The height of the main building of Moscow State University on Sparrows. Main building of Moscow State University. Photos of the Main building of Moscow State University

How many times have I driven past this grandiose building, but I have never been inside the Lomonosov Moscow State University on Vorobyovy Gory. I am correcting this annoying omission. A short story about a tour of the building of Moscow State University under the cut.

View of Moscow State University from the university's fundamental library. On the left is the building of the Faculty of Chemistry of Moscow State University, on the right is the Faculty of Physics, in the center is the main building of Lomonosov Moscow State University.

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If you look at the main building of Moscow State University from above, it will look like the letter Z or a spider. It turned out that classrooms are located only in the tower of the building, and in all other buildings (the legs of the spider) there are dormitories for students and teachers.

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The main building of Moscow State University and the surrounding area have been preserved “as is” since its construction. Only bicycle parking and modern road signs provide a connection to the present. The photo shows the transition between sectors “D” and “B”.

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The main building of Moscow State University (ГЗ МГУ, ГЗ) was built in 1949-1953. The main workforce is prisoners. Prisoners were locked for a whole week on a floor under construction and only once a week were allowed to leave the building for a walk. One prisoner tried to escape in a very original way. Secretly built a hang glider and flew away! Flew over the Moscow River and landed near the Luzhniki stadium. His escape was almost successful if he had not been captured by the NKVD immediately after landing. Probably shot.

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Environmentalists and bird activists, hang yourself! There are no pigeons here that could pollute all the buildings. The city birds are vigilantly observed and destroyed by the falcon living on the roof of the main building of Moscow State University, leaving only small piles of feathers. The outdated falcon is eventually replaced with a new one. They are updating protective equipment :) They say that in the evenings a falcon circles above the Moscow State University building and screams piercingly.

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Look at the walls of the building. No plastic windows or protruding air conditioners! There are almost no cars in the yard in front of the entrance to sector “B”, everything is behind the fence. At least make a film about the second half of the last century :)

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A peculiarity of the “poor” buildings of faculty dormitories is that a local network in the form of a web entwines the walls outside. Students from wealthy faculties, such as mechanics and mathematics, have long installed a grid inside the building and do not spoil the appearance of the building.

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Inside the main building of Moscow State University on Vorobyovy Gory there is everything! An entire educational and residential complex.

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All dormitory buildings are connected by passages to sector “A”, where classrooms are located. There are canteens and buffets. There are various kiosks and shops, ATMs and top-up terminals. There are female students. You don't have to go outside at all! :)

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No winter clothes needed, no umbrella needed.

Moving through the internal passages of Moscow State University, I could not shake the feeling that I was in the old stations and passages of the Moscow metro.

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We will return to the bottom of sector “A”, but for now we will take the elevator to the 16th floor. By the way, the elevator moves between floors very quickly.

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16th floor of sector "A". Faculty of Mechanics and Mathematics of Moscow State University.

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Auditorium No. 1609. Cabinet of the History of Mathematics and Mechanics.

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In the office there are these well-worn desks.

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Lecture auditorium on the 16th floor.

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All these classrooms and passages reminded me of the anatomy building on Mokhovaya.

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We go down again to the first floor.

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We go up the marble staircase to the second floor.

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On the second floor of sector “A” there is a ballroom. The annual balls of Moscow State University graduate students are held here.

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Assembly hall of Moscow State University for 1500 people.

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Various meetings and presentation of honors diplomas to MSU graduates are held here.

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Wardrobe. Huge!

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Sculpture of a student with a book on his knees in front of the main entrance. The author of the sculpture is Vera Mukhina (“Worker and Collective Farm Woman,”).

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These are the insides of the main building of Moscow State University on Vorobyovy Gory. A city within a city! They even wanted to build a separate metro line to Moscow State University “in case something happened,” but it didn’t work out. We confined ourselves to a huge bomb shelter.

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A small addition to the story about the Moscow State University. The fundamental library of Moscow State University was built in 2005.

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Interiors of the fundamental library.

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In the library I visited the Moscow State University Museum. Here a model of the monument to Peter the Great “In commemoration of the 300th anniversary of the Russian Navy” was noticed.

