Building of State University of Moscow State University. Main building of Moscow State University: history of construction

Everyone who has ever visited Moscow has visited Sparrow Hills. Just as all roads lead to Rome, hiking trails lead visitors to the capital straight to the main building of Moscow State University.

The image of the Moscow State University skyscraper is familiar to every Russian: it is not without reason that it is depicted on the banner of Moscow among its other symbols - the Kremlin, St. Basil's Cathedral and the Cathedral of Christ the Savior.

It’s hard to believe, but just 60 years ago Vorobyovy Gory was deserted: there was no trace of a high-rise there. The main building of Moscow State University was built just 8 years after the end of the terrible, bloody war, and became a symbol of a new, enlightened time.

Like all high-rise buildings, the main building of Moscow State University was planned as a structure with a closed household infrastructure: it should have everything necessary for carrying out life activities without interrupting the educational (and teaching) process. The very idea of ​​a high-rise building also had a peculiar socio-philosophical meaning - through students, doctors of science and the rector living in the same space, it represented a “vertical of knowledge” and symbolized all the heights that can be achieved.
All the famous Moscow skyscrapers of that time, including seven, were founded on the same day - September 7, 1947, when Moscow celebrated its eight hundredth anniversary. The “Father of Nations” considered it symbolic that the capital was crossing the turn of the ninth century, rushing into the skies. But this, so to speak, is the “romantic” part of the story, and the facts indicate that in 1948 the Moscow city party committee dared to enter into a debate with Stalin himself: according to representatives of the Central Committee, the construction of a high-rise building required a large number of elevators, and this, they say irrational, expensive and ineffective. The Central Committee employees insisted on a building no higher than four floors, the architects insisted that a high-rise building on the heights of Vorobyovy Gory would look more advantageous than a squat, sprawling building. The dispute was decided by Stalin, who declared that the building on Sparrow Hills should be at least twenty floors high - “so that it can be seen from afar.” It was dangerous to argue with the father of nations, and soon the first design of the building appeared, authored by Boris Iofan.

Iofan proposed building a high-rise building right above the cliff of the Lenin Mountains - and this was very dangerous due to possible landslides. The architect was removed and his place was taken by Rudnev, who simply moved the project deeper into the territory. By the way, the place that Iofan insisted on is a widely known observation deck today.

In one of the first sketches, it was proposed to crown the Moscow State University building with a statue of a man with his hands raised to the sky: according to the architects, this was supposed to symbolize the thirst for knowledge. But Stalin ordered that a tall spire be built instead of the statue: this was to connect the Moscow State University building with the remaining six high-rise buildings, the construction of which was carried out around the same time.

The first stone of the skyscraper was laid exactly 12 years before the first flight into space - April 12, 1949. An interesting archival video about the construction of Moscow State University was found. If you have half an hour, take the time to:

Prisoners worked on the construction of the Moscow State University building: for this purpose, a special order was issued for the early release of prisoners who were imprisoned on domestic charges. The main requirement for exemption was the presence of a construction specialty. The “lucky ones,” by the way, were released on probation: they served the same amount of their prison term, but in a different form.

To house prisoners in the Ramenki area, a labor camp with guard towers was built; only later, at the end of construction, to minimize transport costs, the prisoners were accommodated on the 24th and 25th floors of the high-rise building. Naturally, many tried to escape: for example, there is a story among people about a prisoner who built a hang glider out of plywood, climbed with it to the top of the unfinished building and flew away in the direction of Luzhniki.

Until 1990, the Moscow State University building held the palm in height: it was the tallest building in Europe, including the spire, having a height of 240 meters. After 1990, it was replaced by the famous Frankfurt skyscraper Messeturm. In Moscow, a building higher than Moscow State University was built only in 2006: it became the Triumph Palace high-rise residential building, whose height was 264.1 meters.

Today, it is on the main building of Moscow State University that the largest clock in the capital is located: it is located on the side tower. The diameter of the dial is almost nine meters, and the length of the minute hand exceeds four meters: this is twice as long as the hand of the Kremlin chimes. By the way, already in 1957, all the clocks on the Moscow State University high-rise building were switched to operation from an electric motor.

The spire with the star and ears of corn may appear to be gilded; However, it is not. The gilding would very quickly become unusable due to precipitation and wind. In fact, the top of the main building of Moscow State University is covered with plates of yellow glass, the inside of which is lined with aluminum.

