Russian Government Plans to Demolish Constructivist Buildings in Moscow

The Russian government has decided to demolish dozens of Constructivist-era buildings in Moscow to make way for new residential complexes, sparking widespread protests. The decision, framed as a response to the city's urgent housing crisis—Moscow has over 12 million residents and some of the world's highest property prices—also appears motivated by a desire to erase visible traces of the Communist era and project a modern, cosmopolitan image. Thousands of protesters have taken to the streets to save these iconic structures, which remain in use as housing for approximately 1.6 million people. Constructivism, an avant-garde movement that became the official art of the Soviet state after the 1917 October Revolution, emphasized functional, unornamented design. Key architects such as the Vesnin brothers, Konstantin Melnikov, and Moisei Ginzburg created socially useful buildings that influenced international movements like De Stijl and the Bauhaus. The threatened buildings are located in areas the government plans to redevelop, risking the loss of significant architectural heritage.