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FSB builds largest palace in town

Traditional Stalin era architecture characterizes FSB's new headquarters in Murmansk.

Foundation stone ceremony took place this week for what will be FSB’s new headquarters in Murmansk, an eight floor building in Stalin architecture style on Lenin Avenue.

Location

Power structures in Murmansk are all located along the Lenin Avenue, but by size, nobody will conquer the new palace of Russia’s Security Service, the FSB. While the buildings of Murmansk City-, and Oblast administrations, as well as the regional Duma are 4 and 5 floors high, the new FSB palace will be 8 floors. 

Today, FSB shares a building with the regional police. Construction of the first phase of the new FSB building will be ready during 2015, a year before Murmansk celebrates its 100 years anniversary. 

A memorable capsule was placed in the fundament of the building at the solemn ceremony that took place on Wednesday. 

The press-office of Murmansk mayor Alex Weller issued a statement honoring FSB for constructing a building that “corresponds to the historic architectural traditions of Murmansk.” Vice Governor of Murmansk Oblast, Anatoly Vekshin, said according to Murman.ru: “The headquarters of the security must embody the strength and reliability of the state”….(and)…”will fit into the image of the central part of the city…”

FSB’s new headquarters is located on Lenin Avenue No. 35, across the street from Okei shopping mall under the hill of Park Inn Hotel. 

With its new location, the inhabitants of Murmansk can copy-cat the joke from Moscow where people referred to FSB’s building Lubjanka as “Adult’s World” as compared to “Children’s World” (“Detsky Mir”), the name of Russia’s largest toy-store across the street. Also in Murmansk, the local “Detsky Mir” is located across the street from FSB’s new building. 

The building will house a total of 15,084 square meters.