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Russian Mission Residency

Russian Mission Residency
in New York
Russian Mission Residency is located in Bronx
Russian Mission Residency
Location within Bronx
Russian Mission Residency is located in New York City
Russian Mission Residency
Russian Mission Residency (New York City)
Russian Mission Residency is located in New York
Russian Mission Residency
Russian Mission Residency (New York)
Russian Mission Residency is located in the United States
Russian Mission Residency
Russian Mission Residency (the United States)
General information
Address355 West 255 Street
Bronx, NY 10471
355 Вест 255, Нью-Йорк,10471,США
Coordinates40°54′11″N 73°54′10″W / 40.902997°N 73.902718°W / 40.902997; -73.902718

The Russian Mission Residency in New York is the residence for diplomatic workers of the Russian Federation's Ministry of Foreign Affairs. It is located in the Riverdale community of Bronx borough of New York City, New York. It is affiliated with the Permanent Mission of Russia to the United Nations, and is operated by the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

History

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The land the residence was built on had previously been owned by Robert Weinberg.[1] In 1967 Weinberg wanted to build 18‐story 340 unit apartment building for middle class and low-income tenants at the location, part of Mayor John Lindsay's “scatter-site” public housing plan.[1][2][3] However this never occurred due to affluent neighbors protesting the plan.[1][2] The land remained vacant until December 1971 when it was purchased by the Soviet Union for $900,000.[1][3]

Architectural firm Pomerance & Breines was initially approached to design the new Russian Mission Residency.[3] After the firm's plans were approved by the Soviets, bidding from construction companies to build the plans started.[3] But due to high bidding costs from construction companies, with the lowest bid being around $9 million, the plans were dropped.[3]

In the spring of 1972, California based International Environmental Dynamics was approached because of their patent on a suspended‐steel‐floor top‐down building system that they had designed to protect against earthquakes.[3][4] Their system had been used in construction of a Holiday Inn motel in Huntington, West Virginia, two buildings in Nevada, and six California office buildings.[3][4] Their system was approved by the Soviets and the company selected Skidmore, Owings & Merrill to be the architects.[3] Tishman Construction, Inc. was selected as the construction company, with construction cost at approximately $8 million, which was $1 million less than the previous construction bids made for Pomerance & Breines' plans.[4]

In 1974 the 20-story Russian Mission Residency was built using International Environmental Dynamics' top-down construction method.[5][6] The prefabricated floors would be hoisted up, starting with 20th floor first and moving down to 1st floor last.[5][1] Sixteen floors are for 240 apartments for housing Russian residents, and the lowest three floors have a school, an auditorium, a gymnasium, a playground, a theater, a barber shop, stores, and an underground garage able to hold 100 cars.[3][4][7]

Towards the end of April 1975 Ambassador Yakov Malik called the project the “first child of the cooperation between the USSR and the U.S.”[1]

After Mikhail Gorbachev and Ronald Reagan signed a cultural agreement on November 21, 1985,[8][9] different forms of cultural exchanges have occurred at the residence including Russian students from the residency's school meeting with local American high school students,[10] and musical concerts.[11]

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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Russian Mission Residency.
  • Russian Mission Residency
    Russian Mission Residency
  • The Residency on May 2, 1974, being built using the top-down construction method.
    The Residency on May 2, 1974, being built using the top-down construction method.
  • The Residency on June 17, 1974, being built using the top-down construction method.
    The Residency on June 17, 1974, being built using the top-down construction method.
  • The Residency on July 10, 1974, being built using the top-down construction method.
    The Residency on July 10, 1974, being built using the top-down construction method.

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b c d e f Hinman, Michael (May 17, 2020). "A quiet giant, hiding in North Riverdale history". The Riverdale Press.
  2. ^ a b Bady, David. "Russian Federation United Nations Residence". Lehman College.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h i Tomasson, Robert E. (January 13, 1974). "A Residence for Russians To Go 'Down' in Riverdale". The New York Times – via NYTimes.com.
  4. ^ a b c d Siegal, Allan M. (June 17, 1974). "Russian Building Going Up From the Top Down". The New York Times.
  5. ^ a b Kates, Graham (March 2, 2022). "Towering home to Russian diplomats in New York has long been an enigma". CBS News.
  6. ^ "Property Details - 355 West 255 Street - Bronx 10471". NYC Department of Finance.
  7. ^ Zipkin, Deborah (April 8, 1984). "Trouble in a Small Part of the World". The New York Times.
  8. ^ Hoffman, David; Oberdorfer, Don (November 21, 1985). "Gorbachev Agress to Visit U.S. Next Year". The Washington Post.
  9. ^ "US-Soviet Bilateral Discussions Since the Geneva Summit" (PDF). May 23, 1986.
  10. ^ Deutsch, Claudia H. "When Diplomacy Begins at Home". The New York Times. May 28, 1986. Retrieved April 14, 2015. "Soviet citizens who contacted Americans were primarily Russians based here – students from the Russian mission school in Riverdale meeting with American high school children, for example."
  11. ^ "Russian Mission" (Archive). The Riverdale Press. Retrieved April 20, 2015. "The event will take place at the Russian Mission to the United Nations Residency, located on Mosholu Avenue at 255th Street."
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