Sutyagin House
Former gangster Nikolai Sutyagin called this “wooden skyscraper” home before it was destroyed earlier this year. The family home was 13 stories high and was built over 15 years. It was dubbed a fire hazard in 2008 and condemned to demolition in 2009.
Source: Wikimedia, http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e0/Sutyagin_house_4.JPG
Komsomolskaya
Source: Urban Rail, http://www.urbanrail.net/eu/ru/mos/img/Line-5/M5-Komsomolskaya-09.jpg
One of the many stunning subway stations in Moscow, Komsomolskaya station’s interior boasts Baroque décor while the exterior reflects the late Stalinist style of the 1940s. Devoid of the streamlined and drab interior of most stations, Komsomolskaya is a visual delight adorned with torches and chandeliers, vaulted ceilings and octagonal columns.
St. Basil’s Cathedral
Commissioned by Ivan the Terrible in honor of his successful military campaign against the Mongols in 1552, St. Basil’s Cathedral was built between 1555 and 1561. Postnik Yakolev designed stunning and colorful cathedral, which comprises nine individual chapels. The domed exterior was designed to resemble a bonfire flame rising into the sky.
Source: The Adventure Post, http://www.theadventurepost.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/121011_PicThis_StBasils_Russia.jpg
Source: Wonder Mondo, http://www.wondermondo.com/Images/Europe/Russia/Moscow/StBasilsInt.jpg
Winter Palace
Source: River Design, http://river-design.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2009/04/20090417_0295.jpg
Designed in stages by various architects – most notably Francesco Bartolomeo Rastrelli – the Winter Palace was the official residence of Russian monarchs from 1732 to 1917. Peter I first commissioned it in 1703 and construction began on the banks of the Neva River in St. Petersburg.
In early designs, the Winter Palace was a small building consisting of only two floors. Over time, the building expanded to the sprawling beacon that it is today. The exterior is constructed in the Baroque style with the interior boasting of 1500 rooms – throne rooms, bedrooms, offices and galleries.
Source: Blogspot, http://3.bp.blogspot.com/___GMi2A_Sko/S_l3RRc-NWI/AAAAAAAAAZo/yJHSO7BXAyw/s1600/SANY0663.JPG
Source: Oz Turk, http://www.ozturk.com.au/images/Russia/DSC_0838%20-Interior%20of%20Winter%20Palace%20in%20St%20Petersburg.JPG
Catherine Palace
Source: Liberty International, http://www.liberty-international.org/Public/LIT/CatherinePalace.jpg
Situated near St. Petersburg in the town of Tsarskoye Selo, the Catherine Palace was the summer residence of the Russian tsars. Commissioned in 1717, the palace is decorated in the Rococo style and is considered an eighth wonder of the world.
The opulent building consists of a ballroom, painted ceilings, sculptures, numerous bedrooms and various false windows with mirrors to make the hall appear brighter and longer. The interior is decorated in the baroque style with gilded wall-carvings, flowers, ceiling murals and gilded furnishings.
Source: TravelPod, http://images.travelpod.com/tripwow/photos/ta-0099-6c7e-a922/catherine-palace-pushkin-russia+1152_12755104735-tpfil02aw-30576.jpg
Source: Wikimedia, http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/db/Bernsteinzimmer02.jpg
Source: Wikimedia, http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/42/Catherine_palace_ballroom_1.jpg