There is a story that says that on one of the many underground floors of the high-rise building lies a five-meter statue of Stalin, cast in bronze: it was supposed to stand in front of the entrance to the Main Building. But due to the events of 1953, the monument remained in the bins of the building.

Another story tells that initially, in Tsarist times, it was planned to build the Cathedral of Christ the Savior on the site of Moscow State University, but the project was not implemented, since the weak soils could not support such a large building.

The solution was allegedly found by Stalinist architects: they dug a hole for the foundation, filled it with liquid nitrogen and installed refrigeration units in the basements of the building. This rumor has found many refutations, primarily due to the inappropriateness of such actions.

By the way, the Cathedral of Christ the Savior has something else in common with the Moscow State University skyscraper: the malachite columns removed during the destruction of the cathedral were donated by Beria to Moscow University. Now they are in the rector's office; however, they say that malachite columns are not the only thing that MSU inherited from the Cathedral of Christ the Savior.

There are many interesting stories related to the Moscow State University high-rise building, some of them are based on real events, others are nothing more than a figment of the imagination. For example, the existing metro line leading to Vnukovo Airport was recently declassified. Surely MSU is fraught with many more mysteries, and will surprise us more than once.

The main building of Lomonosov Moscow State University is not only one of the symbols of the Stalin era. This is one of the symbols of the Russian capital and a building that for a long time held the record as the tallest building not only in Russia, but throughout Europe.

The main building of Moscow State University is included in the list of seven Stalinist skyscrapers and tops it as the tallest building. Initially, the architect Boris Iofan was responsible for the design of the building, but was later removed from work and replaced by L. Rudnev. It was his group that continued to work on the creation of the high-rise building. The thing is that, according to Iofan’s design, the building was supposed to be located directly above the cliff of the Lenin (now -) Mountains, and in the event of a landslide, a disaster would be inevitable. Experts convinced Stalin of the need to build the structure away from the cliff, and this did not fit in with Iofan’s project. The architect's intransigence cost him his job.

There are many legends about the construction of the main building of Moscow State University. One of them is the involvement of prisoners in work. Some sources claim that these were Soviet prisoners, while others are inclined to believe that Stalin was afraid to entrust such work to “prisoners - traitors to the Motherland,” so he used German prisoners of war as labor.

Some numerical data. The main building of Moscow State University, the construction of which took five years (1949 - 1953), has 34 floors plus a balcony under the spire and at least three basements. There is a legend that in one of the basements there is a five-meter bronze statue of Stalin, which was planned to be installed in front of the entrance to the building, but was never installed. Height of the structure– 183.2 m, with spire – 240 m, height above sea level – 194 m.

In the central sector (also known as sector “A”) there are the geographical, geological and mechanical-mathematical faculties, the assembly hall and cultural center of Moscow State University, the Museum of Geography, a scientific library, a meeting room and the administration. On the balcony under the spire there was an observation deck, which previously could be accessed by anyone. However, it had to be closed due to a large number of accidents and suicides. Now students and professors with a special pass can get here - a laboratory for tropospheric research has been equipped here. Thus, the 35th floor of Moscow State University, closed to outsiders, received the unofficial “title” of the highest point of Russian science. Those who are lucky enough to get here without special permission, bypassing the combination lock, can enjoy stunning views of Moscow.

The side sectors consist of a residential area (apartments for professors, dormitories for undergraduate and graduate students), a clinic, and a sports center. When designing, the building was envisaged as a complex with a closed infrastructure, which had everything necessary for study, leisure, and everyday life. That is, theoretically, a student could lead a full life here throughout all the years of study without leaving the university.

Today, the main building of Moscow State University is a historical and architectural monument, one of the main attractions of Moscow and, in fact, a symbol of Russian science. In addition, the walls of the building are often used for laser and light shows. Thus, in 1997, the French composer, arranger and showman Jean-Michel Jarre delighted Muscovites and guests of the capital with an unusual laser show, and in 2011, the 4D show “Alpha” took place, in which the French climber Alain Robert, nicknamed “Spider-Man” climbed the main building of Moscow State University.

