<p>Fifty years ago, the Ostankino television tower in Moscow was opened.</p>

photo: Wikimedia Commons, Игорь С

Moscow/Prague - The television tower in Ostankino in Moscow, which was opened 50 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 opened on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the Great October Socialist Revolution, but construction continued until December 1968, when the tower was opened to the public. Ostankino, the tallest structure in the world until 1975, is today still the tallest building in Europe at 540 meters.

The foundations for the construction of the "Ostankino needle," as the tower is nicknamed, began in 1960. However, the government halted construction a year later due to growing concerns that the foundations could not support such a high tower. Work resumed in 1963 under the leadership of Nikolai Nikitin. Upon completion, the tower began transmitting four television and three radio channels. The tower is managed by the state Russian Television and Radio Broadcasting Network (RTRS).

In 2000, the tower faced tragedy when a fire broke out at a height of 475 meters, which resulted in three casualties and significantly damaged the Moscow landmark. The tower also caught fire in 2013, when 1200 people had to be evacuated.