What's going on today at the legendary Moscow Palace of Pioneers?

One of Moscow's most famous Soviet buildings and institutions is, once again, welcoming students after a major renovation. The Palace of Pioneers opened in Vorobyovy Gory (Sparrow Hills) in 1962. 

During the Soviet years, there were dozens of free activities for kids of different ages, from dance ensembles to aircraft modeling. 

The 1976 Olympic champion Marina Koshevaya studied in the swimming section; Professor Dmitry Zateishchikov, one of the most famous cardiologists in Russia, attended the ‘Young Medic's Club’ as a child; cult Soviet actress Natalia Gundareva played in the Young Muscovites Theater at the Palace of Pioneers. Cosmonaut Sergey Ryazansky, Dante's translator Olga Sedakova and many others also studied there. 

Built during Khrushchev's "fight against excesses", it was one of the first examples of Soviet architectural modernism. Young, up-and-coming architects and artists worked on the project. 

The building is a series of pavilions branching off from a common gallery. At the ends, you can see mosaic panels titled: ‘Water’, ‘Earth’ and ‘Sky’, which symbolize the conquest of the elements by man. Meanwhile, the palace is surrounded by a large park with a pond.

Inside, in addition to classrooms and workshops, there is also a winter garden, a planetarium and a large concert hall.  

Today, modern sections have been added: computer technology, engineering graphics, robotics, biotechnology and many others. In total, there are more than 1,500 programs and more than 90% are free of charge. 

Besides the workshops, there are also general school programs with a focus on mathematics, natural sciences and IT.

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