The height of the Ostankino TV tower reaches 562 m. How the Ostankino TV tower was built (26 photos)
Many cities around the world are famous famous towers, towering hundreds of meters and visible in all surroundings. For example, the Eiffel has long become a symbol of love and romance not only for Parisians, but also for residents of the whole world. No less famous is the Ostankino TV Tower, located in Moscow. It is the tallest building in Europe. In addition, for ten years it exceeded the size of all the world's structures. This majestic structure has been considered a symbol of Russian television for almost half a century. It is not surprising that the question of what is the height of the Ostankino Tower is of such interest to city guests.
The beginning of the creation of the TV tower
The history of this grandiose building begins in the 60s of the last century. Of course, television and radio broadcasts were carried out even earlier - from the late 30s. Then the Shukhov Tower on Shabolovka coped with this task. But after the Great Patriotic War, they decided to improve the quality of broadcasting.
To do this, it was necessary to build a new, more advanced tower. In accordance with the task, the height of the Ostankino tower should have been at least five hundred meters. In addition, the spirit of competition was also of a certain importance - there were no similar buildings on the planet, so the Soviet Union had the opportunity to again prove its superiority over other countries.
Nikolai Nikitin became the chief engineer. Interestingly, he developed the project in just one night. The image that inspired Nikitin was an inverted lily - with a strong stem and petals supporting the structure. According to the plan, it was planned to build four supports for the tower, but then, on the recommendation of Fritz Leonhardt, an engineer from Germany, they decided to increase their number to ten.
When constructing the structure, reinforced concrete was used, which was compressed from the inside with strong steel cables. Thanks to this, the structure became durable and wind-resistant. According to the project, the estimated height of the Ostankino tower in meters was 533 m, but later a flag was attached and it increased to 540 m. Construction of the structure lasted four years - from 1963 to 1967. Over 40 different research institutes, dozens of construction organizations and factories took part in its creation , as well as all kinds of ministries and departments of the country.
The largest achievement of domestic technology and science
In 1967, the first stage of the tower was put into operation, and the second one the following year. For the creation of this design, many of the participants were rewarded with high state awards. Interestingly, the height of the Ostankino Tower is far from its only advantage. She performed many tasks of national importance.
In addition to broadcasting television and radio programs for residents of Moscow and the Moscow region, they were distributed throughout the country thanks to special relay equipment. In addition, the tower provided direct radiotelephone communication between the head of state and the main ministries. And also thanks to it, a unique meteorological observatory appeared, with the help of which the main meteorological center of the country was able to monitor weather phenomena.
Tower design
Undoubtedly, the height of the Ostankino Tower is the first thing that has attracted tourists to it since 1969. However, besides this there is something to see! The magnificent structure has 45 floors. Inside the tower there are endless lines for television and radio antennas. The internal space, which mainly includes halls and laboratories, is equipped with a sewerage system, water supply and telephone communications. Effective area- more than 15 thousand sq. m. The building has 7 high-speed elevators. At the ground level there is the Museum of Radio and Television Broadcasting, where anyone can find out how construction was carried out, get acquainted with the biographies of the project creators and designers, and also get an answer to the question of how tall the Ostankino Tower is.
Sudden fire
During the development and construction of the structure, all possible problems were taken into account: the tower is able to withstand any hurricane, and is not afraid of earthquakes and lightning. However, she could not resist the fire. The fire broke out in August 2000 and engulfed three floors. Of the 149 cables holding the structure together, 120 could not cope with the load and burst, but the remaining 20 still held up and did not allow the tower to fall.
This tragedy caused enormous damage to the structure. The fire, which took more than fifteen hours to extinguish, claimed three lives. It is called the largest man-made disaster in independent Russia.
Restaurant "Seventh Heaven" with an extraordinary view of the city
The brightest attraction of the tower is undoubtedly the Seventh Heaven restaurant, located at an altitude of 328-334 m. It welcomed guests from its opening until 2000 and was located on three floors at once. Each of them had a separate hall: “Bronze”, “Silver” and “Gold”.
total area establishment was about 600 sq. m. Due to a fire, as a result of which all the premises of the restaurant burned out, it had to be closed for reconstruction. Undoubtedly, visitors to Seventh Heaven were attracted by the extraordinary height of the Ostankino Tower. But the main highlight of this establishment were special platforms, thanks to which the restaurant could rotate, making from one to three full revolutions around its axis per hour. Therefore, visitors could not only enjoy wonderful holiday, but also thanks to the glass walls you can admire a magnificent view of the city.
