Palace History
1946
Ruins and Hope
General Eisenhower in ruined Warsaw. 85% of the city lies in rubble. "I have never seen destruction executed with such bestiality," he said.
1949
Warsaw Conference
July 3, 1949 - Bolesław Bierut announces the 6-year reconstruction plan. A vision of new, socialist Warsaw modeled on Moscow emerges.
1951
Decision & Concept
"A gift from the Soviet people to the Polish people" - press announcement of the monumental construction. Stalin personally approves the project.
1951
Original Vision
The initial concept included a statue of Stalin atop the tower as a socialist realist symbol - never realized.
1951
Variant concept with a monument to the leader.
1951
Scale model of the early design version.
1951-1952
Planning & Design
Lev Rudnev - Soviet architect studying Polish tradition. He drew inspiration from the attic of Sandomierz town hall and Polish Renaissance townhouses.
1952
Final Design
Scale model of the approved design. 234 meters tall, 46 floors, 3,288 rooms. Rudnev created 5 variants - the Poles chose the last one.
1952
Details of the architectural model.
1952
The Price of Progress
Approximately 180 pre-war tenement buildings were demolished and 6 streets removed for the foundations. Europe's largest square was created.
1952-1955
Construction
May 1, 1952 - construction begins. Ceremonial laying of the cornerstone. The agreement between PRL and USSR governments was signed on April 5.
1952
Preparation of the construction site.
1952
The Workers
3,500 Soviet and 4,000 Polish workers. Visitors from the USSR lived in the "Friendship" housing estate in Jelonki. 16 people died during construction.
1953
Foundations and first floors.
1953
May Day Parades
Propaganda parades take place with the rising building in the background. PKiN becomes a symbol of socialist realism even before completion.
1953
Steel structure of the tower.
1954
40 million bricks, 26,000 tons of steel.
1954
Facade finishing work.
1954
Working at Heights
Workers on the steel structure of the main tower. Construction was conducted on an enormous scale - at peak times, several thousand people worked on the site simultaneously.
1955
The Rising Tower
Construction took only 3 years - an unprecedented pace in Europe. Work continued non-stop, including at night.
1955
Installation of the spire.
1955
Grand Opening
July 21, 1955 - the USSR Ambassador and Polish Prime Minister sign the handover protocol. July 22 - grand public opening.
1955
The building in full glory - symbol of new Warsaw.
1955
View from Parade Square.
1955
Parade Square
Europe's largest square was created at the foot of the Palace - a stage for propaganda spectacles and marches.
1955
5th World Youth Festival
July 31 - August 15, 1955. Under the motto "For Peace and Friendship," 26,643 foreign and 140,000 Polish participants from 114 countries arrived.
1955
May Day parade.
1955
Party rallies on Parade Square.
2000
New Era
New Year's Eve 2000 - installation of the Millennium Clock. The world's highest tower clock at 160 meters. The dial is 6.3 meters in diameter, controlled by satellite signal.