The main building of Moscow State University is one of Stalin's seven skyscrapers. But the idea to transfer the Soviet skyscraper to students did not arise immediately: initially they wanted to place a hotel and apartments in the high-rise building on the Lenin Hills. In 1948, Joseph Stalin signed a decree on the construction of a new building for Moscow University. The author of the project was initially the architect Boris Iofan, thanks to whom the House on the Embankment and the Baumanskaya metro station appeared in Moscow. He designed the building in the form of a giant pedestal: according to the architect’s idea, a monument to Mikhail Lomonosov was to be located at the top.

A few months later, Stalin removed Iofan from working on the university building. The newly created design group was headed by architect Lev Rudnev. The project was finalized, deciding to complete the building with a spire with a five-pointed star. The architects tried to emphasize the Soviet nature of the building: a spire, a star and ears of corn, sculptures of workers with hammers and collective farm women with sickles. However, the new dominant of the Lenin Hills still looked like the Manhattan Municipal Building skyscraper in New York.

All Moscow skyscrapers were founded on the day of the 800th anniversary of Moscow - September 7, 1947. During construction, students could see what conditions they would live in: the first Soviet showrooms operated at the construction site. The stages of construction were reported in an original way: on holidays, a star was lit at the highest point of the erected building. First on the sixth floor, then on the 12th, 20th and 26th. On September 1, 1953, students came to study in the new building. The Village visited Moscow State University at the beginning of the next academic year and learned how to work and live here.

Location: Leninskie Gory, 1

Years of construction: 1949–1953

Architects: Boris Iofan, Lev Rudnev group

Ekaterina Lapteva

Researcher at the Museum of Geography of Moscow State University

About myself

You can say that I was practically born at the university - my parents worked at the Moscow State University research station for the study of avalanches in the Khibiny Mountains. We lived on the Kola Peninsula for five years, and then left for Moscow. Here we got a cooperative apartment in one of the two university buildings in Konkovo, where I still live. She studied at Moscow State University and graduated from the Faculty of Geography with a degree in Cartography. Previously, you could get to the university in half an hour, but now the journey takes longer - you have to change three buses and the metro. But this is such a familiar path that I can walk it with my eyes closed.

I have been working at the Geography Museum since 1991. I came here as a cartographer: I made museum maps, designed large stands, and I was also good at leading excursions. So for almost 20 years now, every day I have been telling schoolchildren and students something.

About work

According to a government decree of 1948, which was signed by Stalin, the creation of a museum was envisaged in the Main Building. In two years, almost 700 scientists, academicians, and professors created and designed this amazing place. The Main Building houses only three faculties: geology, mechanics and mathematics and geography, and the museum occupies the top seven floors. Most often I work on the 24th, 25th or 32nd floor - sometimes we almost touch the clouds, it's so high.

I always come to work with joy, I feel very comfortable here. Students come to us almost every day to study: they study the collection of soil monoliths, geological samples, herbariums, and maps. Even the furniture here is adapted for group classes. Schoolchildren also come to us. The topics of the excursions are very different: the nature of the continents, oceans, plants, soils. The museum is made on the principle of hyperlinks: one topic seems to go into another, opening up and deepening. But without an organized group, you can only get to us during the science festival Nauka+0.

My job is to design exhibitions, prepare exhibitions and conduct excursions. But not one day is like another - the materials, faculties and guests are so different. For lunch breaks I prefer to go to the student canteen in sector B or to the diet room. But sometimes there is simply no time to get out, so we drink tea with colleagues. Sometimes I buy the famous university pies for home. There are other shops here; if necessary, I use a pharmacy and a service center.

About the place

I have to walk around the building a lot, I know where the most beautiful and most comfortable places are. I really love the lecture halls of the Faculty of Geography and the library halls. In the reading room on the sixth floor, for example, lamps with green lampshades, like in Leninka, still work. In the assembly hall on the second floor, I like the Roman-style mosaic by artist Pavel Korin, who participated in the design of the most beautiful metro stations. At the entrance to the building from the side of the Palace of Culture there are sculptures of young men and women. One young man is holding a book in his hands, and only this summer I read what is written on the cover. I thought he was holding a physics textbook, but it turned out it said “Lenin.” By the way, there are a lot of symbols of Soviet power here. These are tiny stars on door handles where almost no one sees them. The bas-reliefs depict workers and students. There are also a lot of symmetries and symbols of natural sciences. These are physical and chemical instruments, mineral crystals, globes. The building is decorated with steel coats of arms on four sides; behind one of them is the nest of our famous falcon.