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And I especially liked the human-sized druses of amethyst crystals. A petrified tree can be seen against the wall in the background. But amethyst is more beautiful :)

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Moscow State University named after M.V. Lomonosov has long ceased to be only the center of national culture and science. Its building on the Lenin (Sparrow) Hills and the surrounding area is a full-fledged landmark of Moscow, which every guest of the capital should admire.

History of the Main Building of Moscow State University

Without Stalin's skyscrapers, which became the face of Moscow, it is no longer possible to imagine the appearance of the city. They reflected the era and were a source of pride for both the Soviet government and ordinary citizens. The seven high-rise buildings also include the main building of Moscow State University, which for a long time was among the tallest buildings not only in Moscow, but also in Europe. It was built on the highest place in the city and is visible from everywhere, as befits the main Soviet and Russian temple of science. After all, it was science that was the driving force that made our country a leading world power.

The history of the new building of Moscow State University began in 1947, when, by order of I.V. Stalin, a decision was made to build high-rise buildings. A year later, several decrees were issued regarding the project. The first was adopted in 1948 - this date is officially considered the birthday of the university. The design and construction work was entrusted to the architect Boris Iofan. It was he who conceived the design of the main building, but due to a number of disagreements, the design was entrusted to the architects Chernyshev, Rudnev, Khryakov and Nasonov. The supporting system of the entire structure was developed by Nikolai Nikitin. He proposed new solutions that made it possible to build a high-rise building in difficult geological conditions and provide it with the necessary strength.

In 1951, J.V. Stalin personally endorsed projects for landscaping and road construction, general estimates, number of storeys, spire height and technical design. And, just 6 (!) years after the end of the most destructive war in history, construction began...

The opening of the renewed University took place in the fall of 1953. On the same day, September 1, classes began.

Interestingly, at the time of its opening, the Main Building of Moscow State University was a record high building by European standards. Its height exceeds 183 meters, and together with the spire - 240 meters. Interestingly, the university held this title for 37 years, until 1990. And until 2003, the building was the tallest in Russia.

For information: in the central sector - “A” - the rector’s office, mechanics and mathematics, geological and geographical faculties, the assembly hall and the administration are located. The side sectors are a residential area with student dormitories and teachers' apartments.

It is very interesting that in terms of everyday life the MSU building is self-sufficient. There is a library, canteens, a post office, a hairdresser, a sports center with a swimming pool, shops and an atelier. It is worth noting that the services and infrastructure of the Main Building (in local jargon simply “GZ”) are such that you don’t have to go outside for the entire 5 years of your studies.

We examine the Main building of Moscow State University.

First of all, at MSU the main interest is the building itself. Moreover, from the spire, topped with a star, which can be seen from afar, to the deepest basement. Both the cellars and the spire are shrouded in so many legends that it is impossible to retell them...

The star and spire appear to be covered in gold. But they were lined with more durable plates of yellow glass, which sparkles in the sun...

The main building of Moscow State University, both inside and outside, is richly decorated with many sculptural compositions. Famous artists worked on their creation: Georgy Ivanovich Motovilov, creator of the design of many Moscow metro stations, Sergey Mikhailovich Orlov, author of the monument to Yuri Dolgoruky, the famous Vera Mukhina and many others.

All sculptures and bas-reliefs represent science and enlightenment, as well as the abundance brought by education...

By the way, there is a Museum of Geography at Moscow State University, which is located on the last 7 (!) floors of the building. Its extensive collection consists of thousands of exhibits. Among them are rocks, minerals, samples from the bottom of the World Ocean, and meteorites. The museum offers interesting thematic excursions, including for schoolchildren.

There are also a lot of interesting things around the Main building of Moscow State University. First of all, these are the buildings of the Physics and Chemistry faculties, built simultaneously. They stand on opposite sides of the square and are twin buildings. Between them stands a monument to Lomonosov, with which there is an interesting story. For many years, Moscow State University students argued about which faculty the monument was closest to. Using a laser rangefinder, they calculated that the “victory” was for the Department of Chemistry. Naturally, physicists did not recognize the accuracy of the device as sufficient and the dispute continues.

