One of the most notorious examples of Soviet Realist architecture, at two hundred and thirty-one metres high, the Warsaw Palace of Culture and Science is the tallest building in Poland and the eight highest in the European Union. It was commissioned by Josef Stalin as a gift from the people of the Soviet Union.
You can’t say that the communists are always inefficient because construction began in 1952 and was completed in 1955 in a total of two years and sixty-six days, although to put that into context the Empire State Building in New York is 65% higher and was completed in less than half that time – one year and forty-five days.
Have Bag, Will Travel 
It’s impressive in the picture and must be more impressive in person.
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I have never seen the Empire State Building but I imagine it to be similar, apparently Stalin sent Russian architects to New York on a copycat mission. It stands in an open park are which means that there are good views from all four sides.
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Spectacular image!
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Thank you!
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Huh. I had NO idea. At least a tall building is impressive. 😀
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There are seven of these in Moscow and another in Riga in Latvia.
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Perfect for the challenge 🙂
The building looks really intimidating, right?
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Very communist in its appearance!
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impressive!
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It looks like something out of a horror movie. So intimidating!
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It looks like the set of Ghostbusters!
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Yes that could be it exactly!
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The Palace was backplan hero of my two posts: https://adabrowka.wordpress.com/2013/04/27/culture/ – you can see some more of its surroundings, and here, with an English story: https://adabrowka.wordpress.com/2014/08/02/the-guitar/
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Thank you for these links! I was in Warsaw last weekend. I liked it!
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It is very impressive – a cathedral to Man as opposed to a cathedral to God.
Great similarities but major differences. I can’t quite explain but there is a grandeur but a coldness.
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There are a lot of skyscrapers in Warsaw but this one has the most character!
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It does have the look of the Empire State Building, Andrew, although also reminds me of some of the buildings I saw when I was in St Petersburg many years ago.
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Thanks Hugh. It was very similar to the Soviet buildings in Moscow.
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