Everything large in this building was removed during construction. On the 20th floors of the museum there is a stuffed moose, I think it was brought up here through the windows. Although there are also freight elevators. By the way, there are about 60 elevators in the building, and when they were replaced with new ones in the early 2000s, we had to climb some of the floors on foot for almost two years. And nothing, no one complained. We still did the tours, even though it takes almost an hour to get to the top.

Peregrine falcons were brought here more than ten years ago, but in the end only one pair remained, which raised three chicks this year. The family really likes it here, despite the laser shows and street racers. Sometimes a falcon flies past us. In general, many birds fly through the Main Building of Moscow State University - this is the green zone of Moscow, they sometimes sit down to rest on our balcony.

Everything large in this building was removed during construction. There is a stuffed moose on the 20th floors of the museum, I think it was brought up here through the windows

Sergey Slobodov

Deputy Director of the Museum of Geography

About myself

In 1995, I entered the Faculty of Biology of Moscow State University. In 2000, he became a certified zoologist, then defended his Ph.D. thesis. My interests in zoology include jellyfish and polyps. This is what I did as a student and graduate student. I came to the museum as a researcher, but for seven years now I have been involved in purely administrative matters - the entire current life of the museum revolves around the deputy.

I work on the 26th floor. I use the canteen every day. There are at least five of them in the Main Building. There are professorial and student, regular and dietary. My friends from the Faculty of Biology and I try to have lunch together regularly - we get together and communicate.

The Main Building has almost everything: laundries, canteens, and shops. It is quite possible to live here without leaving for more than one week. I sometimes use clothing repair. I don’t go to the pool as much as I would like - you can come at seven in the morning and swim before work.

About the place

The only thing higher than our museum is the spire. The museum is located at a high altitude, and several features are associated with this. The first difficulty is just getting here. At Moscow University there is even a special vertical transport service that manages all elevator facilities. When people come to the Main Building, they are immediately faced with the question of how to get to this or that floor. You must not get lost, since all the elevators are distributed according to routes. There are only two elevators leading to us.

The next feature is complex engineering communications. And they are also dealt with by a separate service. I can say that almost everything here is authentic. Of course, the fire alarm system, for example, is modern, but the old red buttons to call the dispatcher are still preserved. In general, engineering communications are done quite interestingly. It is a pity that there is no centralized dust removal system, although there are still ports in the walls for connecting to vacuum cleaner hoses. The general system for maintaining temperature in the building is also not working. Although I don't know exactly how it was built, you can still see special devices in some of the offices.

Engineering communications occupy large spaces. There are entire technical floors both above and below us. Other inaccessible rooms include the basement under the building. The stupidest rumor is that the foundation contains freezing units for freezing the soil. In fact, the premises there were equipped for emergencies. In the 50s, a whole life support system was created, although I don’t know if it can work now.

The interiors are also authentic. We try to protect them. For example, under my feet there is parquet from 1953. All this is pleasing to the eye: no matter what mood you are in when you come to work, it always calms you down and brings you into balance.

All this is pleasing to the eye: no matter what mood you come to work in, it always calms you down and brings you into balance.

Marina Kuznetsova

Deputy Director for Production at the Moscow State University food plant

About work

I came here a long time ago. At first she was a technologist and deputy head of the sixth canteen, then she became the head of the eighth canteen, then she became responsible for the entire food plant. It is arranged in a very interesting way: there are 13 dining rooms and 12 buffets, which are located in different educational buildings. There are separate dining rooms for teaching staff.

In general, we have the same range of dishes. Only the dietary canteen is slightly different - the diet there necessarily includes boiled meat, poultry, broths and soups. But in general, we are creative people and do not work strictly according to a collection of recipes. Each production manager makes his contribution. We often host days of national cuisines.

I live far from Moscow State University and get to work by car. My working hours are irregular. If there is some kind of event, we can start at six in the morning. By the way, we also prepare mead on Student’s Day. It's a whole story. We take as a basis a recipe with various herbs, which Viktor Antonovich Sadovnichy once brought to us from Germany. We start preparing it two to three months in advance.

The plant has a website where we tell students about the news - that they have come up with a new cake or other dishes. The MSU initiative group regularly meets with our director. Therefore, all issues, including discontent, are resolved in a working manner.