There is a complex of fountains in front of the Main Building of Moscow State University. Classic fountains are also installed in the park near the entrance - urban legends are also associated with them. According to rumors, a secret underground city is located under the fountains.

A significant landmark of the Moscow State University territory is the Alley of Scientists. It leads from the Main Building to the slope of the Sparrow Hills. Along the alley there are granite busts of 12 great Russian scientists: N. I. Lobachevsky, N. G. Chernyshevsky, M. V. Lomonosov, A. I. Herzen, D. I. Mendeleev, I. P. Pavlov, N. E. Zhukovsky, K. A. Timiryazev, P. L. Chebyshev, V. V. Dokuchaev, A. S. Popov, I. P. Michurin.

One of the newest monuments at Moscow State University is the monument to construction brigades. This is no coincidence - the first student construction team was formed at Moscow University in 1959.

You cannot pass by the rich Botanical Garden - one of the most interesting parks in Moscow. It was created in 1953 for scientific purposes, and now the collection consists of 2.5 thousand plants from all over the world. You can visit the Moscow State University Botanical Garden only as part of a guided tour. It involves getting acquainted with the arboretum, rock garden and collection of ornamental crops. There are also workshops on caring for plants and making floral card designs.

All these attractions can be seen by combining the sightseeing with a walk along the picturesque shady alleys. At the same time, it’s worth visiting the Vorobyovy Gory observation deck, from which the entire city and its attractions are clearly visible.

How to get to Moscow State University

The closest metro stations to Moscow University are Lomonosovsky Prospekt and Universitet. From each station to the Main Building of Moscow State University it is approximately 1.5 kilometers and 20 minutes on foot. You can also go three stops by bus - routes 1, 113, 661.

By the way, the address of the Main building of Moscow State University is Moscow, Leninskie Gory, 1.

Moscow State University named after M.V. Lomonosov on the map of Moscow.

Photos of the Main building of Moscow State University

The main entrance of Moscow State University is decorated with a bas-relief “The Creator People”, and bronze sculptures “Athletes” are installed on the sides.

The main entrance is considered to be the one facing Moscow. The opposite one is usually called “Club”, since the Moscow State University House of Culture is located next to it. By the way, “home” is a relative concept. This is the name of the complex of “cultural premises” in the Main Building.

The lighting of the Main Building is most impressive on a winter evening.

In Moscow, on April 26 (May 7), 1755, the first university in our country opened, or more precisely, on that day a part of the university opened - a gymnasium, but less than three months passed before classes began at the university itself.

The opening of the university was solemn. The only newspaper in Russia at that time said that on that day about 4 thousand guests visited the university building on Red Square, music thundered all day, illumination glowed, “there were countless people, throughout the whole day, even until the fourth hour of midnight.”


The Apothecary House, located next to Red Square at the Kuryatny (now Resurrection) Gate, was chosen as the building for Moscow University. It was built at the end of the 17th century. and its design resembled the famous Sukharev Tower. The decree on the transfer of the Apothecary House to the opening Moscow University was signed by Empress Elizabeth on August 8, 1754.

The first building of Moscow University (now Moscow State University) was located in the building of the Main Pharmacy (former Zemsky Prikaz) on the site of the State Historical Museum on Red Square (Voskresenskie Vorota proezd, 1/2). The university was located in this building from April 1755 (opening) until it moved to a new building on Mokhovaya Street in 1793.

In this house, rebuilt as an educational institution, on April 26, 1755, the official opening took place—the “inauguration,” as they said then—of the gymnasium of the Imperial Moscow University, and with it the university itself.

The educational institution was opened on the basis of the personal decree “On the establishment of Moscow University and two gymnasiums” issued by Empress Elizabeth Petrovna on January 24, 1755. Attached to this act was the “Project for the Establishment of Moscow University,” which provided for the creation of three faculties at the university: law, medicine and philosophy.

In accordance with § 22 of the “Project on the Establishment of Moscow University,” training in all its faculties was to last three years. Enrollment as a university student in accordance with § 23 was made based on the results of an exam, during which those who wished to study at the university had to show that they were “capable of listening to professorial lectures.”


