TATLIN TOWER – Minecraft replica of the monument

After two days of building, Vladimir Tatlin’s famous constructivist tower now exists in Minecraft! The near-exact replica uses stone-based blocks, terracotta and extensive use of World Edit. It stands at around 50 blocks high and includes a second small replica. As complex as the real thing!

Tatlin’s tower, aka. the Monument to the Third International, was a 400m high tower to be built in Petersburg. It was planned for after the october revolution but never built. Many small replica models of the tower have been made since then digitally and in real life, but never in Minecraft! I used this 3D model for reference: https://www.turbosquid.com/3d-models/monument-tower-tatlin-s-3d-model/890974

The making of Tatlin’s tower

The main structure of Tatlin’s tower is a double helix. I started by making a rough ground layout, with different circles representing the different spiral parts of the tower. The circles were at different heights, allowing me to move parts of each seperate circle up as needed with commands.

Eventually the basic double spiral was made. I added the diagonal beam part to the side of the tower. The height and angle were scaled to reflect the width to height ratio of the original tower. Next, I edited the spirals (mostly by hand) to make them go inwards at the top. Once these basic structures were in place, I could add all the zig zag beams using walls.

And lastly, I used the World Edit stack and line commands to create the 4 shapes seen inside the tower. In reality, these were meant to hold various official rooms and would rotate at various speeds! Above is the (not quite finished) structure, as well as a second small replica I created by hand.

Above again is the end product after some final modifications! Wool was replaced with terracotta for a more proper look. Slabs were added to the shapes in the tower to make them more smooth and realistic. And further walls as well as acacia fences were added to the beam structure. That’s all! A first for me and for Minecraft, I hope this unusual build is to your taste. Moral of the story, don’t try this at home!