government –
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The classical-style ensemble of buildings of the N.I. Pirogov City Hospital No. 1, one of the oldest pharmacies on Prechistenka, the palace-like Sandunov Baths, and the Northern River Terminal, an outstanding example of Stalinist Empire style. Moscow boasts numerous architectural monuments that today fulfill their original function and are used just as they were decades ago. We explore the origins of these buildings and how the city is restoring them, preserving their cultural heritage.
From low-income hospitals to multidisciplinary hospitals
A three-story building in the austere classical style, adorned with a monumental portico with columns and a triangular pediment, the Golitsyn Hospital resembles a noble estate. This is precisely how the renowned architect Matvey Kazakov envisioned it. The interior was furnished with wards, treatment rooms, a pharmacy, and apartments for doctors. In 1802, the hospital admitted its first patients, and care was free, regardless of financial status or citizenship. Thirty-one years later, the First City Hospital opened next to the Golitsyn Hospital. It was intended for the poor and disadvantaged. In 1959, the Golitsyn, First, and Second City Hospitals were merged and named in honor of the legendary Russian surgeon.
Today N.I. Pirogov Hospital No. 1— one of the oldest and largest hospitals in Moscow. It comprises 25 buildings, 10 of which are recognized as architectural monuments of federal significance. Medical complex They are being modernized. The flagship and inter-district rheumatology centers have already opened, and the ward and treatment buildings have been renovated.
There is another hospital in Moscow with a history of more than a century – MorozovskayaIts design began at the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries, when measles, diphtheria, and whooping cough epidemics were constantly raging. The funds for the construction of the children's infectious diseases hospital were donated by philanthropist Alexei Morozov. The outpatient building opened in 1902. It is designed in the Art Nouveau style, decorated with projections (projecting sections from the façade) with attics (decorative walls) and bas-reliefs. Other buildings were built later.
Today, it is the largest multidisciplinary children's hospital in Russia, with 48 departments, some of which are located in a regional architectural landmark. As part of a comprehensive modernization program, a children's treatment building was built and the pediatric building was renovated. Buildings No. 15 and 16 are currently being renovated and historical outpatient.
On Prechistenka Street, there's a building (number 6) with the sign "Pharmacy" written in an old script. Medicines have been dispensed here for over 200 years. The eclectic-style building was erected in the 1790s, and the second floor was later converted into a pharmacy. In the 1970s, it moved to the first floor. This year, restoration work began on the façades of this regional architectural landmark, including its stucco decoration, cornices, and attic.
Sobyanin opened a renovated rheumatology center at the First City Hospital.Triage system, digital X-ray, and 11 operating rooms: how the flagship center of N.I. Pirogov City Clinical Hospital No. 1 is organized"A Beneficial Place": Glavarkhiv Tells the Story of the Golitsyn HospitalSobyanin announced the start of restoration of the historic building of the Morozov Hospital.
The station as a monument to its era and the world's first trotting hippodrome
In September 2020, after a large-scale restoration, it was reopened. Northern River Terminal— an architectural monument of regional significance. With its revival, Moscow reaffirmed its status as a port of five seas. The station was built alongside the Moscow-Volga Canal and opened in 1937. Architect Alexei Rukhlyadev was tasked with reflecting the aspirations of the young Soviet Union. His grandiose creation became an outstanding example of Stalinist Empire style. However, in the 1990s, the port fell into disrepair: scheduled routes were cancelled, and the building was occupied by offices and shops. The station was later closed due to its poor condition.
Specialists restored the building's facades, reminiscent of a two-deck ship with a mast, porcelain medallions, sculptures, antique clocks, a spire with a star, the central staircase, interiors, murals, stained glass windows, paintings, the embankment, and the park. Cruise ships depart from the pier again to dozens of Russian cities and tourist destinations. It's also a new fashionable spot in the city, hosting exhibitions. Moscow Transport Museum, film screenings, concerts, festivals, training and master classes, as well as wedding ceremonies.