It was especially beautiful and exciting at night. The renovated restaurant is scheduled to open in the summer of 2015. During its existence, it has already been visited by millions of tourists, and, without any doubt, it will regain its former popularity.
Famous observation deck
The height of the observation deck of the Ostankino Tower is 337 meters, and it occupies a leading place in the world. Until 2000, more than ten million tourists visited it. After the fire it was closed for reconstruction, which lasted eight years.
Since the end of 2010, excursions have been held every day. There are two sites: open and closed. On the first of them you can enjoy an amazing view of the picturesque panorama of the city and at the same time test your courage - the floor is made of glass, so only the bravest dare to walk on it. The circular hall is rightfully considered the most spectacular observation deck in the capital.
Concert hall
Another attraction of the Ostankino TV Tower is the brilliant concert hall. The name “Royal” suits it perfectly. The hall is located in the excursion building. Now it hosts numerous concert programs, theatrical performances, expositions, conferences and other events and special occasions.
Legends
According to evidence local residents, there are even ghosts here from time to time. The most famous of them is the ghost of an old woman who has been living here for many decades. People claimed to have seen a strange old woman shortly before the fire in 2000. Tower employees have repeatedly seen deceased television stars of yesteryear in the corridors. This is usually explained by the huge archive of films stored within the walls of the tower. You can have different attitudes towards these legends, but in any case they add charm and color to this magnificent building.
Sports events
Before the tragic fire occurred on the tower, races were regularly held up its stairs to a height of 337 meters. The record is almost 12 minutes.
On the 40th anniversary of the tower, it hosted exciting BASE jumping competitions (parachute jumping from high-altitude objects). A record number of participants was recorded: 30 people jumped at the same time.
The tower surpasses all similar buildings in its value to society, in its functional capacity, as well as in the rational use of the areas and premises of the building. It is part of the International Federation of Great Towers.
Despite the fact that the height of the Ostankino tower is as much as 540 m, experts are confident that it will not topple. This is due to the fact that the center of gravity of the structure will never go beyond the support area.
One more interesting feature The tower is its small foundation. It averages only four meters. At the same time, according to experts from Canada who built a similar structure, the foundation of such a structure should be at least 40 meters. However, thanks to the unique design, the tower turned out to be strong and stable.
The total weight of the structure including the foundation is about 55 thousand tons.
According to the design, the tower can survive for one and a half centuries, however, the creators predict that it will live for at least three hundred years.
There are plans to expand the structure in the future. If this comes true, the height of the Ostankino tower in meters will be 560 meters. Thus, it will become the most impressive television structure in the world.
The height of the Ostankino Tower in Moscow has been attracting tourists to its walls for decades. And it doesn’t matter that this is far from the most tall building in the world. The Ostankino TV Tower remains a majestic and beautiful symbol of its time.
, M. A. Shkud, L. N. Shchipakin;
engineers N.V. Nikitin,
| An object cultural heritage, object No. 7749507000 object No. 7749507000 |
The tallest TV towers in the world
Construction (1960s)
Ostankino TV tower against the backdrop of 22-story buildings
An all-Union competition was held for best project TV tower, which was won by the Kiev Design Institute, which specialized in steel structures and proposed an openwork metal tower similar to the Eiffel Tower in Paris. The application did not arouse enthusiasm among the architects who were to implement the project, and a member of the competition committee, a specialist in reinforced concrete and metal structures, Nikolai Nikitin, came up with an unexpected alternative proposal - to make the tower out of concrete. A similar project for a concrete television tower was successfully completed 2 years earlier in, so Nikitin’s opinion was listened to, and the engineer was given the opportunity to prepare his own application. The design he proposed was based on the work of Yuri Kondratyuk, the author of the unrealized project of the Crimean wind power plant on Mount Ai-Petri, whose assistant Nikitin worked in the 1930s. Kondratyuk conceived the concrete structure of the wind power plant to be thin and hollow, and its strength was to be ensured by energized steel ropes. In Nikitin’s project, prevention of deformation and destruction of the concrete frame made of individual round blocks was also ensured by 149 tensioned cables. Nikitin claimed that he developed the project in 1 night, and the prototype of the cone-shaped base of the tower was an inverted lily that the engineer dreamed of - a flower with strong petals and a thick stem. However, Nikitin was not the first to propose such a solution: in 1932, the Italian engineer Pier Luigi Nervi, popular in the Soviet Union, presented for one of the competitions a 300-meter slender tower, growing from a cone-shaped base and topped with a metal mast. Nikitin's tower differed from Nervi's design in having a longer trunk and a wider base.