About the place

University is a whole life. I spend here every day from morning until late evening. I haven’t worked in other food factories, but I know that once you get to university, it’s very difficult to leave. And I'm not the only one saying this. My favorite place here is the eighth dining room near the sports ground. And also the Botanical Garden. When lilacs or peonies bloom, you just can’t take your eyes off them.

I haven’t worked in other food factories, but I know that once you get to university, it’s very difficult to leave

How is life here?

Konstantin Romanenko

postgraduate student, Faculty of Soil Science, Moscow State University

About myself

The first time I came to Moscow State University was in the eighth grade on an open day. I don't remember the details very well, but I remember being impressed: marble, oak paneling, large rooms. Even then, I outlined my goal to my parents. I wanted to enter the chemistry department, but I didn’t get there. As a result, I enrolled in soil science.

For the first two years I studied in the Main Building once or twice a week. And then I was here only for some administrative needs, not very often. After graduating from the specialty, I decided to go to graduate school, but only got in the third time. All this time I have worked and am working at least two jobs: now I am also an engineer in the interdepartmental laboratory of electron microscopy at the Faculty of Biology.

About the place

Graduate students are usually accommodated in the dormitory of the Main Building of Moscow State University. In general, the Main Building is 80% residential premises and only 20% educational and scientific. And therefore, when all sorts of bastards who love street racing start ringing their tires at two in the morning, it really pisses everyone off. We, of course, call the police, but this does not help.

There are two people living in the graduate room. These are “coffins” 3.3 meters high and eight square meters in area. There is a table, two chairs, a bed, a secretary, and a built-in wardrobe. The two-room block has a shower and toilet.

The worst thing is the size of the room. There are cockroaches, but not that many. There is fungus on the ceilings in the bathroom. There is also a specific smell of the Main Building. It's a mixture of the smell of burnt wiring and rotten plywood. We no longer feel it, although everyone else does. I try to store all my clothes in the closet - this way they don’t get too wet, but a light flair still remains.

The site manager checks the rooms periodically. He looks to see if there are crumbs on the floor, if the dishes have been washed, if the garbage has been thrown out. If there are systematic comments, then a note is written to the faculty. They scold you there.

All this compensates for the cost: accommodation costs 3 thousand rubles per year. But there is a condition: graduate students must attend classes. At the same time, have time to work: the scholarship is 7 thousand rubles, and many are employed as engineers or laboratory assistants at Moscow State University or other institutes, and are engaged in tutoring.

It is truly possible to live in the Main Building without going outside if external sources of funding can be found. There is a dining room, laundry, sweet stalls, a swimming pool, and a hairdresser. If Auchan were also opened on site, it would be very convenient. Although bread, milk, and fruit can be bought in local stores.

My favorite place at MSU is the Orangery building. I work there and it takes me 15 minutes to get from home to work. Get out, go down, walk through the courtyard and a little bit along the street.

The main building of Moscow State University on Vorobyovy Gory - a prominent architectural monument, one of the seven Stalinist skyscrapers in Moscow.

The building was built in 1949-1953, its height together with the spire is 240 meters (without the spire - 183.2 meters): for 50 years - exactly half a century - the State Building of Moscow State University was until a new one was built in 2003 Residential complex "Triumph Palace".

But the MSU building was not only a record holder in height: the largest clocks in Moscow are installed on the side towers, the diameter of the dials is 9 meters. The minute hand is 4.1 meters long and weighs 39 kilograms.

Construction of Moscow State University

The Moscow State University skyscraper was designed by a whole team of talented Soviet architects: Boris Iofan, Lev Rudnev, Sergey Chernyshev, Pavel Abrosimov, Alexander Khryakov, and also the constructor Nikolay Nikitin and engineer Vsevolod Nasonov. In addition, the sculptural design of the facades was carried out in the workshop Vera Mukhina.

The history of Moscow State University, like other Stalinist high-rise buildings, began in January 1947, when, at the suggestion Stalin The Union of Ministers of the USSR decided to build eight high-rise buildings in Moscow.

Initially, he was appointed to the position of chief architect Boris Iofan, previously engaged in the design of a number of other buildings for government orders. Iofan developed the general architectural concept of the high-rise and proposed an expressive spatial composition of the building in the form of 5 volumes, one of which - the central one - will become the high-rise part of the building, and the other 4 will be significantly lower and topped with pinnacle towers. The architect also intended to install a sculpture on top of the high-rise part of the building Mikhail Lomonosov, however, according to instructions from above - they say Stalin did not like the idea - he revised the project in favor of a spire with a five-pointed star, like other Stalinist high-rise buildings.

