There is a hotel right in the centre of Moscow, just a few steps from Kremlin and other administrative buildings. It’s name was “RUSSIA” once.
And today the building is being destructed, brick by brick. Why don’t they use a controlled demolition? Some say just because to avoid the dust spreading all over the Moscow downtown, as it was after the demolition of WTC towers (I don’t mean here their demolition was controlled though, as some sources state).
Some people say it is a great pity, they consider this building to be a piece of Moscow history, others think it’s a right decision because the hotel architecture was awful and doesn’t fit to the centre of Moscow.
Anyway they removed all the huge signs “RUSSIA” from the hotel, so nobody could capture the photos of how Russia was demolished. What a symbolism.
This is how this hotel looked like before, during the Soviet era.
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It was a real symbol of Moscow, all the visitors to Russia, who travelled to Moscow and to Red Square have seen this hotel.
And this is what happening on site today.
All the demolition works a conducted manually, without explosives.
The nearby church has been already renovated, so the authorities of Moscow want to renovate and build a few new buildings on the site where this magnificent building was standing.
This is how they see the site in future. This mean a lot of new buildings, new owners and new bribes to Moscow authorities.
If you are planning on visiting Moscow, better do it before the landscape would change, then you’ll get a taste of Soviet Moscow downtown.
Some photos used are from Drugoi
PPL don’t actually use explosives that much you know. Here in the UK most buildings are demolished manually too. It’s easier to seperate the materials.
[...] English Russia writes about and posts pictures of the changes taking place in Moscow: the demolition of the Rossiya Hotel and a photo comparison of a certain Moscow area. Two-Zero’s diary has pictures of Moscow’s new and old subway trains, as well as a couple of pictures taken during a rare flight over the megapolis and a series of late-summer Moscow shots. [...]
i banged a tranny in that hotel once. good time. sorry to see it go.
Thanks for posting about this. The Rossiya was part of many visitors’ experiences in Moscow, including my own. I wouldn’t call it magnificent – it was pretty ugly, in fact – but it was definitely part of the landscape, and I’m surprised to see it go.
it’s the right decision to dismantle this hotel cause it was ugly and huge. The author could also mention that the same thing happened with another Moscow hotel – “Inturist” ( Tverskaya st., just near Kremlin) several years before.
My room! My room, they’re tearing down My hotel room, it’s gone. I will be shocked to not see the Rossiya next to Red Square.
Ahhh, tears of memory lost. Best Wishes, Traveller
Yes, very ugly and huge. It was a very sad story about appearence of this bilding…
But it was the last 3-star hotel in the center of Moscow, isn’t it?
sorry for my english))a’m drinking from early morning))
An Era Now Gone:…
One of Moscow’s most visible landmarks of the Soviet era, the Russia Hotel (just a few steps from the Kremlin) is being demolished brick by brick. It’s all in -great- pictures @ English Russia Blog…….
If that hotel building is right next door to some ancient historical landmarks, then they won’t use explosives for fear of damaging the landmark buildings when the explosion goes off.
I remember seeing the “Russia”, but I stayed in the Hotel Moskva (mid-90s). Is that one still there?
dRE – are you so bold (or naive) as to suggest that public officials don’t get bribed in Russia (and especially Moscow?)
I’d love to see these words from you, so that every other Russian on the planet could ridicule you for saying so …
As to Alex – you know, the only people who I have ever heard suggest that Russia has bears on the street, are Russians who cite it as some stereotypical Western impression. I’ve never once ever heard any westerner ask or talk about bears wandering around Russia. But Russians sure seem to love to perpetuate this stereotype.
Now tanks – sure, lots of westerners ask about the tanks rolling around the streets
That is sad. Soviet and communist architecture was beautiful. Yet it keeps getting destroyed. I think one of the most beautiful things about soviet countries is the old and abandoned buildings of the age. Such as this hotel. I feel bad that its going.
W.Shedd: You obviously didn’t understand what I was saying. Yes, Moscow officials get bribed, I NEVER said it wasn’t so. What I meant is that from the author’s words it seems very negative that an old ugly Soviet building is destroyed and new modern offices are erected instead, which somehow only means “new bribes to Moscow authorities”, rather than an overall positive aspect on the Moscow landscape.
SWLiP: No, “Moskva” has been also taken down already for quite some time now, although they’re building a new hotel on its place which will resemble “Moskva” on the outside.