Construction [ | ]
Nikitin's project was approved, by decisions of the Council of Ministers of the USSR and the Executive Committee of the Moscow City Council, the State Union Design Institute of the Ministry of Communications of the USSR became the general design organization, development architectural solution was entrusted to the Mosproekt Institute, Glavmosstroy was appointed as the general contractor [ ] . Nikitin was appointed chief designer, and engineers Boris Zlobin, Vladimir Travush, Victor Khandzhi and Moisey Shkud, who also acted as an architect, worked with him. The head of workshop No. 7 of Mosproekt, Leonid Batalov, was appointed chief architect, and architects Dmitry Burdin and Lev Shchipakin also took part in the development of the artistic side of the project. Construction began in the summer of 1960 even before the final approval of the project: in July 1960, the SU-60 of the Stroitel trust entered the construction site; at the end of September, the first reinforced concrete blocks were laid in the foundation of the television tower [ ] . In the spring of 1961, construction was suspended due to doubts about the reliability of the shallow foundation proposed by Nikitin, from 3.5 to 4.6 meters - less than a standard factory pipe. The engineer was confident in his calculations, but agreed to increase the base by 1.5 meters in width and 2.25 meters in depth. Also, on the recommendation of the author of the Stuttgart TV tower, a German engineer (German. Fritz Leonhardt), the number of supports was increased from 4 to 10. The final design of the Ostankino television tower was approved on March 22, 1963, and work resumed, and the last change was an increase in height from the design 505 meters to 540 (with a flagpole).
The architects gave the tower its finished appearance. They added arches between the supports, built a glass cylinder under the tower trunk, where they placed technical services and live broadcast studios, cut the upper part of the cone with porthole windows, giving the tower a resemblance to a rocket. At the level of 325-360 meters, the tower received an extension the size of a 10-story building, which housed equipment, a 3-story revolving restaurant and an observation deck, borrowed from the design of the TV tower in Stuttgart. The balconies and the trunk of the tower housed equipment for radio relay lines, mobile television stations, radiotelephone communications, special service facilities and a meteorological complex. In November 1967, at the time of the grand opening of the television tower dedicated to the 50th anniversary of the October Revolution, the work was not completed and a compromise decision was made: on November 4, the television signal left the tower for the first time, on November 5, the act of the State Commission on the commissioning of the first stage of the Hardware and Studio Complex, which included a television tower, and the second stage was commissioned on December 26, 1968. It only took about 2 more months to turn all the city antennas towards the new TV tower. An observation deck and restaurant opened in 1969. Upon completion, the Ostankino TV Tower became the tallest structure in the world. By a resolution of the Council of Ministers of the USSR, she received the honorary title “named after the 50th anniversary of the October Revolution,” and in 1970 Nikitin, Zlobin, Shkud, Burdin and Shchipakin were awarded the Lenin Prize in the field of science and technology.
Fire [ | ]
On August 27, 2000, at an altitude of over 400 meters, high-frequency cables caught fire due to overvoltage, which led to a major fire at the Ostankino TV tower. The burning of the polyethylene casing of the feeders led to the rapid spread of fire inside the tower shaft. The first fire crews arrived 11 minutes after the fire and tried to stop the vertical spread of the fire using asbestos sheets, but drops of burning polyethylene penetrated through the cracks formed due to the complex shape of the tower’s internal structures. Due to the internal organization of the television tower, rescuers with equipment were forced to climb from 381 to 420 meters along a narrow vertical metal staircase, unsuitable for evacuation, and the task of the first few hours was to protect the elevator structures that were used to lower people from fire. During August 27, the fire spread to a height of 80 meters; 2,400 people, 269 pieces of equipment and 4 fire helicopters took part in extinguishing the fire. The fight against the fire continued for more than a day - until the evening of August 28.
