"Shortlisted for the Pushkin House Russian Book Prize" "Shortlisted for the Best Book in Cultural Studies Prize, American Association of Teachers of Slavic and East European Languages" "One of Foreign Affairs' Best Books" "Honorable Mention for the Alexander Nove Prize, British Association for Slavonic and East European Studies" "Impressive detail"---Anthony Paletta, Literary Review "Zubovich has done stellar work in the citys archives, uncovering a trove of letters and petitions from ordinary Soviet citizens. . . This is a book which delves into the very human tensions created by a society forced into transition, and the effects on a city undergoing a seismic political, cultural, and architectural change."---Jennifer Eremeeva, The Moscow Times "A superb, sweeping account of the realization of a magnificent group of skyscrapers. Grounded in meticulous archival research, and highly readable, it will appeal to specialists and general readers alike interested in topics as wide ranging as Soviet-US relations, architecture, intellectuals, and everyday life under Stalin."---Christine Varga-Harris, American Historical Review "Russian and Soviet urban history has expanded and developed greatly in the last two decades by drawing attention to the built environment, lived experience, and aesthetic choices and meanings of buildings. In Katherine Zubovichs Moscow Monumental: Soviet Skyscrapers and Urban Life in Stalins Capital we have an example of some of the best trends in recent years.
"---Karl Qualls, Russian Review "Drawing on extensive archival research, the book delineates an arc from early conceptualization of Moscow as the capital of Soviet Russia to infighting leading to the demise of monumentality as a dominant force in Soviet architecture during the 1950s. ... Recommended." * Choice * "Well researched and lucidly written, Moscow Monumental is a welcome contribution to the field of urban history. It will be a good addition to the reading lists for university courses on Russian social and cultural history. It will also be much appreciated by lovers of Russian history outside academe."---Elena V. Baraban, Ab Imperio Quarterly "A monumental story, pun intended. . . .Readers will find this highly refreshing."---Heather D. DeHaan, Contemporary European History "Zubovich gives us what the archives (and page limits) allow: a rich and thoughtful story of the ambition and contradiction that characterized the Soviet effort to create a lived utopia."---Diane P. Koenker, Journal of Modern History
