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Russia’s RTRS plans to dismantle nearly all of Moscow’s 1922 Shabolovka (Shukhov) radio tower this fall and replace it with a replica by 2028. Specialists say replacing the original steel would amount to destroying the landmark, since the material itself is central to its heritage value.
The owner of Moscow’s landmark Shabolovka radio tower, the Russian Television and Radio Broadcasting Network (RTRS), plans this fall to dismantle almost all of the 1922 structure designed by engineer Vladimir Shukhov and replace it with a replica by 2028, according to a report by the architecture journalist Asya Zolnikova published by Meduza. Specialists cited in the report say the overhaul would be tantamount to destroying Shukhov’s work, because preserving the original metal matters as much as preserving the tower’s shape.
The 144-meter (about 470-foot) hyperboloid tower on Shabolovka was the Soviet Union’s first and main radio transmitter when it opened in 1922, later becoming the country’s main television tower until the Ostankino Tower was built. It remains a defining feature of its south-central Moscow neighborhood and one of the most celebrated engineering achievements of the early Soviet period.
According to Meduza, RTRS intends to take apart nearly the entire structure and rebuild it, completing the work by 2028. The plan has drawn criticism from preservation specialists, who argue that the value of the tower lies not only in its distinctive silhouette but in Shukhov’s original steel construction itself. Replacing the metal, they say, would leave a copy rather than a preserved monument.
The tower’s engineering is widely regarded as groundbreaking. Shukhov patented lattice hyperboloid structures assembled from straight metal rods set at angles and secured by rings at the top and bottom. The design was strong but light: the Shabolovka tower has 48 supports, each carrying one forty-eighth of the structure’s weight, allowing thinner rods, less metal and shallower foundations than conventional towers of the era.
Why the Original Steel Matters
Preservation specialists argue that dismantling the tower and replacing its metal would erase the physical evidence of Shukhov’s engineering method, not merely renovate a structure. The tower’s telescopic assembly — sections built at ground level and raised one after another — and its efficient use of scarce materials are part of what makes it historically significant, alongside its architecture.
The tower is also a cultural landmark: Alexander Rodchenko photographed it in his celebrated 1920s and 1930s series, and it appeared on the cover of Vladimir Mayakovsky’s book “The Flying Proletarian.” Its loss as an authentic structure would affect Moscow’s architectural heritage and the study of early Soviet engineering.
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How the Tower Was Built
The tower was built between 1919 and 1922 with the personal backing of Vladimir Lenin, who called radio a “newspaper without paper and without distance” and in 1919 signed a decree ordering a powerful Moscow radio station built “with extraordinary urgency.” Originally planned at 350 meters — taller than the Eiffel Tower — the design was scaled down to six sections because of metal shortages during the Civil War. The planned 350-meter version would have used about 2,200 metric tons of metal, compared with roughly 7,000 metric tons for the Eiffel Tower.
Until 1953, the tower was Moscow’s tallest structure, surpassed only by the main building of Moscow State University. The site, once Firewood Square, was chosen, according to architectural historian Alexandra Selivanova, because “they chose the highest site they could find as close to the Kremlin as possible.”
“They chose the highest site they could find as close to the Kremlin as possible.”
— Alexandra Selivanova, architectural historian and former director of the Shabolovka Avant-Garde Center
Disputed Stories and Unclear Plans
Key details of the overhaul plan remain unclear, including how much of the original structure — if any — will be preserved, how the replica will be constructed, and whether public consultation will take place before dismantling begins this fall.
Historical details about the tower are also disputed. Some accounts say a cable snapped while the fourth section was lifted, killing a worker and leading to a “suspended death sentence” for Shukhov, but Bagautdinov says official sources do not confirm any death from that incident, though two people died during construction under other circumstances. The sentence story appears only in Shukhov’s own diary, and researchers have not searched security-service archives for corroborating documents.
Timeline for Dismantling and Rebuilding
According to Meduza, RTRS intends to begin dismantling the tower this fall, with a replica in place by 2028. It remains to be seen whether preservation advocates can influence the plan before work starts, and whether the project’s scope or schedule changes once dismantling is underway.
Key Questions
What is happening to the Shukhov radio tower in Moscow?
Its owner, RTRS, plans to dismantle almost all of the 1922 Shabolovka tower this fall and rebuild it with new steel, finishing a replica by 2028, according to Meduza.
Why do specialists oppose the plan?
They argue that replacing nearly all of the original steel amounts to destroying Shukhov’s work, because the authentic material and construction method are as important to the monument’s value as its shape.
Who designed the tower and when was it built?
Engineer Vladimir Shukhov designed the hyperboloid lattice tower, which was built between 1919 and 1922 with the backing of Vladimir Lenin.
How tall is the tower?
It stands 144 meters (about 470 feet) and was Moscow’s tallest structure until 1953. It was originally designed to reach 350 meters, taller than the Eiffel Tower, but metal shortages forced a smaller design.
What is a hyperboloid structure?
It is a lattice design Shukhov patented, built from straight metal rods set at angles and secured by rings. It is strong, light, wind-resistant and uses far less metal than conventional towers.
Source: rss
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