Moscow Guide
The Zemlyanoy Gorod
Kudrinskaya ploshchad
Kudrinskaya ploshchad is a jumping-off point for several sights in the vicinity and one of the most distinctive junctions on the Garden Ring. As you can see from afar, Kudrinskaya is dominated by a 22-storey Stalin skyscraper laden with pinnacles but relatively free of reliefs and statuary. Built in 1950–54, it was the last of Moscow's skyscrapers. According to Khrushchev, Stalin justified their erection on the grounds that "We've won the war and are recognized the world over as the glorious victors. We must be ready for an influx of foreign visitors. What will happen if they walk around Moscow and find no skyscrapers? They will make unfavourable comparisons with capitalist cities." The Kudrinskaya block was originally reserved for Party bigwigs, but its large, stylish flats are now favoured by rich New Russians.