And everything would have been fine if not for Iofan’s integrity: the architect wanted to erect the building above the very cliff of the Sparrow Hills (at that time Lenin Hills), which coincided with Stalin’s initial wishes. However, a commission of specialists found that this is dangerous and can cause landslides, due to which the Moscow State University will simply slide into the river. Stalin agreed with the need to move the building further from the slope, but Iofan was not satisfied with this arrangement; Soon the intractable architect was removed from the design.

After Iofan’s resignation, he was appointed design manager Lev Rudnev. Soon after this, Stalin personally approves the number of storeys of the building and the height of the spire and signs the technical project and construction estimate, and Lavrenty Beria becomes a construction supervisor.

Excavation work began in 1948, and on April 12, 1949, the ceremony of laying the first stone took place. In order to quickly complete the epic construction, military construction units from nuclear industry facilities are being transferred to the construction; In addition, prison labor is actively used: several thousand people were involved in construction.

Myths of Moscow State University

The Moscow State University skyscraper, being a truly epoch-making project, to which, in addition, Joseph Stalin himself personally had a hand, has become overgrown with many myths and urban legends.

Thus, there is an opinion that during the construction and finishing of the Moscow State University, materials from the exploded and materials from the destroyed building, exported from Germany, were used. Reichstag. In particular, mention is made of 4 columns made of solid jasper, installed in front of the meeting hall of the Academic Council, which allegedly survived the explosion of the temple, and rare pink marble from the cladding of the Reichstag. Unfortunately, both positions are just a romantic myth: the Cathedral of Christ the Savior never had jasper columns, but the pink marble that really was in the Reichstag is simply not at MSU.

There is a legend that the high-rise building is walled up in the basements Stalin statue, which they allegedly wanted to install instead of a spire with a star, but did not have time due to the death of Stalin. Of course, this is also just a loud myth: Stalin died in March 1953, when construction was in its final stage, and no statue could appear instead of the spire for a long time. In addition, Stalin personally rejected the option of a sculpture on the top (Iofan proposed installing a statue of Lomonosov) in favor of a more traditional spire.

Among the myths of Moscow State University there is also a raid "prison romance": During the construction of the high-rise building, the labor of a large number of prisoners was used, and in 1952, camps were set up for their accommodation on the 24-25th floors of the university. This was convenient: it became easier to guard the prisoners, since they had nowhere to run. There is a legend that one of the prisoners built something like a hang glider out of plywood and attempted to fly away from the tower; According to one version, he was shot in the air, according to another, he landed safely on the other side of the Moscow River and escaped. There is a third version: the allegedly escaped prisoner was caught on the ground, but Stalin, impressed by the resourcefulness and courage of the escape, personally freed him. They say that there could even be two fugitive hang gliders: one of them was shot, and the second managed to escape. Whether there is truth in this urban legend is unknown.

And, of course, it could not have happened without KGB: there is an opinion that the ubiquitous ke-ge-beshniks set up an observation post in the spire of the high-rise building, from which it was even possible to monitor Stalin’s dacha.

Interesting fact: it seems as if the spire with a star and the ears of corn on the central tower are gilded, but in fact this is not the case: under the influence of weather conditions at altitude, the gilding would quickly become unusable, and the builders “cheated” - the spire, the star and the ears of corn are lined yellow glass plates.

Today, some of the plates have fallen off, and through binoculars you can see “bald spots” on the “golden” ears, the spire and the star.

Main building of Moscow State University is located at Leninskie Gory, 1. You can get to it on foot from the metro stations "Sparrow Hills" And "University" Sokolnicheskaya line.

The main building of Moscow State University is located at Leninskie Gory, building 1.

The building is sometimes abbreviated as GZ MSU or simply GZ. This is one of the ""

Moscow State University is the main Russian university. Founded on the initiative of a Russian scientist (1711 - 1765) in 1755.

Nearest metro stations: "Lomonosovsky Prospekt", "University", "Vorobyovy Gory".

In addition to classrooms, in the Main Building (GB) of the university there are dormitories for students, apartments for professors, libraries, shops, canteens, cafes, a cinema, a House of Culture, etc.

