by Peter Sigrist
In 2007, the "Grand Park" residential complex was completed along the border of the now-defunct Frunze Central Aerodrome in Moscow. Located on Khodynka Field, within 5 miles of the city center, Frunze was the city's only airport until 1941.
![](https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-gxps_AjO6cg/UEYvUVUeM-I/AAAAAAAAJmM/YMkR7CkaVo0/s1600/moscow.jpg)
After the airport was decommissioned, the International Society for Krishna Consciousness reportedly sought to build a major temple there, which never happened due to staunch opposition from the Russian Orthodox Church.
![](https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-qsSGTNHU5UM/UEY9gPWRf-I/AAAAAAAAJms/wwszMA0tITo/s1600/01.jpg)
![](https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-9A2ToGf9vb4/UEY9ozbzusI/AAAAAAAAJm8/cWfbu32F9Lo/s1600/03.jpg)
Grand Park was built instead, one of many projects by the INTECO real estate development firm owned by the wife of Moscow's mayor at the time.
![](https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-zC4O9_K6Jnw/UEY9se5AnWI/AAAAAAAAJnE/FMX17GyKZkg/s1600/04.jpg)
An entire book could be written about this gated complex.
![](https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-HgIxv5gRRqo/UEY9w2pNcSI/AAAAAAAAJnM/5943-GvcmtY/s1600/05.jpg)
![](https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-YFV7uR_ZJSA/UEY919Jwu2I/AAAAAAAAJnU/tE6ugwYx-48/s1600/06.jpg)
![](https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-6P9I9fnY5c8/UEY95dVcZUI/AAAAAAAAJnc/jFJp-Ibd-DY/s1600/07.jpg)
For now I have a photo tour of the massive structure, which cascades toward an overgrown field where people shoot at targets, race their cars and gaze at uncommon architecture along the perimeter.
![](https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-tb0zCi4BGcs/UEY98SC7SkI/AAAAAAAAJnk/JvpSwyTkJsE/s1600/08.jpg)
![](https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-18bffoxYp1U/UEY-FFULejI/AAAAAAAAJn4/6bYlyu9ZchM/s1600/10.jpg)
![](https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-CVlN9qxer9A/UEY-N2wKvPI/AAAAAAAAJoI/IEUSuSv4n8Y/s1600/12.jpg)
Does anyone have information on this crossword-puzzle building?
![](https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-8acpaxS1Bhc/UEZQsx4xd_I/AAAAAAAAJqI/dXz-1Czlkoo/s1600/1.jpg)
![](https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-wBTi3B02E-E/UEZOpmfl6AI/AAAAAAAAJqA/hyE5GOsFt-c/s1600/2.jpg)
The "Triumph Palace" housing development (above center), which mimics the Seven Sisters from the late Stalin era, was constructed between 2001 and 2005.
![](https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-4Y4VX1uUv_E/UEY-Zg30BLI/AAAAAAAAJog/-s47tOmkFq0/s1600/15.jpg)
![](https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-XnW3NLPsr9o/UEY-eCe-hFI/AAAAAAAAJos/e2LKbUS7DeE/s1600/16.jpg)
![](https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-CMjHRey3URI/UEY-wM2YRHI/AAAAAAAAJpE/InRzpW15zx0/s1600/19.jpg)
![](https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-SCtDoKIGVus/UEY-omW2icI/AAAAAAAAJo8/DG_EfDmUROE/s1600/18.jpg)
![](https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-_11odn01LUA/UEY-0EIdxkI/AAAAAAAAJpM/RoeijEe0uv0/s1600/20.jpg)
![](https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-gGOQKoW3Tlg/UEY-4MP3oXI/AAAAAAAAJpU/Q83ZOhSJhE8/s1600/21.jpg)
![](https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-TTR7Gw2M08I/UEY-7xm1B2I/AAAAAAAAJpc/J7uWGsjA-L0/s1600/22.jpg)
![](https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-NG9BR6Ce_J0/UEZWlQhlxNI/AAAAAAAAJqY/p5ZpZ6fyHGU/s1600/Khodynka_Field_2010_06.jpeg)
Source: Wikimedia Commons
Some mourn the removal of historic aircraft (above) that once occupied the site, part of the apparently abandoned National Air and Space Museum.
![](https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-0WUhS70yXAI/UEYyIBjCuBI/AAAAAAAAJmc/gpgZDhBVkbM/s1600/planes.jpg)
The planes and helicopters are still visible in Google Earth (above), but I didn't see them while visiting in August of this year. I hope they were just hidden from view or I was looking in the wrong place.
This is part of a collection of featured places from around the world. If you’d like to share photos of a place you find interesting, please add them to the Flickr group or send them to info@thepolisblog.org and we’ll publish your feature. Video and sound recordings are also welcome.
Credits: Aerials from Google Earth. Ground photos by Peter Sigrist unless otherwise noted.
