The Moscow Ostankino TV Tower was opened 45 years ago

Moscow/Prague - The television tower in Ostankino, Moscow, which was opened 45 years ago on November 5, 1967, was the pride of the communist regime and a symbol of the modernization of the then Soviet Union. It was commissioned to mark the 50th anniversary of the Great October Socialist Revolution. Ostankino, the tallest structure in the world until 1975, remains the tallest structure in Europe today at 540 meters.
    The foundations for the construction of the "Ostankino Needle," as the tower is nicknamed, began in 1960. However, in 1961 the government halted the construction due to growing concerns that the foundations would not be able to support such a tall tower. Work resumed in 1963 under the leadership of Nikolai Nikitin. After its completion, four television and three radio channels began broadcasting from the tower. Ostankino was opened to the public in 1968.
    In 2000, tragedy struck the tower when a fire broke out at a height of 475 meters, claiming three lives and causing significant damage to the landmark of Moscow.