In the fire, 3 floors of the tower were completely burned out, 121 tensioned steel ropes became unusable, and the power supply and communication systems were damaged. High-speed elevators collapsed along with the structures, killing 3 people in one of them: the fire crew commander who was climbing to the fire, an elevator operator and a repairman. Due to the loss of a significant part of the equipment, broadcasting of the main TV channels to Moscow and the Moscow region was temporarily interrupted. In the first days after the fire, ORT and RTR broadcasts were combined, and NTV programs were partially broadcast on TNT, partially on Channel Five. The operation of meter channels was completely restored by September 4, some of the decimeter channels by September 5, and for another year and a half, broadcasting was partially organized through the television center on Shabolovka and the Shukhov Tower. The fire resistance of the concrete trunk of the tower made it possible to continue its operation in parallel with reconstruction in 2000-2007. In 2009, excursion services for guests of the tower were resumed, in 2011 the open observation deck at an altitude of 340 meters began operating again, and the Seventh Heaven restaurant at an altitude of 328-334 meters, completely destroyed by a fire in 2000, opened only in 2016.
Design [ | ]
Vertical panorama of the Ostankino TV tower
Elevator systems[ | ]
Entrance to the elevator lock
Initially, the Ostankino TV tower had German R.Stahl elevators. During the fire in 2000, due to high temperatures, almost all the cables of all the elevators burst, which caused them to fall. There were 3 people in one of the cabins at the time, none of them survived.
4 new elevators were produced at the ThyssenKrupp plant in 2003, but their installation was completed only on November 21, 2005. One service elevator from the Shcherbinsky plant was also installed in the building. ShchLZ also designed one of two elevators, which should be located in the antenna part of the television tower. Elevators No. 6 and 7, located above the observation deck and going to approximately 450 meters, on this moment do not work, and perhaps their restoration is not planned due to the fact that the elevator shafts are clogged with cables and feeders. As of September 2017, 5 elevators are in operation: 4 high-speed elevators of the ThyssenKrupp concern and one service elevator of the Shcherbinsky Elevator Plant.
High-speed elevators have the following characteristics: Two passenger:
- Speed - 7 m/s.
- Load capacity - 1000 kg.
- Number of stops - 13.
Cargo-passenger:
- Speed - 7 m/s.
- Load capacity - 1000 kg.
- Number of stops - 47.
Restaurant:
- Speed - 4 m/s.
- Load capacity - 500 kg.
- Number of stops - 9.
Machine units of high-speed elevators are installed at 360 and 364 meters. The speed of elevators can be automatically reduced based on signals from sensors that control the amplitude of the tower's swing. The elevators are also equipped with a unique system in which contactless transmission of electricity into the elevator cabin is carried out due to inductive energy transfer using the transformer principle. For this purpose, elements of inductive energy transmission are placed in the shaft, and current collectors are attached to the cabin.
If these high-speed elevators stop working, visitors to the observation deck from a height of 337 meters will be evacuated by employees of this television tower on foot along a technical staircase to the exit of the television tower.
Observation deck[ | ]
Over the 30 years of the tower’s existence, the Seventh Heaven restaurant with its observation deck was visited by over 10 million guests. By January 2008, the observation deck was completely renovated. On March 27, 2008, it opened for pilot tours.
There are two observation platforms: the lower one is covered, at an altitude of 337 meters, and the upper (“balcony”) is open, at an altitude of 340 meters. The lower observation deck is equipped with transparent openings in the floor made of durable glass-crystalline material sitalla. These “windows” can support the weight of several people.
Since December 2010, one-hour tours have been offered daily. There are three observation platforms - a closed one, 337 m high, and two open ones, 340 m high and 85 m high, respectively. The open observation deck is open only in the warm season - from May to October. Size excursion groups currently limited to 90 visitors.
From the observation platforms of the Ostankino Tower a panorama of the city of Moscow and the nearest Moscow region opens.
Media façade [ | ]
Ostankino TV tower at night
In 2014, media facades (LED screens) were installed on two tiers of the Ostankino TV tower: the lower level - at a height of 83-128 meters, the second level - at a height of 146-192 meters. The total surface area of the screens on two tiers was 3753 m². The installation was carried out for the use of media facades during the Circle of Light festival in October 2014. At the end of the festival, it was decided to continue using the media façade for evening and holiday illumination and for advertising purposes.
Sport [ | ]
Concert hall [ | ]
The concert hall of the Ostankino TV tower "Korolevsky" is located in the building of the excursion building, which houses the directorate of the Moscow regional center Federal State Unitary Enterprise "Russian Television and Radio Broadcasting Network". During the operation of the observation deck, the concert hall was used as a cinema hall to show videos about the Ostankino Tower, Ostankino and television. Now in concert hall“Korolevsky” hosts various concerts, theatrical performances, conferences, seminars and other events.
ground floor: 360 amphitheater: 392Stage size: 18 × 9 × 8.5. Equipped with: intermission-sliding curtain, 7 mechanical lifts, three stage lighting trusses, “Starry Sky” on the back of the stage and three backstage plans.
