Hotel Intourist

The Hotel Intourist (Russian: гости́ница «Интурист») was a hotel in Moscow, Russia. It was built in 1970 as a hotel for foreign tourists to the Soviet Union. In 2002, the hotel was closed and demolished. The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Moscow now stands on the site.

Hotel Intourist
General information
LocationMoscow, Russia
Opening1970
ClosedJanuary 7, 2002[1]
Cost$180 million[2]
Technical details
Floor count22
Design and construction
ArchitectVsevolod Voskresensky, Yury Sheverdrayev Aleksandr Boltinov[3]
Other information
Number of rooms436

History

The hotel was built in 1970 by the Soviet travel company Intourist on Tverskaya Street just north of Red Square. It was the tallest reinforced concrete structure in Moscow.[4] The hallways were decorated with three stained glass works designed by Leonid Polishchuk and Svetlana Shcherbinina. The images, which included nude figures in "Man and Woman", were somewhat scandalous at the time.[5]

In April 1999, an explosion set in an elevator on the 20th floor injured 11 people and ripped through the 17th floor. The bomb exploded near the offices of Russian singer and State Duma deputy Joseph Kobzon.[6] No suspects were apprehended in the explosion.[7]

After the fall of the Soviet Union, luxury hotels catering to western guests quickly entered the market and the hotel quickly became dated.[8] Moscow Mayor Yury Luzhkov called it a "rotting tooth" on Tverskaya Street.[9] The hotel closed on January 7, 2002 after the last guests checked out and the city began demolition shortly thereafter.[1] The property was taken down in pieces by cranes and many of the materials were recycled. The glass was sold off, the concrete was turned into crushed stone and the rebar was melted down.[4]

References
  1. "Последний постоялец покинет гостиницу Интурист сегодня в 12 часов. После этого гостиница будет закрыта". Echo Moscow. 2002-01-07.
  2. "Tourist Influx Speeds Opening of New Moscow Hotel". New York Times. 1970-08-31.
  3. "Размышления по поводу сноса гостиницы «Интурист»" (in Russian). Archi.ru. Retrieved 2020-05-04.
  4. ""Интурист" снесли. На очереди - "Москва", "Минск" и "Киевская"" (in Russian). Vesti. 2002-10-31.
  5. T. V. Knyazhitskaya. ""Другие витражи": Леонид Полищук и Светлана Щербинина" (in Russian). Retrieved 2020-05-04.
  6. "Bomb Blows Hole in Intourist Hotel". Moscow Times. 1999-04-27.
  7. "Unloved Intourist Closes Its Doors". Moscow Times. 2002-01-09.
  8. "Soviet Hotel In Moscow To Be Razed". New York Times. 2002-01-09.
  9. ""Интурист" закрыт. Последним отель покинул постоялец из Канады". News.ru (in Russian). 2002-01-07.
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