Narkomfin building, Constructivist residential landmark in Presnensky District, Moscow, Russia

The Narkomfin Building is a multi-story residential complex in Presnensky District, Moscow, featuring long horizontal window bands, smooth concrete walls, and flat rooflines characteristic of early Soviet modernism. A glass-enclosed bridge links two main blocks, acting as a walkway between living units and visually spanning the narrow courtyard below.

Moisei Ginzburg and Ignaty Milinis designed the Narkomfin Building in 1928 for employees of the People's Commissariat of Finance; construction ran from 1929 to 1930, and only two of four planned blocks were completed by 1932. The collectivist ideas behind it fell out of favour under Stalin, and in the 1930s the ground floor was filled with flats. After decades of decay, restoration took place between 2016 and 2020, with the renovated building officially reopening on 9 July 2020.

The name comes from the People's Commissariat of Finance, for whose senior staff the block was built; the German term Kommunehaus reflects its communal programme. Ginzburg and Milinis planned shared kitchens, a creche, laundry, library and gymnasium so that domestic work would be collectivised. The building was meant as a 'social condenser', but these facilities were never fully realised, and the collectivist ideals were rejected as Leftist soon after completion.

The street-level view offers a clear look at the facade and the connecting bridge, while the narrow courtyard is accessible only from inside. After its complete renovation, the building operates as a regular residential complex, so visits are limited to the exterior and occasional guided tours.

The apartments were designed in multiple sizes, from narrow single cells to wider family units, all resting on a continuous concrete skeleton that allowed flexible layouts. This construction approach made it possible to adapt floor plans according to need and is now recognized as an early step toward modular housing concepts in the Soviet Union.