Moscow also boasts the oldest trotting hippodrome in Russia and the world's first—a cultural heritage site of regional significance. In 1834, the first races were held here, in the southern part of Khodynka Field. This is an equestrian sport in which horses harnessed to a two-wheeled carriage compete for speed and endurance. Later, stands and a racing field were added to the hippodrome. The main building was designed in the late eclectic style. After a fire in 1949, it was rebuilt. The new building features a monumental ceremonial portico with horse sculptures on the roof, as well as a multi-tiered tower, the spire of which is crowned with a weather vane depicting an Orlov trotter (the pride of Russian horse breeding).
Now Central Moscow HippodromeThe stadium will be renovated, after which it will reopen to equestrian enthusiasts. Plans include renovating the main building, reopening the historic restaurant, restoring the competition area, and expanding the grandstands.
The Palace on the Khimki Reservoir: How the Northern River Terminal Has Been Transformed in Five YearsHow the Port of Five Seas was Reclaimed for Muscovites: Exploring the History of the Northern River Terminal's RevivalSobyanin: Reconstruction of the Moscow Hippodrome will be completed in a year
A symbol of technological progress and a palace of science
A cylindrical building with a reinforced concrete dome 27 meters in diameter, surrounded by vegetable gardens and horse-drawn carts – this is what it looked like Moscow Planetarium in 1929. Back then, the space age hadn't yet begun, and all the cultural venue had was an auditorium and a star-projecting machine.
From 1994 to 2011, this constructivist architectural landmark was closed for renovation. The historic building was raised six meters, and new spaces were constructed underneath. Now the planetarium is a regional architectural landmark, a multi-format scientific and educational center, and a symbol of technological progress. The Urania Museum displays meteorites, alien soil samples, antique telescopes, and a model of the solar system. The Lunarium is an experimental space where, using buttons and levers, you can trigger tsunamis, earthquakes, and tornadoes, or turn on a power plant. The Sky Park astronomy platform houses sundials and ancient instruments for understanding the universe. The heart of the planetarium—the Great Star Hall—provides full-dome films in addition to starry skies.
The main building of Lomonosov Moscow State University is a cultural heritage site of regional significance. It was partly inspired by the design for the monumental Palace of the Soviets, which was never built. The Stalinist Empire-style skyscraper resembles a stepped pyramid, its central section crowned with a spire. According to its designers, the structure embodied the intellectual and physical strength of the people who won the Great Patriotic War. Classes were first held in its auditoriums on September 1, 1953.
Work is currently underway to preserve the Palace of Science: the buildings of the Geology, Geography, and Mechanics and Mathematics departments have been restored, and the roof, façade, and decorative elements of the high-rise building will be restored by the end of this year.
Fulldome films about the Universe, Martian soil, and the Lunarium. How the Moscow Planetarium is celebrating its 95th anniversary.Three floors of the main building of Moscow State University on Sparrow Hills have been renovated.
Tsar Bathhouse in the heart of Moscow
At the corner of Neglinnaya Street (building 14) and Sandunovsky Lane stands a three-story palace in the Beaux-Arts style, decorated with elements of Baroque, Renaissance, Rococo, Gothic, and Classical styles. This is the famous Sanduny Baths, a regional cultural heritage site and the oldest public baths in Moscow, which have been welcoming visitors since 1808. Their creation is linked to the love story of Sila Sandunov and Elizaveta Uranova, actors of Catherine the Great's court theater. The Empress not only allowed the lovers to marry but also presented them with diamonds as a wedding gift. After selling the jewels, Sila Sandunov purchased a plot of land in Moscow and built the baths. The interior was decorated with Italian marble, English porcelain, and Swiss tiles. Water was supplied by a separate pipeline from the Babiegorod Dam, and electricity was provided by a private power plant. The baths included a commoners' section and noble suites.
The baths were frequented by the Grand Dukes of Romanov, writers Anton Chekhov and Leo Tolstoy, composer Sergei Rachmaninoff, and director Sergei Eisenstein. Singer Feodor Chaliapin called them the Tsar Bathhouse. Today, you can take a tour of Sanduny, organized by Museum of Moscow, and take a steam bath.
It was restored in 2023 two historical halls— the halls of the first male and highest female classes. The walls' original color, floral patterns, and images of mythological figures, which were hidden under layers of paint, were restored. Historical mosaic panels were recreated from archives.
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