TV channels, multiplexes and radio stations transmitted by the tower[ | ]
Every week on the night from Monday to Tuesday from 1:45 to 6:00 the broadcast is suspended. Preventative work is being carried out on the tower. In addition, the majority of channels broadcasting in analog format (except for Channel One) undergo additional periodic shutdowns for maintenance according to an established schedule. In addition, digital multiplexes undergo maintenance according to their own schedules from 6 am to 2 pm: the first multiplex - every 2nd Tuesday of the month, the second - every 3rd Wednesday, the additional one - every 4th Thursday.
TV channels and multiplexes[ | ]
Television transmitters are located on the fifth floor of the base of the television tower. Television transmitting antennas occupy four antenna sections of the tower and are located at heights of 389-421 and 454-523 meters. Several antennas (backup and low power) are located at an altitude of 345-364 meters. Antenna polarization is horizontal.
| TV channel or multiplex | Frequency channel |
Power transmitter, kW |
Height suspension antennas, m |
Radius coatings*, km |
Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| First channel | 1 | 40 | 404 | 130 | Stereo NICAM, teletext, 14:9 letterbox, frequency and time reference signals |
| TV Center | 3 | 40 | 467 | 120 | Stereo NICAM, teletext, radio program for the blind |
| Match TV | 6 | 1 | 486 | 80 | Teletext, subtitles |
| NTV | 8 | 40 | 486 | 105 | Teletext, subtitles |
| Russia 1 | 11 | 60 | 497 | 120 | Teletext, subtitles |
| Che! | 23 | 10 | 420 | 100 | |
| Multiplex RTRS-2 | 24 | 10 | 400 | 90 | DVB-T2. There is no coding. Broadcasting with a power of 10 kW started on December 11, 2013 at 10:10. |
| 25 | 10 | 454 | 110 | ||
| STS | 27 | 5 | 454 | 100 | |
| Disney Channel | 29 | 10 | 420 | 100 | |
| Multiplex RTRS-1 | 30 | 10 | 400 | 90 | DVB-T2. There is no coding. Broadcasting with a power of 10 kW started on March 19, 2012 at 8:50. |
| Home | 31 | 20 | 513 | 115 | |
| Russia-Culture | 33 | 20 | 513 | 115 | Teletext, subtitles |
| Additional multiplex | 34 | 10 | 400 | 100 | DVB-T2. Broadcasting from 01/15/2015. There is no coding (except for “Our Football”). |
| TNT | 35 | 5 | 478 | 95 | |
| Friday! | 38 | 10 | 454 | 110 | Stereo NICAM |
| Channel 5 | 44 | 5 | 410 | 105 | Teletext |
| TV-3 | 46 | 5 | 421 | 100 | |
| REN TV | 49 | 20 | 421 | 95 | 14:9 letterbox |
| 51 | 20 | 478 | 100 | ||
| Star | 57 | 5 | 419 | 85 | 14:9 letterbox |
| Test multiplex Ultra HD | 58 | 0,3 | 419 | 15 | DVB-T2 (H.265 codec) |
| 60 | 5 | 419 | 95 | ||
| * The zone of stable reception is marked; the total reception zone is even larger; it is an approximate value and depends on the used television receiver, antenna and the height of the latter. | |||||
Radio stations [ | ]
All radio stations are broadcast in two FM VHF bands: 65.90-74.00 MHz (VHF OIRT) and 87.5-108.0 MHz (VHF CCIR). VHF broadcast transmitters are located on the sixth floor of the base of the television tower. Broadcasting transmitting antennas occupy one antenna section of the tower and are located at an altitude of 421-454 meters. Antenna polarization is horizontal. All CCIR stations, except Orpheus, transmit RDS signals (basically only the station name, frequency and PTY identifier).