How sad! I spent a week there just two summers ago. It was a monster, but lovely.
when I was in moscow this summer the construction was surrounded by a HUGE 4-sided rolex watch banner. So appropriate; so sad. My parents were married at the rossiya in 1973.
And so goes the last place of affordable accommodation in the center of Moscow…
Shame to see it go, we stayed there several nights just before I got run over by the trans-Siberian train.
It’s a shame. I used to love that old monstrosity. The only other cheap place to stay is far from the center, at the Ismailova Park.
Somebody show me an honest politician. It seems that I hear a lot about Russia being corrupt, of course it is, all governments are corrupt. I especially like to point out my American government, bought and paid for by corporate American. AMERICA, BY THE CORPORATION, FOR THE CORPORATION!!
I want to add too that it about time they tore down that heap. Next they need to do in Kursk Vokzal. That has to be the ugliest building on earth.
Is the Hotel Belgrade still standing? I stayed there a couple of times in the 90′s,and the price was very reasonable.
It was old, and it was ugly. But I have so many good memories from that hotel! I stayed there in 2003 and used to marvel at the views from my hotel window. I met my husband there! I feel very emotional about it’s demise.
It’s the same thing all across Europe: They – politicians and financiers – are eradicating historical objects linked to local national references in favor of contructing a new urban landsacape consisisting of only the worst and most unimiginative architectual “designs” available. They are basically turning the whole world into one boring s***hole of mediocracy and nothingness as we speak.
I guess you’ve never been to Russia, huh? Bribery is a synonym for Russia.
Bribes! When my Russian wife and I visit Russia I have in my left pants pocket…fresh new $20.00 just to pay bribes with.
The…New Russia!
When I stayed in Rossiya Hotel in 1960, I was told then that
it was the largest hotel in the world at that time.
Correction from Bill. It was my 2nd trip to Moscow in 1972 that I was told the Rossiya Hotel was then the largest hotel in the world.
It was fairly new at the time, but I noticed then that the
construction was inferior. Most of the masonry work was cracking and cracks appeared everywhere.
Too bad, I had some great times in Moskva and always stayed in that hotel. The rooms were terrible and it took FOREVER to get to my room, but it was a memorable place nontheless. It had a diskoteka 5 stories underground and the views of Red Square from the corner cafes on the upper levels were breathtaking…. Many times I would eat with friends in them before going out to the clubs. What will be replacing it? Another, nicer hotel? That was the good thing about that hotel, it was so big they always had rooms available and it was only $100 which is pretty good for the center of Moskva!
I stayed there in 2000 in renovated room. It was nice, view of Kremlin and decent breakfast. For $70 a night it was a bargain.
Stayed in here when Glasgow Rangers played Moscow Dynamo in 2001.
Took me an hour to find my room after I tried to access it from the wrong reception desk.
A prostitute named Lilian(one of the many who strolled around teh hotel offering their wares)followed me rond for hours.
The hotel also hosted the Russian Big Brother when we were there.
Hotel was very dated and the rooms not clean, and I imagine it would have cost too much to renovate.
I enjoyed my stay there in 2006. I have a goofy picture posing with pirate statutes that were in the lobby for no apparent reason. RIP Hotel Russia.
I was part of a party that stayed there on its last night before closing… 31/12/05 was our last night there.
I’ll never forget it, for the Stalinist architecture, the never-ending corridors and dated salons / bars etc. on each corner and because I had to allow an extra hour to get both in and out of the place… it was so huge!!
We were told not to expect any service, beds made, breakfast, as it was closing down.
Memorable!
Also, my father later told me he’d stayed there in the 70′s and remembers fleas in the bed and the dirty cutlery at breakfast
Something, also, about the phone being tapped because of the business associate he was visiting.
Wonderful stuff!
Stayed there in 1972 got lost so many times!! food was disgusting,however an experience I shall never ever forget.Was taken there by Indesit(promotion). The illusion 62 we travelled back to Paris on (then on to Gatwick Bac111) crashed on it’s return to Russia killing 160 passengers and crew.
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I loved that old hotel. The cuboid perimter block was a too big, and a bit ugly, but the central tower was grand and lovely, with its immmense bronze flagstaff. And such spectacular views! Many happy memories over a number of years.
I have to say, when i was there, the rooms were refurbished and clean. In fact, quite elegant. But this was the block facing the Kremlin, which was more expensive. I guess the other three blocks weren’t as good. Still, $ 100 US was a really good deal. In those days (2000-2005) the cheaper blocks were only $50.00 a night.