Hotel Ukraina

A gigantic hotel with 1035 rooms. It took some very long minutes to drive past it with the trolleybus once  ...

It was built in 1949-1955, and was, back then, the world's tallest hotel. (Nowadays it is, counting the spire, "only" Europe's tallest.)
The building is ornamented with elements from both Soviet symbolism and Ukrainian tradition.

There is a very special fire escape system outside the bulding - the purely Russian invention of a "fire escape sleeve". Up to 10 people at the same time can use a kapron (a material similar to nylon) chute to slide 30 meters down to the safe ground.

Hotel Leningradskaya

Erected 1948-1953, incorporates motifs from Russian 18th century architecture, in order to avoid disturbing the harmony of the surrounding old buildings. Particularly this can be seen on the interieurs. Another thing that opposes it to the other skyscrapers is its many-coloured facade. 

In every single one of the 345 rooms, there is a tv, a fridge, and a mini bar ...