In 1956 Moscow issued a decree that challenged the use of excessive decorations in architecture, which stopped existing work before the project could be finished leaving the square with obvious asymmetry, with only the western part completed.

This was because it had to match the imposing Kyiv Post Office building opposite not only in proportions, but in such a style that would blend in with the milieu, yet be visibly a modern structure.

In 2011 the tower was renovated and the screens, being a matrix of almost five thousand 127-Volt, 40 W light bulbs were replaced by diode matrices, providing multi-colour digital image with much greater resolution.

Most of the building is used as offices by the Trade Unions federation, however it contains several auditoriums and banquet rooms that allowed it to be used as a permanent multi-purpose venue.

[citation needed] The building was completely burnt down during the night of 18–19 February,[2] the day before the mass sniping fire took place during the 2014 Ukrainian Revolution.