The Hotel Ukraina (Гостиница Украина) and statue of Ukrainian poet Taras Shevchenko, February 1988. The building was commissioned by Joseph Stalin, part of a plan to modernize Moscow immediately following World War II, and is known as one of the "Seven Sisters" (also: "Stalin's wedding cakes"). The cornerstones of all seven Baroque-style high-rises were laid on September 7, 1947, Moscow's 800th anniversary. The Ukraina, completed in 1957, is now a 5-star Radisson Collection Hotel.