House of Soviets

Built in 1960 to be the administrative centre of the new state, this strange, Brutalist behemoth has never been occupied due to structural issues. The interior remains unfinished and unusable.

In 1945, following the Nazi defeat, the Soviet Union claimed the Königsberg area from Germany. They kicked the entire German population out, brought in their own people, and updated the city’s name to Kaliningrad. In an effort to clean up after World War II bombardments, the remains of the heavy-hit, historical Königsberg castle were demolished to make place for its successor: The House Of Soviets.

In 1970, construction started and the foundation of the building was built on top of the castle's ruins. Which, in turn, was already built on mushy ground. That proved to be a very bad idea. Even with the originally planned 28 stories already lowered to a more modest 21 stories, construction still couldn't be finished. Then, in 1985, fifteen years after its inception and with the building still unfinished, the regional USSR committee lost interest in the project. 

In 2005, and the 60th anniversary of Kaliningrad, Russian President Vladimir Putin chose to visit the city. To honor his presence, the locals decided to paint the building a cheerful, pastel blue and finally add some windows, just 35 years after the original construction.

Today, the entrance of the building is still closed off, but that hasn't saved the structure from vandalism. Many of the windows are now shattered and graffiti marks the walls, extending up to the roof.