If you’ve ever wondered why the Dinkins Manhattan Municipal Building looks like it could be in Moscow, here’s a story about how the Soviets stole New York’s architectural heritage.
In 1924 Soviet architect Vyacheslav Oltarzhevsky was sent to the United States, which at the time was a rare occurrence. After spending 11 years there, he became thoroughly familiar with contemporary construction techniques and even worked in high-rise construction in New York. Upon returning to Russia he was commissioned to design projects that later shaped Moscow’s skyline.
The Manhattan Municipal Building was completed in 1914. Its architectural style is grand Beaux-Arts. Inspired by the City Beautiful movement, it combines elements of the Roman imperial style, the Italian Renaissance and classicism.
Apparently, Stalin used New York architecture as the basis for the iconic Soviet Stalinist skyscrapers — the “Seven Sisters”, which were built between 1947 and 1957. This also includes the famous Polish Palace of Culture and Science in Warsaw.
In fact, if you look closely, almost every Moscow skyscraper has a New York prototype. For example, the silhouette of the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs building resembles the Woolworth Building, while the Hotel Leningradskaya has similarities to the United States Courthouse.
It’s not known for certain why Stalin decided to build such tall buildings in Moscow. One explanation naively assumes that he simply admired Gothic architecture and that the skyscrapers were meant to evoke Gothic cathedrals. Another interpretation is that the aim was to compete with the United States and to “catch up with and overtake America”, where skyscrapers first appeared at the end of the 19th century, while Moscow remained mostly low-rise until the mid-20th century.