Open
Lobby and bar
The bronze chandeliers, carved ceilings and stained glass have survived from the 1950s. You can visit the lobby, the lobby bar and the restaurant even if you are not staying at the hotel.
7 / 7Open to visitors
Hotel Leningradskaya
The smallest and most ornate of the seven sisters. It stands on the square of three railway stations, and inside is a hotel where you can walk in and see the 1950s interiors.
Outside
Hotel Leningradskaya on Komsomolskaya Square © Mike1979 Russia, CC BY-SA 4.0
Hotel Leningradskaya and the fountain on the square © Hilton Moscow Leningradskaya, CC BY-SA 4.0
Hotel Leningradskaya on a sunny day © Никонико962, CC BY-SA 4.0
The tower of Hotel Leningradskaya from below © Sergey Norin from Moscow, Russia, CC BY 2.0
Hotel Leningradskaya at night © Sergey Korovkin 84, CC BY-SA 3.0
Inside
Interior of Hotel Leningradskaya © Александр Сигачёв, CC0
At a glance
- Can you go in
- Yes. It is a Hilton hotel, and you can visit the lobby, bar and restaurant without staying
- Best view
- From Komsomolskaya Square by Leningradsky station
- How much time to allow
- 30 minutes for the building and the lobby, plus Komsomolskaya metro station
- Architects
- Leonid Polyakov and Alexander Boretsky
History
The hotel was built from 1949 to 1954 on Komsomolskaya Square, next to the Leningradsky, Yaroslavsky and Kazansky railway stations. It was meant to welcome visitors arriving in the capital by train.
The architects decorated the building very lavishly. The finish mixes motifs of Naryshkin Baroque, Gothic and Old Russian architecture, and inside there are bronze chandeliers, carved wooden ceilings and stained glass.
It was precisely this luxury that backfired. In 1955 a decree on eliminating excess in architecture was issued. Leonid Polyakov was stripped of his Stalin Prize, and the hotel was held up as an example of extravagance.
In 2008, after restoration, Russia’s first Hilton hotel opened here. The historic interiors were preserved.
© Thomas Taylor Hammond (1920-1993), CC BY-SA 4.0Architecture and numbers
This is the most compact of the skyscrapers. The tower stands on a narrow plot between streets and rises to a spire with a star, and its ornate silhouette can be seen from all over the square of three stations.
136 mheight with spire, the lowest of the seven
26floors
1954year opened
2008year the Hilton opened
What is inside and can you go in
The hotel is open to visitors, so you can see the interiors without a tour.
Open
Open
Komsomolskaya metro station
Across the square from the hotel is Komsomolskaya station on the Circle line, with its mosaics and chandeliers. It is one of the most beautiful metro stations in the world.
By booking
People behind the skyscraper
The most ornate skyscraper brought its authors serious trouble.
Leonid Polyakov
Architect
Designer of Oktyabrskaya station on the Circle line. After the 1955 decree “On eliminating excess” he and his co-author Alexander Boretsky were stripped of the Stalin Prize they had received for this hotel.
Legends and facts
Furtseva’s grudge
It is said that the harsh criticism of Polyakov was no accident. Supposedly Yekaterina Furtseva never forgave the architect for hinting that she knew nothing about architecture.
A chandelier seven floors high
A huge bronze chandelier hangs inside and lights several floors at once. Guides call it the longest in the world.
Trophies from Berlin
Guides say that some of the statues in the interiors were brought back as trophies from defeated Berlin.
The first revolving door
The hotel entrance has a mahogany revolving door. It is said to be the first in the country.
Where to take photos
The skyscraper stands on a large square, so it is easy to see from different sides.
View of the skyscraper. Komsomolskaya Square © Hilton Moscow Leningradskaya, CC BY-SA 4.0
View of the skyscraper. Komsomolskaya Square © Mike1979 Russia, CC BY-SA 4.0
Komsomolskaya Square
From the square by Leningradsky station you see the whole building, with the station towers in the frame beside it.
In the evening lights
In the evening the lighting picks out every detail of the facade. The best shots are from the square while there is still some blue in the sky.
Kalanchyovskaya Street
If you walk along Kalanchyovskaya towards Krasnye Vorota, the tower with its sharp spire rises above the street and the bridge.
Where to stay nearby
You can stay in the skyscraper itself or choose a hotel near the stations.
Hotel in the skyscraper itself
Hilton Moscow Leningradskaya, with historic interiors and views of the square of three stations.
Hotels by the three stations
Handy if you arrive by train or leave early in the morning.
Hotels near Krasnye Vorota
The neighbouring skyscraper and the Garden Ring are a 15 minute walk away.
Hotels near Chistye Prudy
A quiet boulevard with cafés and theatres, two metro stops from the stations.
What to see nearby
Walking times are from the hotel.
Map
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Address
Russia, Moscow, Kalanchyovskaya Street 21/40
Getting there by metro
15Komsomolskayaabout 5 minutes
Metro line 1 (red) and 5 (brown).
- Exit onto Komsomolskaya Square towards Kazansky station.
- You will see the skyscraper right away. It stands next to Kazansky station on the corner of Kalanchyovskaya Street.
- Cross the square at the crossing and head to the main entrance of the hotel.
Other Moscow skyscrapers
1
Moscow State University Main Building
2
Hotel Ukraina
3
Kotelnicheskaya Embankment Building
4
Ministry of Foreign Affairs Building
5
Kudrinskaya Square Building
6
Red Gates Building
Moscow State University Main Building
2
Hotel Ukraina
3
Kotelnicheskaya Embankment Building
4
Ministry of Foreign Affairs Building
5
Kudrinskaya Square Building
6
Red Gates Building
Never built
More “sisters”
FAQ
Can I go into Hotel Leningradskaya if I am not staying there?
Yes. You can freely walk into the lobby, the lobby bar and the restaurant and see the historic interiors.
What is Hotel Leningradskaya called now?
Since 2008 the building has been the Hilton Moscow Leningradskaya.
How tall is Hotel Leningradskaya?
136 metres including the spire. It is the lowest of the seven Stalinist skyscrapers.
How do I get to Hotel Leningradskaya?
Take the metro to Komsomolskaya on the red or Circle line. From the exit it is about a 5 minute walk across the square.
Why were the architects of the Leningradskaya stripped of their Stalin Prize?
In 1955 the decree “On eliminating excess in design and construction” was issued. The hotel was named as an example of excess, and Polyakov and Boretsky lost their prize.