| Name | Frequency, MHz | power, kWt | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Radio Russia, Radio 1 | 66,44 | 5 | |
| 71,30 | 5 | ||
| Business FM | 87,50 | 5 | |
| Retro FM | 88,30 | 5 | |
| Radio Jazz | 89,10 | 5 | |
| Echo of Moscow | 91,20 | 5 | RDS-CT (time) |
| Kommersant FM | 93,60 | 5 | |
| Moscow speaks | 94,80 | 5 | RDS-CT |
| (planned to be replaced by Radio Ultra) | 95,20 | 5 | RDS-CT |
| Road Radio | 96,0 | 5 | |
| Vesti FM | 97,60 | 5 | |
| 98,80 | 5 | ||
| Orpheus | 99,20 | 5 | |
| 99,60 | 5 | ||
| Radio Vera | 100,90 | 5 | |
| DFM | 101,20 | 10 | |
| 101,50 | 10 | ||
| Our radio | 101,80 | 10 | |
| 102,10 | 5 | ||
| Radio Maximum | 103,70 | 10 | |
| Russian radio | 105,70 | 10 | |
| Europa Plus | 106,20 | 10 |
In culture [ | ]
Notes [ | ]
- List of tallest buildings and structures in the world
- Andrey Khoroshevsky. Ostankino Tower// 100 famous symbols of the Soviet era. - M.: Folio, 2006. - 512 p. - ISBN 966-03-3385-4.
- Anna Bronovitskaya, Nikolai Malinin, Olga Kazakova. Moscow. Architecture of Soviet modernism 1955-1991. Directory guide. - M.: Garage, 2016. - pp. 72-75. - 328 p. -
The height of the Ostankino tower
As of early 2017, the Ostankino TV Tower ranks eighth in the world among the tallest free-standing structures. Of course, her height is amazing even in photographs and videos, not to mention meeting her in person. Therefore questions what is the height of the Ostankino television tower, how many meters is Ostankino high?- interests many residents not only of Russia, but also of other countries.
At the time of completion (1967) tower height was 533 meters. Later the flagpole was completed. As a result, the Ostankino tower grew by another 7 (seven) meters - up to 540 m.
540 meters is the final (total) height of the television tower. The concrete part of the structure itself has a height of about 385 m (the height of the Ostankino roof). And the top floor is at an altitude of 360 meters.
Wherein height of Ostankino tower supports- 62 meters, and the depth of the foundation is about 4.5 meters (with its supporting area of about 2 thousand square kilometers).
Construction cost - 65 million US dollars
The total height of the tower from the base, including the antenna - 540 m
Total weight - 55,000 tons
The depth of the tower underground is 3.5 m
Maximum design wind speed - 43 m/s (155 km/h)
Deviation at this speed is 1.5 m
Antenna length -150 m
Observatory height - 337 m
Open terrace
Visibility to the horizon from the observatory - 20 km
Number of steps - 1706
The height of the Ostankino tower is 540.1 m or equal to the height of a 112-story building. But if you come across such a question in the game Hot and Cold, you need to select the 550m mark on the answer scale. Only in this case will the game answer be counted and the next question will open to you.
Despite the fact that the Ostankino Tower was built in 1967, it currently ranks 5th in height among the tallest buildings in the world. The total height of the tower with the completed flagpole is 540 m, its weight is 55 kilotons, and the area of the premises is 15 thousand square meters. m, and their volume is 70 thousand cubic meters. m. At the height of approximately a 115-story building there is an observation deck from which everyone can admire the surroundings.
Ostankino TV Tower is currently the fifth largest free-standing structure in the world and is part of
And its height is exactly 540 meters. The TV tower in Ostankino is the tallest building in Europe, and the observation deck of the tower, which is located at an altitude of 337 meters, is the highest in the world.
I see this Ostankino tower very often, my friend lives from not across the road on Korolva Street, I must say it’s a tall tower. I was also there several times, both on the observation deck and in the revolving restaurant back in the USSR. There is a good book by Perelman, called Entertaining Physics, and it is clearly written there that the exact height of such structures constantly changes depending on the temperature of the surrounding atmosphere, so no one can tell you the height of the tower at a given moment down to the centimeter. The estimated height for today is 540 meters.
The Ostankino Tower is located in Moscow, its height is 540 meters. Construction of the television tower began in 1963 and ended in 1967. The Ostankino Tower has the Seventh Heaven restaurant, located at an altitude of approximately 330 meters. If we measure the floors of ordinary houses, it will be at the level of the 112th floor.
It is very interesting to watch the process of construction of objects, and especially if it concerns huge objects that we have been seeing ready for a long time. Sometimes you can’t even imagine how they were built. Here for example, and here or for example .
