15 Famous Russian Buildings That will Blow your Mind

Photo by Laura Buron. Unsplash.

15 Famous Russian Buildings That will Blow your Mind

Russian buildings are known to be vibrantly painted structures that include domes, sloped roofs, and the ornate decoration. These structures are widely spread across Russia and they serve various purposes. St. Basil’s Cathedral is Russia’s most recognizable attraction and it’s located in Red Square, Moscow.

However, there are many more structural attractions in Russia. They are both beautiful to look at and and functional in nature. These buildings range from cathedrals to Russia. If you are looking for famous buildings in Russia then this is the article for you. Listed below are the 15 Famous Russian Buildings That will Blow your Mind.

1. Winter Palace

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The Winter Palace is a palace in Saint Petersburg. This was the official residence of the Russian Emperor from 1732 to 1917. The Hermitage Museum is now located inside the palace. Winter palace was constructed by emperors in a magnificent size that aimed to reflect the economic status and power of Imperial Russia.

The Winter Palace has 1,500 rooms, 1,786 doors and 1,945 windows. Several architects participated in designing the Winter Palace. One of them is the famous Italian architect Bartolomeo Rastrelli. Construction occurred from 1700 to 1771. The Winter Palace utilizes the architectural style known as the Elizabethan Baroque style.

2. St. Basil’s Cathedral

The Cathedral of Vasily the Blessed is commonly known as Saint Basil’s Cathedral. It is an Orthodox church in the Red Square of Moscow. The cathedral is one of the most popular cultural symbols of Russia. The building is formally known as the Cathedral of the Intercession of the Most Holy Theotokos on the Moat, or Pokrovsky Cathedral.

It was built from 1555 to 1561 on orders from Ivan the Terrible. This was in commemoration of the capture of Kazan and Astrakhan. It was the city’s tallest building until the completion of the Ivan the Great Bell Tower in 1600. The Cathedral of St. Basil the Blessed was built as a visual representation of the Heavenly Jerusalem. It now serves as a museum.

3. Ostankino Television Towers

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Ostankino Tower is a television and radio tower in Moscow, Russia. The tower is owned by the Moscow branch of the Russian TV and Radio Broadcasting Network. The tower is 540.1 meters. It was designed by Nikolai Nikitin, Pyotr Gorchakov and Yuri Kondratyuk.

As of 2022, Ostankino was the tallest free-standing structure in Europe and 12th tallest in the world. Between 1967 and 1974, it was the tallest in the world. Ostankino was built to mark the 50th anniversary of the October Revolution. It is named after the surrounding Ostankino district of Moscow.

4. Bolshoi Theatre

The Bolshoi Theatre is a historic theatre in Moscow, Russia. It was designed by architect Joseph Bové. The theatre holds ballet and opera performances. The Bolshoi Ballet and Bolshoi Opera are among the oldest and best known ballet and opera companies in the world.

It is by far the world’s biggest ballet company having more than 200 dancers. The main building of the theatre is a landmark of Moscow and Russia. In fact, its iconic neoclassical façade is depicted on the Russian 100-ruble banknote.

5. Cathedral of Christ the Savior

Photo by Alvesgaspar. Wikimedia Commons.

The Cathedral of Christ the Saviour is a Russian Orthodox cathedral in Moscow, Russia. The cathedral has an overall height of 103 meters and is therefore the third tallest Orthodox Christian church building in the world.

This is after after the People’s Salvation Cathedral in Bucharest, Romania and Saints Peter and Paul Cathedral in Saint Petersburg, Russia. In 2000, the cathedral was the venue for the Canonization of the Romanovs when the last Tsar Nicholas II and his family were glorified as saints.

6. State Hermitage Museum

The State Hermitage Museum is a museum of art and culture in Saint Petersburg, Russia. It is the largest art museum in the world by virtue of its gallery space.

This museum was established in 1764 when Empress Catherine the Great acquired a huge collection of paintings from the Berlin merchant Johann Ernst Gotzkowsky. The museum celebrates the anniversary of its founding each year on 7 December, Saint Catherine’s Day. The museum has been open to the public since 1852. Its collection of over 2 million pieces.

7. Kazan Cathedral

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Kazan Cathedral is also known as the Cathedral of Our Lady of Kazan. This is a cathedral of the Russian Orthodox Church on the Nevsky Prospekt in Saint Petersburg. It is dedicated to Our Lady of Kazan who is a venerated icon in Russia. Construction of the cathedral started in 1801 and continued for ten years.

