Ekaterinburg City Hall
By Alexey Pryadein

25 August 2005: Ekaterinburg City Hall was built in the early 1950s by German prisoners of war and was intended to be richly symbolic and unique. Its theme was to reflect the Great Victory of the Second World War. The decision to build this landmark was taken by the Council of Ministers to honour Ekaterinburg for its contribution to that victory.

Ekaterinburg richly deserved such recognition, since the people had worked 16 to 20 hours a day in the plants and factories of the city, where each third shell and missile and each second tank of the Soviet Army was manufactured.

Construction of Ekaterinburg’s City Administration (or Sverdlovsk as it was called during the Soviet period) became a symbol of the country’s post-war power. Built with German skill, the building is of the highest quality, surpassing that of any other in the city. It has an eclectic architecture with its style combining both classic and modern - a style typical of the architecture of the time, which is usually called “Stalin’s Triumph”.

It has five floors and a clock tower with large columns as a base. On the edge of the roof there are several statues portraying workers and peasants, illustrating the power of the “common people” who took priority in the Soviet Union.

On the front of the building the bass-relief portraits of local revolutionists are situated to remind people who brought the “communistic ideals” to the region. One interesting detail of the City Hall is at the entrance where a bass-relief imitates the arcade leading to the Red Square and Kremlin, intending to show the continuity of power from Moscow to the city and thus the unity of the country. Another detail shows the figures of soldiers holding up the tower of the City Hall by their shoulders, symbolising support and strength of the regime.

Thus, the entire design of the building was deeply symbolic. Today, after the Soviet Union’s collapse, the building (together with Lenin’s monument in front of the City Hall) has become its architectural and historical memorial.

The new era brought about new ideals. Now the city administration is creating and developing a new system of self-government, which means the necessity for new approaches and changes in ways of thinking for its citizens and administration. We have to realise that the city administration is something that is now elected by the citizens and consists of the citizens who must now be the captains of their own destinies.

We have to respect those people who work in the field of city development, and respect our history. That’s why the Gallery of Mayors has appeared in the City hall. This shows all the Mayors of Ekaterinburg (Sverdlovsk) from its inception in 1723. The gallery is unique in Russia and portrays the community as remembering its roots while at the same time thinking of a better future. The gallery begins with the statues of city founders V. Tatischev and F. de Gennin.

The City Hall of Ekaterinburg is one of the most interesting buildings both in Ekaterinburg and Russia. It represents Soviet architecture, while emphasising the city’s own unique history.