Do you see this hole in the first photo? But this is the beginning of the construction of a grandiose structure - the Ostankino Tower. “For a hundred years now I’ve been dreaming of visiting the restaurant “Seventh Heaven” and walking on the glass floor. And in general it would be very tempting to visit inside. Were you there? Interesting?
But let's take a look and read how the construction went...
Photo 2. 
In 1960, the seven-year construction of the Ostankino TV Tower began in Moscow, today the tallest structure in Europe (its height is 540.1 m). Ostankino TV Tower ranks 8th in the world after the Burj Khalifa (Dubai), Tokyo Sky Tree, Shanghai Tower (Shanghai), Abraj al-Bayt (Mecca), Guangzhou TV Tower, CN Tower (Toronto) and Freedom Tower (NY).
The tower, which weighs more than 32 thousand tons, was erected on a monolithic circular reinforced concrete foundation with a width of 9.5 meters, a height of 3 meters and a diameter (circumscribed circle) of 74 meters. In the decagonal reinforced concrete strip of the foundation, using a system of ring-stressed reinforcement (it consists of 104 bundles, each bundle has 24 wires with a diameter of 5 millimeters each), a preliminary stress is created - each bundle is tensioned by hydraulic jacks with a force of about 60 tons.
Photo 3. 
The foundation is laid in the ground to a depth of 4.65 meters. It is expected that it will settle by 3-3.5 centimeters. The tower's stability against overturning has a six-fold margin.
Photo 4. 
The reinforced concrete support of the entire structure is a thin-walled conical shell supported by ten reinforced concrete “legs” on the foundation benches. The diameter of the lower base of this shell is 60.6 meters, and at a height of 63 meters it is 18 meters. The upper part of the reinforced concrete shaft, starting from a height of 321 meters, is made in the form of a cylinder with an outer diameter of 8.1 meters. The thickness of the walls at the base of the tower is 500 millimeters.
Photo 5. 
In the center of the conical base, on a separate foundation (a round reinforced concrete slab with a diameter of 12 meters and a thickness of 1 meter), a reinforced concrete glass with a height of 63 meters and a diameter of 7.5 meters was erected. This glass contains high-speed elevators, power cables, communication cables, a shaft with water supply and sewer risers and an emergency steel staircase. The ends of the beams of fifteen interfloor ceilings rest on the glass, and a staircase runs between the glass and the conical base. The construction of separate foundations for two independent structures - the tower and the glass - allows different pressures to be transferred to the ground when they settle unevenly.
Photo 6. 
Under the influence of wind load, the upper part of the tower can oscillate, and the deflection of its top in strong winds can reach 10 meters. With winds that occur in Moscow quite often, on average once a week, visitors to observation decks and restaurants will feel the vibrations of the tower in approximately the same way as the rocking of a ship with an amplitude of 8 centimeters with a period of vibration of 10 seconds.
Photo 7. 
There is another “enemy” at the tower. This is the Sun. Due to one-sided heating, the trunk moves (from curvature) at the top by 2.25 meters, at the level of the observation platforms - by 0.72 meters. To reduce deformations from wind loads and from one-sided heating, 150 steel cables were stretched at a distance of 50 millimeters from the inner surface of the barrel. Their total tension force is 10,400 tons—this is the weight of an ocean-going steamer. The cables will take on tensile forces and protect the concrete from cracks, and, consequently, the reinforcement from corrosion.
Photo 8. 
Several metal antennas with a total height of 148 meters are installed on the reinforced concrete part of the tower. The antennas are made in the form of steel pipes. There are rigid diaphragms inside the pipes. A special elevator is used to service antennas up to a height of 470 meters. To inspect and dismantle vibrators, as well as periodically paint the steel structures of the antennas, 6 platforms with railings are installed and cradles are suspended.
Photo 9. 
During the construction of the tower, the latest advances in construction technology were widely used. A unique tower crane BK-1000 with a lifting capacity of 16 tons (with a boom reach of 45 meters) was used to assemble and install metal structures. The tower trunk was constructed using the world's only self-elevating unit weighing about 300 tons. Concrete was delivered to this unit by elevators.
Photo 10. 
At a separate site, sections of metal antennas were assembled using a SKG-100 crawler crane (with a lifting capacity of 100 tons). This was a control assembly. At the same time, equipment was mounted on the antennas and vibrators were installed. Then the antenna sections were disassembled again, and their individual parts - drawers - were transported by crane to the loading area at a height of 63 meters. Then, using a special crane installed on the tower trunk, the first drawers were lifted to the top of the tower and mounted so that they went 10 meters inside its trunk. And after that, the installation was carried out using a crawling crane.
