Monolithic Dome in Mocow — Sviet Raikov, a native Russian, built this Monolithic Dome home, 36′ × 18′, after learning the technology in a Monolithic Workshop. An American flag flies from the dome’s top.

Monolithic Dome in Mocow — Sviet Raikov, a native Russian, built this Monolithic Dome home, 36′ × 18′, after learning the technology in a Monolithic Workshop. An American flag flies from the dome’s top.

First Monolithic Dome Home in Moscow, Russia

Freda (Grones) Parker • Published • Featured Dome Homes

Workshop graduate builds a dome-home

Sviet Raikov, a native Russian, who attended a Monolithic Dome Workshop in 1994 and returned to Moscow with one of our Training Paks, reports the completion of a 36’ X 18’ dome home — the first of its kind in Russia!

According to Sviet, there are two bedrooms upstairs with built-in beds and desks. The staircase turns back in on itself; it uses less room than even a spiral staircase would. As one enters the home, the kitchen is on the right and the living room, with a fireplace, is on the left. To protect the home’s interior during cold winters, the entryway has a double door.

The dome is a 36’ hemisphere and is quite striking in a neighborhood of conventional homes. Its tiny United States flag on top attracts even more attention.

A new page

Sviet writes about his experiences: “You know, I had such a wonderful feeling when the Airform was inflated, it is like give birth to a baby. I know that today was open a new page of my life and lives of my friends. The couple we are making this building for said that there are a whole bunch of their friends who are excited to have domes constructed, so we are now like the concert performers playing in front of the big audience.”

“We spent a lot of time on the stairs. We had to come up with an inexpensive way to build it. Most troublesome was the railing because of the spiral form. But, as you can see we found the way and although it takes some handwork it looks beautiful and the material is not expensive.”

Note: Information in this article was first presented in our Summer 1998 Roundup.

Double-door entry — During the cold winters, the double doors protect the home’s interior, which includes a living/dining/kitchen area downstairs and 2 bedrooms upstairs.

Double-door entry — During the cold winters, the double doors protect the home’s interior, which includes a living/dining/kitchen area downstairs and 2 bedrooms upstairs.

Kitchen — The owner designed and built the cabinetry.

Kitchen — The owner designed and built the cabinetry.

Staircase — This custom-designed staircase saves space by doubling back on itself.

Staircase — This custom-designed staircase saves space by doubling back on itself.

Upstairs bedroom — Both bedrooms include built-in beds and desks.

Upstairs bedroom — Both bedrooms include built-in beds and desks.