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Stalinist architecture (also referred to as ''' Stalin 's Empire ''' style or '''Socialist Classicism''') is a term given to Architecture of the Soviet Union between 1933, when Boris Iofan 's draft for Palace Of Soviets was officially approved, and 1955, when Nikita Khruschev condemned "excesses" of the past decades and disbanded the Soviet Academy Of Architecture . FEATURES Stalinist architecture is not, per se, an architectural style characterized by its distinct appearance. Instead it describes an architecture that resulted from the way the state communicated with the masses through its constructions, using them as an expression of state power. The combination of striking parade monumentalism, patriotic art decoration and traditional motifs has become one of the most vivid examples of the Soviet contribution to architecture. The ensemble that a Stalinist building will contain can be very broad, not only in the overall motif, but also in the technology that lies underneath the rich decorations. In the Soviet policy of rationalisation of the country, all cities were built to a general Development Plan . Each was split into districts, with allotments drawn based on the city's geography. Projects would be drawn up for whole districts, visibly transforming a city's architectural image. 's reconstruction]] Every point in a design had to gain the approval of the state. Criticism of a project could vary from minor recommendations to total disapproval. As a result many had to be modeled and remodeled many times. This also had a direct effect on the architects themselves, many of whom would later describe this period not by what was actually built, but on what they were not allowed to include. For example, the floral motifs of Art Nouveau were never allowed. The interaction of the state with the architects would prove to be one of the focal points of this time. The same building could be declared a Formalist blasphemy and then receive the highest praise the next year, as happened to Ivan Zholtovsky and his Bolshaya Kaluzhskaya, 7 in 1949-1950 Authentic styles like Zholtovsky's Renaissance Revival, Ivan Fomin 's St. Petersburg Neoclassical Revival and Art Deco adaptation by Alexey Dushkin and Vladimir Schuko coexisted with pale imitations and Eclectic s that became a symbol of that era. Technology , Moscow. Art deco adaptation by Vladimir Vladimirov ]] In terms of construction methods, most of the structures, underneath the rich wet es covered with metallic sheets. Around 1948, construction technology improves – at least in Moscow – as faster and cheaper processes become available. Houses also became safer by eliminating wooden ceilings and partitions. The standardized buildings of 1948-1955 offered the same level of housing quality as the Stalinist classics and are classified as such by real estate agents, but are excluded from the scope of Stalinist ''architecture''. Ideologically they belong to mass housing, an intermediate step before Khrushchyovka . Scope by Boris Iofan . A home for Stalin's elite, but not Stalinist architecture yet.]] Stalinist architecture does not equate to everything built in Stalin’s era. It relied on labor-intensive and time-consuming masonry, and could not be scaled up to the needs of mass construction. When the time finally came to tackle the housing crisis, this inefficiency spelled the end of Stalinist architecture and a turn to mass construction while Stalin was still alive and active. Although Stalin rejected Constructivism , completion of constructivist buildings extended through the 1930s. Industrial construction, boosted by Albert Kahn and later supervised by Victor Vesnin ,Victor Vesnin, who in addition to his titles as head of Union of Soviet Architects and Academy of Architects, was also a lead architect for the Comissariat of Heavy Industries (since 1934). He was a formal supervisor of all industrial projects that didn't fall into Stalin’s personal scope of interest, although Vesnin's personal input to individual projects has not been studied properly was heavily influenced by modernist ideas. It was not as important to Stalin's urban plans, so most industrial buildings (excluding Megaproject s like the Moscow Canal ) do not fall into the Stalinist category. Even the first stage of the Moscow Metro , completed in 1935, was not on Stalin’s watch list, and so included substantial constructivist input.Russian: "Московскому метро 70 лет", World Architecture Magazine, no. 14, 2005, стр. 30-52 (''Moscow Metro, 70 Years'', pp.30-52) WAM Thus, the scope of Stalinist architecture is generally limited to urban public and residential buildings of high and middle quality, excluding mass housing, and selected Infrastructure projects like the Moscow Canal , the Volga-Don Canal , and the latter stages of the Moscow Metro . BACKGROUND (1900-1931) Before 1917, the Russian architectural scene was divided between ''Russky Modern'' (a local interpretation of Art Nouveau , stronger in Moscow), and Neoclassical Revival (stronger in Saint Petersburg ).X The Neoclassical school produced mature architects like Alexey Shchusev , Ivan Zholtovsky , Ivan Fomin , Vladimir Schuko and Alexander Tamanian ;The order of this list of names follows their formal standing in Stalin's hierarchy. Everybody was ranked and filed. by the time of the Revolution they were established professionals in their forties, with their own firms, schools and followers. These people would eventually become Stalinism's architectural elders and produce the best examples of the period. Another school that emerged after the Revolution is now known as Constructivism . Some of the Constructivists (like the Vesnin Brothers ) were young professionals who had established themselves before 1917, while others had just completed their professional education (like Konstantin Melnikov ) or didn't have any. They associated themselves with vocal groups of modern artists, compensating for lack of experience with public exposure. When the New Economic Policy turned the nation to post-war reconstruction, their publicity paid off in the form of real architectural commissions. Experience did not come overnight, and many constructivist buildings were fairly criticized for irrational floorplans, cost overruns and low build quality.''Schools. 