The House of Soviets is a Constructivist-style administrative building located within the Nizhny Novgorod Kremlin at Kremlin, 5. Built during the Soviet period, it has since served as the principal seat of city government: it houses the administration of Nizhny Novgorod (formerly the City Hall), as well as the City Duma.[1]
Architecture and popular names
The building is considered a landmark example of Constructivism and is known colloquially as the "White House" and the "airplane building," after the distinctive shape of its floor plan. According to Olga Orelskaya, Doctor of Architecture and professor at the Nizhny Novgorod University of Architecture and Civil Engineering, the House of Soviets is one of the finest examples of Constructivist architecture in the country and represents a new type of administrative building.[2][1] It stands adjacent to the Nizhny Novgorod State Art Museum (the former Governor's residence).[1]
History of the site and construction
The site on which the House of Soviets was built has a tragic history: before construction, it was occupied by the Spaso-Preobrazhensky Cathedral, which was demolished during the Soviet era. Construction of the House of Soviets took place between 1929 and 1931: in 1929 the Spaso-Preobrazhensky Cathedral was dismantled, and in 1931 the building was completed.[3][1] Materials from the demolished Church of St. Nicholas of the Lower Posad (torn down in 1929) were also used in the construction. The building was erected primarily from the bricks of the demolished Spaso-Preobrazhensky Cathedral; the exception is the semicylindrical volume containing an 800-seat amphitheater-style hall, which was built from reinforced concrete — a new building material at the time.[2][1]
Current condition
Today the building serves as the residence of the city's head and houses various municipal services and agencies.[1] On Yandex Maps the site is listed as a landmark and has received a rating of 4.5 based on 228 reviews. The House of Soviets is among Nizhny Novgorod's Soviet avant-garde buildings that attract tourist attention, alongside the Chekist House and the Chernoprudsky skyscraper.[2][1]
Sources
- yandex.ru — House of Soviets, landmark, Nizhny Novgorod, Kremlin, 5 — Yandex Maps
- nn.aif.ru — The building was erected primarily from the bricks of the demolished Spaso-Preobrazhensky Cathedral; the exception is the semicylindrical volume containing an 800-seat hall in the form
- russpass.ru — Construction of the House of Soviets took place between 1929 and 1931: in 1929 the Spaso-Preobrazhensky Cathedral that stood on the site was dismantled, and in 1931 the building was comple