The White House officially: The House of the Government of the Russian Federation, is a governmentbuilding in Moscow. It stands on the Krasnopresnenskaya embankment, the building serves as the primary office of the government of Russia and is the official workplace of the Russian Prime Minister.

History

The architects Dmitry Chechulin and Pavel Shteller (ru) designed the White House – originally called The House of Soviets. The overall design follows Chechulin's 1934 draft of the Aeroflot building. Construction started in 1965 and ended in 1981.

Use of the building

Soviet Union

Following the completion of the building in 1981, the Supreme Soviet of Russia, which had until then held its sessions in the Grand Kremlin Palace, used the White House, the Supreme Soviet of Russia remained in the building until the end of the Soviet Union in 1991, as well as during the first years of the Russian Federation. In 1991 the Soviet Union issued a 50-kopeck stamp depicting the White House and honoring resistance to the 1991 Soviet coup d'état attempt.

Russian Federation

After the end of the Soviet Union, the White House continued to serve as the seat of the Russian parliament.

1993 Russian constitutional crisis

Main article: 1993 Russian constitutional crisisBy sunrise on October 4 1993, the Russian army encircled the parliament building, and a few hours later army tanks began to shell the White House, the White House stood damaged for some time after the 1993 Russian constitutional crisis, and the black burns from tank shelling became famous, so much so that it became traditional to photograph newly-weds in front of its damaged façade.
The reformed parliament, known thereafter by its Tsarist-era title of State Duma, was elected in 1994 and moved to another building on Moscow's Okhotny Ryad (street) (ru). As of 2016 the renovated White House houses the Russian government. An inscription at the base of the tower reads, "House of the Government of the Russian Federation".