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The design of the architectural and construction part of the television tower was developed by the Central Scientific Research Institute of Experimental Buildings and Sports Facilities. Team of authors: design engineer N. Nikitin, architects D. Burdin, L. Batalov, V. Milashevsky, design engineer B. Zlobin, plumbing engineer T. Melik-Arakelyan. Separate parts of the project were developed by Mosproekt-1 and 19 other design organizations. The general design organization is GSPI of the USSR Ministry of Communications. The technological part of the project is carried out by a team of authors under the leadership of engineer I. Ostrovsky.
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After control assembly and adjustment of the antennas on the stand, individual mounting elements (tsents) weighing up to 25 tons are transferred by a crawler crane to the operating area of the ring crane. He lifts the drawer to the loading platform at a height of 63 m. An overhead crane, located at a height of 385 m, lifts the drawers to another transfer site located at a height of 370 meters. Then the self-lifting crane, moving along the mounted drawers, installs the newly arriving drawers on top of each other.
The last, topmost link is lifted by the crane from its middle. To maintain the vertical position of the link, its lower end is artificially weighted.
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Construction took place from 1960 to 1967, and in November 1967, the broadcast of four television and three radio programs began over a distance of 120 km.
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The Seventh Heaven restaurant at an altitude of 337 meters is ready to receive guests, 1967.
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Equipment room of the central radio relay communication on the Ostankino TV tower, 1982.
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An installer checks the condition of meteorological instruments installed on the Ostankino TV tower, 1970.
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On August 27, 2000, a fire occurred in the tower at an altitude of 460 m - then 3 floors were completely burned out. The premises were restored by 2008.
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Television and radio broadcasting tower located in Moscow. Currently the fourth tallest structure in the world after the Burj Khalifa skyscraper (since July 21, 2007, the tallest building in the world, height 828 m), the CN Tower in Toronto (553.33 m) and the KVLY-television and radio tower TV in Blanchard, USA (628 m).
The tallest building in Europe.
Height 540 m (originally the height of the tower was 533 m, but then the flagpole was added).
The height of the concrete part is 385 m.
The height of the base above sea level is 160 m.
The depth of the foundation does not exceed 4.6 m.
The mass of the tower together with the foundation is 51,400 tons.
The conical base of the structure rests on 10 supports; the average diameter between the legs is 60 m.
The ring sections of the tower barrel are compressed with 149 ropes.
The total volume of premises and high-rise buildings is 70,000 m³.
The useful area of the tower premises is 15,000 m².
Maximum theoretical deflection of the tower top at maximum design wind speeds of 12 m.
The main observation deck is located at an altitude of 337 m.
The tower contains 5 freight and 4 passenger elevators.
The area of reliable TV signal reception from the tower is 120 km and covers an area with a population of about 20 million people.
Chief designer N.V. Nikitin. Engineers M.A. Shkud and B.A. Zlobin. Architects D. Burdin, M.A. Shkud and L.I. Shchipakin.
Construction of the tower took place from 1963 to 1967. At that time it was the largest high-rise building in the world. The idea of using prestressed reinforced concrete, compressed by steel cables, made it possible to make the structure of the tower simple and strong. Another progressive idea was the use of a relatively shallow foundation: according to Nikitin’s plan, the tower was supposed to practically stand on the ground and its stability was ensured by the mass of the helmet-base being many times greater than the mass of the mast structure.
The Seventh Heaven restaurant is located at an altitude of 328-334 m and occupies 3 floors. The ring-shaped premises of the restaurant perform circular rotations around their axis at a speed of one to three revolutions per hour. During all this time observation deck and the high-rise restaurant “Seventh Heaven” were visited by over 10 million guests.
On August 27, 2000, there was a severe fire in the tower. The fire was located at an altitude of 460 m. 3 floors were completely burned out. In the process of extinguishing the fire, fire crew commander Vladimir Arsyukov, elevator operator Svetlana Loseva and repairman Alexander Shipilin died. During the fire from high temperature Several dozen cables, which provide prestressing to the concrete structure of the tower, burst, but despite reasonable fears, the tower stood. The cables were subsequently restored.
The observation deck on the Ostankino TV tower was repaired and reopened to the public on April 7, 2009.
On August 12, 2012, engineer Lev Shushkevich died as a result of a false alarm of the fire extinguishing system at the Ostankino TV tower.
