Warsaw's Palace of Culture and Science is celebrating its 45th birthday

Warsaw's Palace of Culture and Science, originally called the Joseph Stalin Palace, is 45 years old. The "gift from the nations of the USSR" was built between1952 and 1955 according to a design by Soviet architect Lev Rudnev. However, Polish architects determined its height by standing on the right bank of the Wisla river and watching a balloon go up in the spot where the Palace would be built. They radioed, "Higher, higher..." until the balloon went up to 230 meters. To this date, the Palace is the tallest building in Poland and has had faulty elevators since 1995. (Gazeta Stoleczna, July 22-23, page 1) (Gazeta Wyborcza, page 1)