The construction took place under the supervision of Alexander Sergeyevich Stroganov. Kazan Cathedral was designed by architect Andrey Voronikhin who modelled the building on St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome. The Kazan Cathedral is said to be the model for the neoclassical style of Helsinki Cathedral located in Finland.

8. Peter and Paul Fortress

The Peter and Paul Fortress is the original citadel of St. Petersburg. It was established by Peter the Great in 1703. Peter and Paul Fortress was designed by architect Domenico Trezzini. Construction took place from 1706 to 1740.

Between the the 1700s and early 1920s, Perse and Paul Fortress served as a prison for political criminals. It has been a museum since 1924. Today it is regarded as the center and most important part of the State Museum of Saint Petersburg. The museum has become the sole owner of the fortress building.

9. State Historical Museum

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The State Historical Museum of Russia is a museum dedicated to the Russian history. It is located between Red Square and Manege Square in Moscow.

The museum’s exhibitions range from relics of prehistoric tribes to priceless artworks acquired by members of the Romanov dynasty. There are millions of artworks in the museum’s collection. The museum was founded by Ivan Zabelin, Aleksey Uvarov and several other Slavophiles interested in promoting Russian history. This was done in 1872.

10. Peterohf Palace

Peterohf Palace is a series of palaces and gardens located in Petergof, Saint Petersburg, Russia. The construction of the palace was commissioned by Peter the Great. He wanted a palace like the Palace of Versailles by Louis XIV of France.

The building’s architect between 1714 and 1728 was Domenico Trezzini. He made use of  the Petrine Baroque architectural style. The palace is recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Throughout the early 18th century, Peter the Great built and expanded the Peterhof Palace complex. He did this as part of his aim to modernize and westernize Russia.

11. The Moscow Kremlin

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The Kremlin is a complex in the center of Moscow. The Kremlin was established by the Rurik dynasty. The Moscow Kremlin is the most well known of the kremlins in Russia. In it’s grandeur, the Kremlin has five palaces, four cathedrals, and the Kremlin towers.

Inside the Kremlin stands the Grand Kremlin Palace that was formerly the Tsar’s Moscow residence. The building now serves as the official residence of the President of the Russian Federation. It is also a museum with around one million visitors annually.

12. Catherine Palace

The Catherine Palace is a Rococo palace in Tsarskoye Selo, Russia. The palace served as the summer residence of the Russian tsars. The Palace forms part of the World Heritage Site Saint Petersburg and Related Groups of Monuments.

The palace was named after Catherine I who was the wife of Peter the Great. Peter the Great owned a country estate in the area. The palace however, owes its fame to Catherine’s daughter Elizabeth who had a baroque palace built for her in Tsarskoe Selo.

13. Evolution Tower

Photo by Artyom Vasilyev. Wikimedia Commons.

The Evolution Tower is a skyscraper located in Moscow, Russia. The tower is a 55-story office building with a height of 246 meters. The tower is dreamy with a DNA-like shape. It was designed by the British architect Tony Kettle who worked Karen Forbes a professor of art from the University of Edinburgh.

The tower’s construction started in 2011 and was completed in late 2014. The skyscraper is the twelfth-tallest building in Russia. Further, it is the 20th-tallest building in Europe. The two DNA-like ribbons wrapping around each other is symbolic to the inter-twinning of individuals, generations, and families.

14. St. Isaac’s Cathedral

Saint Isaac’s Cathedral which is also known as Isaakievskiy Sobor is a magnificent architectural landmark cathedral. Presently, the cathedral serves  as a museum. However, occasional church services take place inside it. St. Isaac’s Cathedral was dedicated to Saint Isaac of Dalmatia. He was a patron saint of Peter the Great who had been born on the feast day of that saint.

While it was originally constructed as a cathedral as we have as seen, it now remains a museum. The construction was done by the  Soviet government in 1931. St. Isaac’s Cathedral was designed by architect Auguste de Montferrand in the late Neoclassical, Byzantine and Greek architectural styles.

15. Donskoy Monastery

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Donskoy Monastery is a known monastery in Moscow. It was established in 1591. This was done to commemorate and celebrate Moscow’s deliverance from the threat of an invasion by the Crimean Khan Kazy-Girey.

The monastery was intended to be a defense against the southern approaches to the Moscow Kremlin. When the monastery was established, Boris Godunov personally laid the foundation stone of its cathedral. The monastery was later consecrated to the holy image of Our Lady of the Don in 1593.