All those entering the university initially studied for three years at the Faculty of Philosophy, studying the humanities1, as well as mathematics and other exact sciences. After three years, they could either remain at the same faculty for in-depth study of one of the subjects, or move to the medical and law faculties, where training continued for another four years. At the Faculty of Medicine they studied not only medicine, but also chemistry, botany, zoology, agronomy, mineralogy and other natural sciences.

In September-October 1755, the number of government-funded students was increased to thirty people. The first recruitment was completed: Moscow University began to operate. However, neither the law nor the medical faculties were yet identified as independent departments of the university at that time.

Lomonosov decided to act through the empress’s favorite Ivan Shuvalov, a young empty dandy who pretended to be the patron of science and art. Shuvalov supported his proposal, but at the same time took credit for the founder of the university, “the inventor of that useful thing.” In addition, Shuvalov introduced a number of changes to the Lomonosov project that worsened and crippled it.

Lomonosov was not mentioned either in official documents or during the opening of the university. But it was not possible to hide the truth about Lomonosov’s great merit. Pushkin also said that Lomonosov, who “himself was our first university,” “created the first Russian university.” In our Soviet times, the government named Moscow University after its founder.

From the very beginning, the building of the Main Pharmacy, with great difficulty, satisfied all the needs of the university: here, in addition to lecture halls, there were classrooms of the university gymnasium, a library and a mineralogical office, a chemical laboratory, a printing house with a bookshop. Therefore, already from the 1760s. Some of the educational premises are being transferred to newly acquired houses on Mokhovaya Street. The final move of the university to Mokhovaya took place at the end of the 18th century.

The first university building, having lost its inhabitants, gradually deteriorated (in the photograph we see its condition in the middle of the 19th century) and was dismantled in connection with the construction of the Historical Museum. A memorial plaque in its wall now testifies to the Moscow University that once opened on this site.

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.

In 1949–1951, preliminary designs for the new university were published several times. Instead of the sculptural composition that B.M. depicted in his sketches. Iofan, from L.V. Rudnev, a statue was placed at the top of the central tower.

In one of the options it was a statue of I.V. himself. Stalin, however, according to legend, the modest leader rejected this option. This explains the fact that the sketch “with Stalin” was not published in those years and remained in the storage room. Instead, sketches and photographs of models of Moscow State University with a sculpture of V.I. installed on top became widespread. Lenin (variants with a sculpture of the founder of Moscow State University M.V. Lomonosov and a figure of a worker are also known).

On November 20, 1948, the Moscow University newspaper published information about the speech at the Moscow State University Council by academician of architecture L.V. Rudneva, who in the role of project team leader “showed sketches and a model of the building to members of the Moscow State University Council and gave explanations for them”.

February 11, 1949 L.V. Rudnev gives a long interview, where, in particular, he says: “The central twenty-six-story tower, crowned at a two-hundred-meter height with a sculpture of the brilliant creator of the Soviet state, Vladimir Ilyich Lenin, symbolizes the desire of our science to reach the heights of knowledge.”

Project of the Main Building of Moscow State University (Stalin Prize, 1st degree, 1949).

The planned figure on the tower could have a height of 35–40 meters. The appearance of a statue, by analogy with the statue of the Palace of the Soviets, would give the university building the appearance of a giant pedestal for a relatively small sculpture. After the construction of the high-rise building of the USSR Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Smolenskaya Square, it became clear that the only way to make buildings absolutely proportional was to complete them in the form of spiers.

Thus, having received a spire with a 58-meter-high star instead of a sculpture, the building benefited significantly.

Scheme of construction of the facade of the high-rise part of Moscow State University with height marks in meters (Rudnev, 1953) and a photo of the spire (1975 and modern).

In good weather, the golden spire, crowned with a star in a wreath of ears of corn, can be seen from many tens of kilometers away. The emblem, which appears openwork from the ground, is a very large structure: the diameter of its wreath is 9.5 meters, and the diameter of the star is 7.5 meters. The grain of the ear that frames the star reaches one meter and forty centimeters, the length of two ears is equal to twelve meters. The spire is almost 60 meters high, equal to the height of a 16-story building. This height was a record for its time. The building of the Peter and Paul Fortress in Leningrad is completed by a spire 33 meters high, the spire on the Admiralty building is 29 meters high.

