A source in the Moscow Mayor's Office confirmed that the height of buildings in Moscow city centre is now limited to 75m, instead of the previous 100m.

      The last few years in Moscow have been marked by unbridled construction process that saw many historic buildings fall victim to the needs of offices and municipal houses. New sky-scrapers have significantly changed Moscow's skyline, not always to the better. To tackle this, the Moscow government now plans to put a firm limit on the height of edifices to be erected in the city centre. Whereas previously a building could reach 100m, it was decided it would be taller than 75m.

      Currently the tallest sky-scaper in Moscow is the City of Capitals, a multifunctional complex built in 2009, with the height of 301,59m. It will have been exceed in 2013-2014 when other multistorey buildings rise on the grounds of the Federation Complex. The highest structure in Moscow remains the Ostankino TV Tower, which at 540m is the world's fifth tallest construction.

      The source at the Mayor's office admitted that there may be an exception to the rule, and buildings taller than 75m may appear in the city centre, but the office endeavours to reduce those exceptions to the minimum. However, the change to the land survey will not affect the buildings over 75m in height that are currently under construction.

      According to the spokesperson, the reason this change was introduced is the necessity to protect the regular panoramic views of Moscow while providing investors with ample information on construction opportunities.

      The new requirements are only valid for the old Moscow. New districts and recently added territories will receive separate building height rules.

      The map below surveys existing sky-scrapers in Moscow. Red markers are the buildings 100-150m in height; yellow - 150-200m; and green - over 200m. The markers with dots are recently erected buildings; undotted markers signify Soviet sky-scrapers.

      View The Map of Moscow sky-scrapers, 100m+ on a larger map