The Palace of Soviets is one of the ambitious, grandiose and unrealized construction projects developed by leading architects of the Soviet Union in the thirties of the XX century. According to the authors, this colossal building was supposed to be the largest and tallest in the world and be a symbol of the greatness of the communist country and its leader, Joseph Stalin.

Before the construction of the majestic structure began, the Soviet government announced a competition for the best project. It was attended by leading architects of that era, representatives of different architectural styles: Moisey Ginzburg, the Vesnin brothers, Nikolai Ladovsky and a number of other major specialists.

The version of the project, which was finally approved by the government, belonged to architect Boris Iofan. The building was to be erected on the site of the destroyed Cathedral of Christ the Savior. Construction work, the solemn motto of which was the propaganda phrase “Instead of a hotbed of dope, the Palace of Soviets”, began in 1932. The height of the building was supposed to be 420 meters, and it was planned to install a huge statue of the proletarian leader Vladimir Ilyich Lenin on the top.

However, Stalin's ambitious plans did not come true. In 1941, with the beginning of the Great Patriotic War, the foundation part of the building, which had already been built, was destroyed. The metal frame, made of the most durable steel at that time, was used as a material for the manufacture of anti-tank hedgehogs, railway bridges and all kinds of defensive barriers.

Some time after the victory over the Nazi invaders, the USSR government again announced a competition for the design of the Palace of Soviets. However, this time, work on the construction of the symbol of the Soviet “happy life” was not even destined to begin. On the site where the mighty 400-meter colossus was supposed to rise, a huge swimming pool (the largest in the country) was built.

After the collapse of the Soviet Union, the basin ceased to function. Nowadays, the golden domes of the Cathedral of Christ the Savior rise here again, and the non-existent Palace of Soviets is considered to be the main utopia of Soviet architecture.