September 27: The foundation of the Ostankino TV Tower was laid in Moscow.
On September 27, 1960, the foundation of the Ostankino Television Tower was laid in Moscow. The story of its construction is one of bold engineering: a symbol of Russian television and one of the tallest structures in Europe, the "Kashcheev Needle" stands on a foundation just four meters deep.
Why does Moscow need a new tower?
Before the broadcasting center appeared in Ostankino The 150-meter-tall Shukhov Tower provided broadcasts to Moscow: it was built before the invention of television and served primarily as a radio transmitter. By the early 1950s, it became clear that a more powerful, 500-meter-tall transmitter was needed to improve image quality and expand coverage.
They decided to build it out of steel. Around 40 metal tower designs were submitted to the all-Union competition. The winner was an openwork structure reminiscent of the Eiffel Tower. However, it looked too bulky and didn't fit in with Moscow's architectural landscape.
A project done in one night
At the last moment, the engineer Nikolay Nikitin, who was on the competition committee, proposed a radical change to the concept and making the tower out of concrete. He asked for three days to prepare his application. They gave him a week. Nikitin later admitted he completed the entire project in a single night.
The project was based on the developments Yuri Kondratyuk — one of the founders of cosmonautics, for whom Nikitin worked as an assistant in the 1930s. Even then, Kondratyuk proposed building a concrete wind farm on Mount Ai-Petri, with the structure's strength ensured by taut steel cables.
This is how a sketch of a thin, elegant TV tower appeared, which was liked To Khrushchev.
How the tower stands on a four-meter foundation
According to the design, the foundation of the 540-meter structure was buried only four meters deep—less than that of a standard factory chimney. The tower's stability is maintained by 145 steel cables, totaling 35 kilometers in length, tensioned internally and providing prestressing to the concrete. Thanks to this, the tower can withstand extreme weather conditions and even an earthquake measuring 8 on the Richter scale.
Where the Ostankino TV Tower might have stood
Various locations were proposed for construction: from the Moskva River confluence (where the monument to Peter the Great now stands) to the Kropotkinskaya Embankment (where the Cathedral of Christ the Savior stands). Novye Cheryomushki was considered a promising option, but the engineers were not satisfied with the soil conditions and the proximity of Vnukovo Airport. Ultimately, the tower was chosen for the Ostankino nursery.
Construction took seven years. In fact, the first two years saw little progress due to expert assessments—many doubted the tower could stand on such a shallow foundation. Nikitin himself had no doubts about his creation:
I guarantee three hundred years
Portholes, restaurant and observation deck
The design underwent some modifications. For example, the architects built a glass cylinder under the turret's trunk to house technical services. Porthole windows were also added at the base, giving the turret a rocket-like appearance.
Between 325 and 360 meters, the tower received an extension the size of a 10-story building. It housed equipment, a revolving restaurant, and an observation deck. The restaurant also featured in "The Irony of Fate":
— Oleg, by the way, suggests celebrating the New Year in the Ostankino Tower restaurant... He's spinning.
- Who?
— The restaurant is revolving.
- Well, if you want to spin, then, of course, spin.
The grand opening took place in 1967. At that time, it was the tallest structure in the world.
In strong winds, the top of the Ostankino Tower tilts up to 12 meters. The tower's antenna also serves as Moscow's main lightning rod: lightning strikes its spire an average of 50 times a year.
Fire of 2000
In August 2000, the tower suffered a major fire, killing three people, destroying three floors, including the Seventh Heaven restaurant, and damaging 121 prestressed steel cables. Moscow was left without television broadcasts for nearly a week. Rumors circulated that the tower was deliberately set on fire to avoid public outcry following the sinking of the Kursk submarine. A sad joke also surfaced:
The TV tower lay on the ground
The reconstruction took nearly 16 years. During this time, the Ostankino Tower transformed from a symbol of information dissemination into a symbol of aggressive propaganda and blatant lies.