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In 2007, the "Grand Park" residential complex was completed along the border of the now-defunct Frunze Central Aerodrome in Moscow. Located on Khodynka Field, within 5 miles of the city center, Frunze was the city's only airport until 1941.
![](https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-gxps_AjO6cg/UEYvUVUeM-I/AAAAAAAAJmM/YMkR7CkaVo0/s1600/moscow.jpg)
After the airport was decommissioned, the International Society for Krishna Consciousness reportedly sought to build a major temple there, which never happened due to staunch opposition from the Russian Orthodox Church.
![](https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-qsSGTNHU5UM/UEY9gPWRf-I/AAAAAAAAJms/wwszMA0tITo/s1600/01.jpg)
![](https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-9A2ToGf9vb4/UEY9ozbzusI/AAAAAAAAJm8/cWfbu32F9Lo/s1600/03.jpg)
Grand Park was built instead, one of many projects by the INTECO real estate development firm owned by the wife of Moscow's mayor at the time.
![](https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-zC4O9_K6Jnw/UEY9se5AnWI/AAAAAAAAJnE/FMX17GyKZkg/s1600/04.jpg)
An entire book could be written about this gated complex.
![](https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-HgIxv5gRRqo/UEY9w2pNcSI/AAAAAAAAJnM/5943-GvcmtY/s1600/05.jpg)
![](https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-YFV7uR_ZJSA/UEY919Jwu2I/AAAAAAAAJnU/tE6ugwYx-48/s1600/06.jpg)
![](https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-6P9I9fnY5c8/UEY95dVcZUI/AAAAAAAAJnc/jFJp-Ibd-DY/s1600/07.jpg)
For now I have a photo tour of the massive structure, which cascades toward an overgrown field where people shoot at targets, race their cars and gaze at uncommon architecture along the perimeter.
![](https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-tb0zCi4BGcs/UEY98SC7SkI/AAAAAAAAJnk/JvpSwyTkJsE/s1600/08.jpg)
![](https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-18bffoxYp1U/UEY-FFULejI/AAAAAAAAJn4/6bYlyu9ZchM/s1600/10.jpg)
![](https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-CVlN9qxer9A/UEY-N2wKvPI/AAAAAAAAJoI/IEUSuSv4n8Y/s1600/12.jpg)
Does anyone have information on this crossword-puzzle building?
![](https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-8acpaxS1Bhc/UEZQsx4xd_I/AAAAAAAAJqI/dXz-1Czlkoo/s1600/1.jpg)
![](https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-wBTi3B02E-E/UEZOpmfl6AI/AAAAAAAAJqA/hyE5GOsFt-c/s1600/2.jpg)
The "Triumph Palace" housing development (above center), which mimics the Seven Sisters from the late Stalin era, was constructed between 2001 and 2005.
![](https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-4Y4VX1uUv_E/UEY-Zg30BLI/AAAAAAAAJog/-s47tOmkFq0/s1600/15.jpg)
![](https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-XnW3NLPsr9o/UEY-eCe-hFI/AAAAAAAAJos/e2LKbUS7DeE/s1600/16.jpg)
![](https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-CMjHRey3URI/UEY-wM2YRHI/AAAAAAAAJpE/InRzpW15zx0/s1600/19.jpg)
![](https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-SCtDoKIGVus/UEY-omW2icI/AAAAAAAAJo8/DG_EfDmUROE/s1600/18.jpg)
![](https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-_11odn01LUA/UEY-0EIdxkI/AAAAAAAAJpM/RoeijEe0uv0/s1600/20.jpg)
![](https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-gGOQKoW3Tlg/UEY-4MP3oXI/AAAAAAAAJpU/Q83ZOhSJhE8/s1600/21.jpg)
![](https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-TTR7Gw2M08I/UEY-7xm1B2I/AAAAAAAAJpc/J7uWGsjA-L0/s1600/22.jpg)
![](https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-NG9BR6Ce_J0/UEZWlQhlxNI/AAAAAAAAJqY/p5ZpZ6fyHGU/s1600/Khodynka_Field_2010_06.jpeg)
Source: Wikimedia Commons
Some mourn the removal of historic aircraft (above) that once occupied the site, part of the apparently abandoned National Air and Space Museum.
![](https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-0WUhS70yXAI/UEYyIBjCuBI/AAAAAAAAJmc/gpgZDhBVkbM/s1600/planes.jpg)
The planes and helicopters are still visible in Google Earth (above), but I didn't see them while visiting in August of this year. I hope they were just hidden from view or I was looking in the wrong place.
This is part of a collection of featured places from around the world. If you’d like to share photos of a place you find interesting, please add them to the Flickr group or send them to info@thepolisblog.org and we’ll publish your feature. Video and sound recordings are also welcome.
Credits: Aerials from Google Earth. Ground photos by Peter Sigrist unless otherwise noted.
+ share