Right next to the Kremlin, in the heart of Moscow, rises a concrete giant: the Hotel Moskva. Or at least, that was its name for decades. Today, it goes by a more glamorous title: Four Seasons Moscow.
But beyond its monumental façade and prime location, what truly draws attention—what stops tourists in their tracks and puzzles architects—is something else: its unusual asymmetrical design.
One Signature, Two Designs
The hotel’s façade seems to hold two souls. One is sober and austere. The other, ornate and almost ostentatious. As if two mismatched halves were forced to coexist. How did it come to be this way?
For years, a story circulated. A myth with a touch of Soviet tragedy. It was said that the architect, Alexey Shchusev, couldn’t decide which design to submit: the severe one or the decorative one. So he placed them both, side by side, on the same blueprint. And submitted it to Stalin. Stalin, without a word, signed right in the middle.
Unable—or too afraid—to ask for clarification, the architects built the hotel exactly as it appeared in the drawing, combining both versions.
That version of the story endured for decades. Because it was compelling. Because it had drama. And because it offered a simple explanation for what the eyes couldn’t ignore: Hotel Moskva was a building split in two.
But the real story… is less epic—and more human.
The Real Explanation
Historical research has since debunked the legend. In truth, Stalin did not personally approve architectural projects, and the asymmetry has a much more technical than mythical explanation.
The hotel began construction in the 1930s on a complicated site filled with old houses, crumbling walls, and the former Grand Hotel. The original plan was to incorporate parts of those existing structures—add a few floors, modernize them. But the walls of the old hotel, far from solid, were made of weak materials and collapsed under the added weight.
This forced the architects to improvise on-site and partially redesign the façade, eliminating ornamentation on the side that rested on the former Grand Hotel. In fact, in the original building, windows were sealed off on the first four floors to reinforce that section’s structural integrity.
Modern Reconstruction with a Soviet Face
In the early 2000s, the deteriorated original building was demolished despite preservation efforts. In its place, a modern replica was erected, faithfully maintaining the original façade and its distinctive asymmetry. While the interior was completely upgraded to luxury standards, the exterior retained the Soviet face that made it iconic.
Name Change and Current Status
In 2022, the hotel ceased operating under the Four Seasons brand and was renamed The Legend of Moscow, though many websites and booking platforms still use the former name. In November 2024, the entire building—including the hotel, the shopping gallery, and residential apartments—was nationalized by court order.