The Moscow Central Telegraph, located at Tverskaya Street, 7, is a building in the style of rational modernism, transitioning from Art Nouveau to constructivism.

In the 18th century, this site was home to the Trubetskoy family estate. In 1791, Empress Catherine transferred this land to Moscow University. Here, a typesetting shop, university printing house, and bookstore were established, managed by the famous publisher Nikolai Novikov. In honor of the printing house, the neighboring alley was named Gazetny.

There was also the University Noble Boarding School, one of the best educational institutions in Russia at the time and a center of social and literary life in Moscow. Among its alumni were M.Yu. Lermontov, E.A. Baratynsky, A.S. Griboedov, and General A.P. Ermolov.

Before World War I, the insurance company 'Russia' purchased the building and demolished it, planning to construct two apartment buildings. However, the war and revolution disrupted these plans.

The Soviet leadership decided to build a telegraph between Gazetny and Dolgorukovsky alleys. In 1925, a design assignment was created, envisioning a long-distance telephone station and radio hub in the building.

The design competition yielded no results, and the People's Commissariat for Posts and Telegraphs chose the project by Ivan Rerberg, known for his works such as Kiev Station and the buildings of the Northern Insurance Society. At a time when constructivism and avant-garde were at their peak, Rerberg's selection, whose works were associated with luxury, faced criticism. An article titled 'This is Not How to Build' appeared in the magazine 'Contemporary Architecture,' labeling the project as 'wasteful jubilee.'

Rerberg's project met the requirements of monumentality and functionality. The cornerstone was laid on May 22, 1926. The building, executed in the style of rational modernism, was distinguished by its technological features. Engineer Semyon Ginzburg developed a special framework that provided spacious rooms and large windows. The first floor housed the machine room, changing rooms, telegraph and telephone halls, a cafeteria, a meeting room, and a library. The second floor contained the office and bedrooms for night workers, while the third and fourth floors were occupied by equipment rooms.

Rerberg meticulously worked out all the details. Spacious rooms and wide glazing were made possible by the monolithic reinforced concrete frame, and the corners of the main facade were cut to harmoniously fit into the street. The main entrance is designed as a recessed pentagonal tower with an ornate frame made of cast-iron branches, created based on the drawings of F.I. Rerberg.

Above the central entrance on the facade is an early emblem of the USSR with a globe surrounded by ears of wheat, and a sickle and hammer. On the facade facing Nikitsky Alley, there are clocks with a unique mechanism. In Moscow, there are only two such early 20th-century mechanisms still in operation: on the buildings of the Central Telegraph and Kiev Station. The clocks used to strike loudly, but now their sound has become quieter. The clock face features an unusual depiction of the number four, 'IIII.'

The facades of the building are finished with Ukrainian gray granite and decorative plaster with its inclusions. Construction was completed in 1927.

The Central Telegraph, occupying an entire block, was a kind of technopark of its time, where one could not only work but also live. It was planned to equip a kindergarten, nursery, and laundry, and the halls were mainly staffed by female typists.

During the Great Patriotic War, round-the-clock telegraph communication was organized here for the country's leadership. In the legendary radio studio No. 4, Yuri Levitan announced the beginning of the war.