1954'' (see ref below) makes an example of a 1928 ''novel'' school in Fili , which had a classroom-to-total space ratio as low as 30%. Volume per student approaches 40 cubic meters, while a 1935 national standard sets it at 16.5 cubic meters per student. This excess is not bad in itself, however, it came at cost of not building another school.Russian: Школы. Архитектура и строительство школьных зданий, Госстройиздат, М., 1954, стр.12 (''Schools, 1954'', p.12) For a short period of time in the mid-1920s, the architectural profession operated the old-fashioned way, with private firms, international contests, competitive bidding and paper wars in professional magazines. Foreign architects were welcomed, especially towards the end of this period, when the plant (1923). Zholtovsky and Shchusev managed the 1923 All-Russia Agricultural Exhibition, distributing pavillion construction jobs to junior architects of all styles. and at the same time incorporated constructivist novelties in their own designs.Zholtovsky - Moscow Electrical Powerplant (MOGES-1, 1927); Shchusev - Narkomzem office, 1928-1933 Urban Planning developed separately. Housing crises in big cities and the industrialization of remote areas called for mass housing construction, development of new territories and reconstruction of old cities. Theorists devised a variety of strategies that created heated politicized discussions without much practical output; State intervention was imminent. THE BEGINNING (1931-1933) : Moscow, completed 1941]] ''This section is based on Dmitry Khmelnitsky's "Stalin and Architecture" (Russian: www.archi.ru )'' Stalin's personal taste in architecture and the extent of his own input remains, for the most part, a matter of deduction, conjecture and anecdotal evidence. The facts, or their reflection in public Soviet documents, revolve around the Palace Of Soviets contest of 1931-1933:
The architects invited to lead these workshops included traditionalists - Ivan Zholtovsky, Alexey Shchusev, Ivan Fomin, Boris Iofan, Vladimir Schuko - but also practicing constructivists: Ilya Golosov , Panteleimon Golosov , Nikolai Kolli , Konstantin Melnikov , Victor Vesnin , Moisei Ginzburg and Nikolai Ladovsky . This set an important trend that lasted until 1955. Stalin chose Iofan for one project, but retained all competing architects in his employ. As Dmitry Khmelnitsky put it, "Comparison with Nazi Architecture works to some degree, yet there is a major difference. Stalin never picked a single architect, or a single style, as Hitler picked Speer . No elite group could claim victory ... neither constructivists, nor traditionalists... Stalin forged his "Speer" from whatever he could find." Another important point is that before cracking down on independent groups, Stalin's megaprojects created thousands of professional jobs. As a result, the once-vocal youth were absorbed into real-world practice, and abstained from discussions, just like their elders. They had jobs to do. PRE-WAR STALINIST ARCHITECTURE (1933-1941) Early Stalinism (1933-1935) The first years of Stalinist architecture are marked by stand-alone buildings, or, at most, single-block development projects. Building up vast spaces of Moscow proved far more difficult than razing historical districts. The three most important Moscow buildings of this time stand on the same square, all built between 1931 and 1935, yet each draft evolved independently, with little thought given to overall ensemble (see prewar movie stills 1936 1938 1939 ). Each set its own vector of development for the next two decades.
А separate line of development, called "early Stalinism" or ", Portico s and Column s (usually rectangular and very lightweight). By 1938, it went out of style and didn't recover after the war. |
Image:Moscow Northern River TerminaljpgNorhern River Terminal Of Moscow Canal, By
| "http://wwwinformationdelightinfo/information/entry/Alexey_Rukhlyadev" class="copylinks">Alexey Rukhlyadev , 1937 |
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Image:Moscow Dorogomilovo 1jpgKutuzobsky 26,
| "http://wwwinformationdelightinfo/information/entry/Brezhnev" class="copylinks">Brezhnev 's and Suslov's home, Moscow-City behind |
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Image:Moscow-Gagarin-Square-1622jpgMoscow,
| "http://wwwinformationdelightinfo/information/entry/Gagarin" class="copylinks">Gagarin square note different finishes |
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| "http://wwwinformationdelightinfo/information/entry/Minsk" class="copylinks">Minsk , Railway Terminal square |
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| "http://wwwinformationdelightinfo/information/entry/Berlin" class="copylinks">Berlin , Frankfurter Tor |
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| "http://wwwinformationdelightinfo/information/entry/Kharkiv" class="copylinks">Kharkiv , Railway Station |
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Image:Red Square In KurskJPGRed Square In
| "http://wwwinformationdelightinfo/information/entry/Kursk" class="copylinks">Kursk |
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| "http://wwwinformationdelightinfo/information/entry/Novosibirsk_opera_and_ballet_theatre" class="copylinks">Novosibirsk Opera And Ballet Theatre seen from the sky |
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