Installation of the star frame crowning the high-rise building of Moscow State University (1951) and a modern photo of the star (2012, ).

Today the name of the person who first proposed crowning the spiers of high-rise buildings in Moscow with stars is no longer known. However, the idea of ​​installing a star at the top level of the constructed frame was first implemented by builders precisely on the Lenin Hills.

“The builders of Moscow State University have developed a tradition - on holidays, to light a star at the highest point of the metal frame of the main building,” writes foreman P. Zhavoronkov. “November 7, 1949, on the 32nd anniversary of the Great October Revolution, a huge star dotted with hundreds of electric lights lit up on the sixth floor. On the day of the seventieth birthday of Comrade Stalin, Muscovites saw her on the twelfth floor. On May 1, 1950, the star of the Palace of Science builders' competition lit up on the twentieth floor. On the 33rd anniversary of Great October, builders lit a star on the twenty-sixth steel frame of the building. Not only the team of university builders, but the whole of Moscow could follow our successes, seeing how the star of the socialist competition of the builders of the Palace of Science rises higher and higher.” (Palace of Science. Stories of the builders of the new building of Moscow State University. All-Union Central Council of Trade Unions, 1952. P. 65).

Perhaps it was this tradition that gave the architects the idea of ​​making changes to government-approved designs for high-rise buildings and decorating all spiers with stars.

The installation of the MSU spire was an extremely responsible operation. Its assembly was carried out using a self-lifting crane UBK-15. Some structures weighing 10-15 tons could not be lifted by this crane at full reach (this would lead to deflection of the support beams), so they were lifted through a shaft temporarily left inside the building. Railway tracks were laid under the mine. Inside the same shaft, the spire frame was assembled. The spire was made of 12 sections 4.5 meters high. These sections, each weighing from 5.5 to 6.5 tons, are stacked on top of each other. The first five sections were lowered through the shaft using a UBK-15 crane to a special site, where two teams of steeplejacks-assemblers carried out their joining and assembly. The sections were connected to each other by welding; these operations were assigned to four welders. Then the UBK-15 tower crane was dismantled. Dismantling was carried out using a mast derrick, which was installed nearby; the remaining sections of the spire were mounted with its help. 65).

Preparing the frame of the MSU GZ star () and the KBK-15 crane on top of the building.

The spire was installed in the parking place of the dismantled UBK-15 crane along the axis of the building. The weight of the spire was 120 tons. In order to lift it, two powerful winches and a complex system of pulleys were installed in the tower part of the building, with the help of which the entire structure was slowly lifted from the top as it was covered with golden aluminized glass. The assembly and installation of the spire were completed in a short time. Then a giant star was raised to a height of two hundred meters. Its frame was welded in advance downstairs on the site in front of the future assembly hall. It was spoiled for E. Martynov to make the last welding.

Electric welder E. Martynov welding an ear in the wreath of the star of the Moscow State University (1951).

“...Climbing the stairs to the star, I was a little worried,– recalled electric welder E. Martynov, - You always experience this feeling if you know that many eyes are watching you. But when I climbed up and sat on one of the links of the wreath to make it more convenient to work, I immediately calmed down. Moscow was hidden from me by thick fog rising over the Moscow River. Only the tops of high-rise buildings on Smolenskaya Square and Kotelnicheskaya Embankment peeked out from the foggy curtain, as if interested in what their counterpart on the Lenin Hills was decorated with. “So my dream has come true! – flashed through my head. – I became a real builder. I once promised myself to build a similar one to replace the school destroyed by the Nazis. And now I have to weld the star crowning the Palace of Science...”(Palace of Science. Stories of the builders of the new building of Moscow State University. All-Union Central Council of Trade Unions, 1952. P.76).

The star on the spire of the Palace of Science, personifying the power of the Motherland and the peaceful work of the Soviet people, shone over the Lenin Mountains on the eve of the 34th anniversary of the October Revolution.