In Seventh Heaven—Visiting Moscow City’s Skyscrapers
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It's hard to believe, but the Moscow City business district—one of the most prominent sights in Moscow—is several decades old. Construction started in the mid-90s on the site of a former quarry and continues to this day. This 'city in the city' holds a valuable place in the life of the capital, bringing some modern features to the ancient city and seamlessly fitting into the landscape.
Its 22 major buildings span four million square metres of office space, apartments, and all the infrastructure necessary for a comfortable and happy life. Concrete, glass and modern technology rule the roost in this grandiose and stately architectural complex, evoking other gigantic buildings in the world's great cities such as London, Dubai, and New York. Moscow City’s skyscrapers are among the tallest in Europe, and are a must-see landmark for locals and tourists alike. To indulge your curiosity and get a bird’s-eye view of the capital, you should visit a viewing platform on one of the skyscrapers.
Only Love Is Above
Situated on the roof of a skyscraper called 'Oko' ('The Eye') at a height of 365 metres, this is the highest viewing platform in Europe. The open-air layout makes it the perfect place for taking splendid panoramic photos. There are binoculars and a telescope for viewing certain parts of the city, as well as an excursion at the beginning of every hour telling visitors about Moscow’s sights. Visitors also get complimentary ice-cream and a drink.
Address: 21/2 Krasnogvardeysky Proezd
Nearest metro station: Mezhdunarodnaya
Opening hours:
Mon–Fri: 12 pm–11 pm
Sat–Sun: 10 am–11 pm
Excursions at the beginning of every hour from 12 pm–7 pm (available in English)
Tickets: 1800 rub
Panorama360
The second-highest viewing platform in Moscow and Europe is located on the 89th floor of 'Federatsiya Vostok' ('The East Federation Tower'). It takes less than one minute to get there from the ground floor—the modern lifts in the skyscrapers are very fast! The six-metre wide round windows offer breathtaking views of the city centre and beyond. Admission also includes a Soviet ice-cream tasting. You can learn more about the history of this celebrated delicacy and the secrets of its production at the ice-cream museum, which is also located on the platform and is the highest in the world.
Address: 12 Presnenskaya Naberezhnaya
Nearest metro station: Vystavochnaya
Opening hours:
Mon–Thu: 10 am–11 pm
Fri–Sun: 10 am–Midnight
Tickets: 2290 rub (1700 rub for students)
Please note that although the Moscow City Museum is temporary closed, visitors can still arrange excursions to learn about the structure and history of the complex.
Address: 21/2 Krasnogvardeysky Proezd
Nearest metro station: Mezhdunarodnaya
Tickets: (not including the viewing platform): 500 rub
Tickets for the viewing platform on the 57th floor of the East Federation Tower cost 700 roubles extra.
Text by Olga Nozdrina, first-year master’s student of ‘Contemporary History Studies in History Instruction at Secondary Schools’, intern at the HSE University English website team