Monumental skyscrapers, marble metro vestibules, and grand squares rarely happen by chance - behind their appearance lies a whole system of ideas. The lecture will analyze the language of architecture of the mid-20th century, showing how the ideology of the era is read in the facades and why familiar buildings suddenly begin to look like pages from a history textbook. Tall buildings with spires, station halls with columns and mosaics, wide boulevards, and symmetrical squares have long become a familiar part of the urban environment. We pass by these buildings every day, perceiving them as a background, although they were originally conceived as a visual manifesto. Understanding what meanings are embedded in such ensembles is aided by a careful discussion of architecture and its connection to history. At the meeting, we will discuss how the monumental style was formed in the mid-20th century, which is now associated with the major cities of the former Soviet Union. The lecturer will explain why the authorities sought grandeur, where the classical columns and pediments on new buildings came from, and what inspired the project authors. Other events in St. Petersburg can be found on KudaGo.