The main building of Moscow State University has 34 floors and a spire. The height of the MSU main building without the spire is 183 m, and with the spire - 240 m.

How to get to Moscow State University

From the Lomonosovsky Prospekt metro station, the walk to the entrance to the building is about 10 minutes, and from the Universitet and Vorobyovy Gory stations - 10 - 15 minutes. From the Universitet metro station to the "DK MGU" stop you can take buses or minibuses No. 1, 4, 57, 113, 119, or 661.

Map

How to get to Moscow State University

The entrances to the building are guarded by police. MSU graduates are allowed to enter the building if they have a passport and diploma with them. The rest can get to Moscow State University with a tour to.

Structure of the Moscow State University

The main building of Moscow State University is divided into buildings (sectors, zones), which are assigned a letter of the Russian alphabet:

Sector “A” (the main part of the building on which the spire is located) - here there is a dining room (the so-called professor’s room) and a cafe, the Faculty of Geology (3-8 floors), the Faculty of Mechanics and Mathematics (12-16 floors), the Faculty of Geography ( 17-22 floors), rector's office (9-10 floors) and administration, scientific library, Museum of Geography (24-31 floors), assembly hall for 1500 people and the Moscow State University Palace of Culture with a large hall for 640 seats (2nd floor), "rotunda "(31st and 32nd floors: meeting room on the 31st floor, observation deck on the 32nd floor), 33rd floor - gallery, 34th floor - technical and spire.

Buildings "I", "K", "L", "M" - apartments for the teaching staff.

Zones "B", "C" - student dormitories, canteens.

Zones "G", "D", "E", "F" - dormitories for graduate students.

Near the MSU complex there is a large sports complex, several parks, the MSU library (built in 2005), and the MSU Botanical Garden.

On the side of the main entrance there is an alley of academicians - along this alley there are busts of famous academicians related to Moscow State University. So, you can see busts of Lomonosov, Pavlov, Michurin, Lobachevsky, Lebedev, etc. Moving from the Moscow State University building along the Alley of Academicians, you can come to the observation deck.

On the side of the cultural center (house of culture) there is a monument to Lomonosov (1953, sculptor N.V. Tomsky). The statue is surrounded by four "fountains". But in fact, these are not fountains, but air intakes for ventilation of buildings.

Stories, legends about Moscow State University

The Moscow State University was built during the Stalinist period. Naturally, the decision to build and the construction itself were shrouded in secrecy. Here are some stories and legends.

They say that when the civil protection plan was brought to Stalin for approval, he pointed to the alleys around the building. “What trees are you going to plant here?” - asked the leader. The architects were not ready to answer the question, since they were not the ones who determined the types of trees to be planted. Then Stalin said, “Why not plant apple trees here?” Since then, numerous apple trees have grown around the university, and students often gladly supplement their meager diet with free apples.

They say that on one of the basement floors there is a 5-meter bronze statue of Stalin. She was supposed to stand in front of the main entrance to the GZ. But Stalin died in 1953 and this statue was left in the basement of the still unfinished State Building.

Many believe that the GZ was built by prisoners. But in fact, the building was mainly built by German prisoners of war. They say that one day one of the prisoners flew off the spire on a piece of plywood to Ramenki. He was later caught by NKVD officers. This rumor started with an article published in Komsomolskaya Pravda in 1989. We cannot guarantee the accuracy of the information.

The poet Afanasy Fet hated Moscow University so much that every time he drove past it, he stopped, opened the carriage window and spat in the direction of the university (Donald Rayfield “The Life of Anton Chekhov” (translation by O. Makarova)). It is known that the poet studied at Moscow University from 1838 to 1844.

Historical information about Moscow State University

The decree of Empress Elizabeth Petrovna on the establishment of the university was signed on January 25, St. Tatiana's Day (January 12, old style). This day has become a Russian student holiday (Tatiana's Day). I.I. played a major role in the creation of the university. Shuvalov, who sent a special report to the Senate. At first, 3 faculties, 10 departments and 2 gymnasiums were created.

The opening ceremony of classes at Moscow University took place on the day of the anniversary of the coronation of Elizabeth Petrovna on April 26 (May 7, new style) 1755. Since then, these days have been traditionally celebrated at the university with student celebrations, the annual scientific conference “Lomonosov Readings” and days of student scientific creativity are timed to coincide with them.

