Vladimir Paperny's Moscow architectural diary explores post-Soviet building tensions
In 2003, Moscow magazine "Afisha" tasked Vladimir Paperny with documenting the city's contemporary architecture, with art historian Grigorii Revzin serving as his guide. Their exploration uncovered a clash between Western modernist trends and Eastern replicas, as architects such as Mikhail Khazanov and Aleksandr Skokan navigated contextual obstacles. Khazanov's dental clinic, located near Perechistenskie Gates Square, boasted a warship-inspired design, while Skokan's Ostozhenka projects featured minimalist facades. Paperny observed that Russian architecture bypassed modernism, transitioning directly from constructivism to postmodernism. He pointed out eclectic structures like Tkachenko's egg-shaped house and the "Atrium" department store, juxtaposing them with Frank Gehry's sleek Music Hall. The diary reflects Moscow's architectural scene as a struggle between imitation styles.
Key facts
- Vladimir Paperny was commissioned by "Afisha" magazine in 2003 to review Moscow's contemporary architecture
- Grigorii Revzin guided Paperny, while Irina Korob'ina and Mikhail Khazanov offered alternative tours
- Mikhail Khazanov's dental clinic near Perechistenskie Gates Square features glass, concrete, and steel with a warship aesthetic
- Aleksandr Skokan emphasized "architectural gestures" in his Ostozhenka projects, with restrained facades and modernist courtyards
- Paperny argued Russian architecture skipped modernism, jumping from constructivism to postmodernism
- Tkachenko's egg-shaped house on Mashkov Street symbolizes fertility and wealth through literary rather than plastic ideas
- The DON-stroi firm markets Stalinist-style apartments like Triumph-Palace, blending totalitarian aesthetics with commercial real estate
- Paperny contrasted Moscow's "verbosity" with Frank Gehry's pure-form Music Hall in Los Angeles
Entities
Artists
- Vladimir Paperny
- Grigorii Revzin
- Mikhail Khazanov
- Irina Korob'ina
- Vigdariia Khazanova
- Aleksandr Skokan
- Eric Moss
- Daniel Libeskind
- Marat Gel'man
- Karim Rashid
- Zurab Tseretelli
- Mihail Chemiakin
- Francis Bacon
- Zinovii Zinik
- Ivetta Chernisheva
- Gnedovskii
- Popov
- Chernyshev
- Grigorii Zakharov
- Bruno Taut
- Boris Uborevich-Borovsky
- Posokhin
- Meerson
- Frank Gehry
- Bazhenov
- Le Corbusier
- Walter Gropius
- Oscar Niemeyer
- Victor Vesnin
- Vladimir Mayakovsky
- Anton Chekhov
- Nikolai Gogol
- Aleksandr Grin
- Sergei Nikitin
- Tatlin
- Shekhtel
- Shchusev
- Lavinskii
- Luzhkov
- Lenin
- Stalin
- Khrushchev
- Catherine the Great
- Andersen
Institutions
- ARTMargins
- Afisha
- Center of Modern Architecture
- Center of Galina Vishnevskaia
- Museum of Tseretelli
- NTV
- Stoganov Art School
- Norton Simon Museum
- DON-stroi
- RAOP
- LEF magazine
- Colony Room
- Palace of Soviets
- Mechanization Pavilion
- Cosmos Pavilion
- State Exhibition
- Mariinskii Theater
- Kremlin
- Red Square
- Donskoi monastery
- Church of Serafim Sarovskii and Anna Kashinskaia
Locations
- Moscow
- Russia
- Los Angeles
- Basel
- Switzerland
- St. Petersburg
- Brazil
- Syria
- Baghdad
- London
- United Kingdom
- Pasadena
- California
- USA
- Siberia
- Turkey
- Egypt
- Iran
- Sheremet'evo Airport
- Ostozhenka
- Perechistenskie Gates Square
- Chaplygin Street
- Mashkov Street
- Kurskii Railway Station
- Krasnokholmskii Bridge
- Paveletskii Railway Station Square
- Sokol
- Levshinskii lane
- Strogino
- Teplichnyi Lane
- Kutuzovskii prospect
- Lusinovskaia Street