Europe - Palace of Culture and Science, Poland

The Palace of Culture and Science, Warsaw, Poland, is officially known as the Joseph Stalin Palace of Culture and Science. Designed by Soviet architect Lev Rudnev, it is one of the most famous buildings in Warsaw. Like the Statue of Liberty, the Palace of Culture and Science was a "gift" from the Soviet Union to the Polish People's Republic (not today's Poland, which is now called the "Republic of Poland"). The Palace of Culture and Science stands next to the Warsaw Railway Station. It is in the "Russian and Soviet" style. There is a large clock on the tower of the Palace of Culture and Science, which strikes the hour every hour in Warsaw. The sound of the big bell is just like that of the Telegraph Building in Beijing. When it was first built, the bell rang throughout Warsaw and is the memory of a generation of Varsaw people. However, with the advancement of Warsaw's construction, the sound of the big bell has "faded". On January 1, 2009, when the clock tower rang the New Year's bell, it stopped ringing the time forever. The big bell of the Palace of Science has officially become history.