The first intake was for the Faculty of Philosophy - 30 students. The faculties of law and medicine began work in 1758. The duration of training was three years. The university was under the jurisdiction of the Governing Senate.

The first building of the university was located in the building of the Main Pharmacy (former Zemsky Prikaz) on the site at. When the university moved to the building on the opposite side, which was built between 1782 and 1793 according to the design of Matvey Kazakov. Subsequently, after the Moscow fire of 1812, the building was restored by the architect Domenico Gilardi. Now the complex of MSU buildings on Mokhovaya Street includes the Scientific Library, Printing House, Faculty of Journalism, House of Culture, Church of St. Tatiana, MSU Publishing House, Institute of Asian and African Countries, Faculty of Psychology, Faculty of Arts.

In 1949 - 1970, a new Moscow State University complex was built on Vorobyovy Gory. The complex includes the main and other buildings, sports grounds, a park and a botanical garden.

The main building (GZ) was built in 1949 - 1953 by architects L.V. Rudnev S.E. Chernyshev, P.V. Abrosimov, V.N. Nasonov. The building houses faculties, a scientific library, university museums, the rector’s office and administrative part, a club part with an assembly hall for 1,500 people, student dormitories, and teachers’ apartments.

The main building has 34 floors and a spire, and an unknown number of floors down (basement). In Soviet times, it was rumored that KGB specialists had settled in the spire and were monitoring the capital. We cannot vouch for the veracity of this rumor.

“My Memories” (2008): “In those years, I often visited Vera Ignatievna Mukhina’s house, I knew her son, Volik, well. He, like me, was a physicist, graduated from Moscow State University, and we were friends. Vera Ignatyevna then received an excellent workshop not far from the House of Scientists. She was a very energetic woman who worked, one might say, day and night. At that time, the construction of a new building of the University on Vorobyovy Gory was underway. On the building itself and around it there were supposed to be many sculptural works, and Mukhina made decisions in their selection, and did some herself. One day she asked me to look at the list of sculptures. I began to read aloud: Comrade Stalin, Comrade Lenin, Comrade Marx, Comrade Engels. And then: “Fossils monsters" Vatagin. I read all this without stopping, in one breath. She was incredibly scared and said: “How can you say that?” “In this context, she immediately saw something terrible for herself and everyone around her.”

“Past and Thoughts” (1868) - “Moscow University grew in importance along with Moscow after 1812; demoted by Emperor Peter from the tsarist capitals, Moscow was promoted by Emperor Napoleon (either willingly or twice as unwillingly) to the capitals of the Russian people . The people guessed from the pain they felt at the news of her occupation by the enemy, about their blood connection with Moscow. From then on, a new era began for her. In it, the university more and more became the focus of Russian education. All the conditions for its development were connected - historical significance, geographical location and the absence of the king."

“The Past and Thoughts” (1868) - “Alma mater! I owe so much to the university and for so long after the course I lived its life, with it, that I cannot remember it without love and respect. He will not accuse me of ingratitude, at least in relation to the university, gratitude is easy, it is inseparable from love, from the bright memory of youthful development... and I bless it from a distant foreign land!

“Course of Russian History” - “Moscow University, founded in 1755, was not in a better position. When the university opened, there were 100 students; 30 years later, there were only 82 students. In 1765, there was only one student on the list. the entire law faculty; a few years later, only one survived in medicine. During the entire reign of Catherine, not a single physician received an academic diploma, i.e., did not pass the exam. Lectures were given in French or Latin. The highest nobility were reluctant to go to university; one of contemporaries says that not only is it impossible to learn anything in it, but you can also lose the respectable manners acquired at home."

“The highest nobility raised their children at home; the teachers were first Germans, then, from the reign of Elizabeth, the French. These French were such famous tutors in the history of our education. Under Elizabeth, they were first brought to Russia. These tutors of the first import were very simple teachers; They bitterly complain about the decree on the establishment of Moscow University on January 12, 1755. In this decree we read: “In Moscow, the landowners have a large number of teachers at their expense, most of whom not only cannot teach the sciences, but also have not even begun to do so.” have; many, having not found good teachers, take in people who have spent their whole lives as footmen, hairdressers and other similar crafts." The decree speaks of the need to replace these unsuitable imported teachers with worthy and knowledgeable "national" people. But it was difficult to get " national "people in the described state of both universities."

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