Re:centering Periphery|Ogino Knauss

“Cheryomushki” (1963)
Directed by Gerbert Rappaport.
A screen adaptation of the Musical (operetta) written by Dmitriy Shostakovich.

The Irony of Fate, or Enjoy Your Bath!
directed by Eldar Ryazanov, 1975

MONEY AND POWER AGAINST ARCHITECTURE

El Lissitzky printing plant and Zhurgaz house are under threat of destruction
Your help in protecting these landmarks is urgently needed!

In 2007 staff members of the Russian Avant-Garde Fund discovered in a Moscow archive previously unknown blueprints for the printing plant of JSC Ogonek authored by El Lissitzky, a luminary of 20th-century art.
The grandiose plan, reminiscent of Lissitzky’s famous “horizontal skyscraper” projects,was not realized in full. Only one of the three planned buildings has been built. Lazar (El) Lissitzky, a canonical figure of 20th-century art history, is known primarily as an author of drawings, posters, and illustrator for leading art exhibitions. El Lissitzky’s architectural designs are well known to art historians, but most of them have not been carried out. The JSC Ogonek printing plant (1930) is likely to be the only extant building based on the blueprints of this master.

In 1935 a five-story apartment building was erected near the printing house based on designs of Barsch and Zunblad (constructivist architects best known for designing the Moscow Planetarium) for members of the Journal–Newspaper Association (Zhurgaz), which counted the Ogonek journal among its members. The Zhurgaz house is a work of late constructivism. It combines tape-like window rows with a colored cornice, ornamental patterns, and columns. Its well-preserved details include cast landing floors with marble inlays and coffered stairwell ceilings.

The founder of the Journal-Newspaper Association Mikhail Koltsov lived in the Zhurgaz house with his companion, the German journalist Maria Osten and adopted son Hubert L’Hoste, the protagonist of the once famous illustrated book by Maria Osten “Hubert in Wonderland”. When Mikhail Koltsov was arrested in 1938, Maria Osten, then living in Paris, braved the dangers to return to Moscow, hoping to save one who was dear to her. The 18-year-old Hubert, having now grown up in the “wonderland”, didn’t dare to let in his stepmother, wife of an “enemy of the people”.

The printing plant of Ogonek and the Zhurgaz house, which are located in the center of Moscow, on the First Samotechniy Lane (1 Samotechny pereulok, houses 17 and 17-A) , have on 21 August of 2008 passed the inspection of Moskomnasledie (the committee for cultural heritage of the city of Moscow) and were recognized as cultural heritage sites of the city of Moscow (historical and architectural landmarks).
Both buildings are now in critical danger, since their sites have come into the sphere of interests of the Moscow construction industry and their existence interferes with execution of “investment projects”. The civil and housing law of Russian Federation is in practice incapable of protecting the rights of tenants in such cases. Employees of relevant offices openly admit that the top priority in their work is to carry out directives of the municipal government of Moscow.

On 12 of October, 2008, the Lissitzky printing press was set on fire, despite being surrounded by a solid wall. In the Moscow construction industry roof destruction by arson is an all-too-common expedient of land takeover. Moskomnasledie responds to appeals from the public with helpless inaction, while those who have a stake in other plans for the land patiently wait while the architectural landmark deteriorates to a state liable to demolition.

In the meantime, the Russian Film Industry Union (led by Nikita Mikhalkov) and JSC INTECO (led by Elena Baturina, the wife of Moscow’s mayor Yuri Luzhkov) are building an enormous, fully commercial apartment house in the inner yard of the Zhurgaz house, with numerous violations of regulations. The planned house is 44 meters high with a two-level underground 99-space parking lot, with the area allotted for construction being 0.315 hectares. The side outer wall of the Zhurgaz house has been turned into a part of construction site enclosure.
Heavy machinery passes by it dozens of times per day. In violation of law, the recognized architectural landmark has not been allotted a protective zone and all of the area around the house has been turned over to the construction site. Even more critically, for purposes of supplying the planned house with hot water, a project has been approved to route the municipal heating system through the walls and basement of the Zhurgaz house using pipes of a prohibited diameter (630/800 mm), temperature of 150ºC, and pressure of 9 atm. The pipes include welded joints. Any rupture would lead to catastrophic consequences for the Zhurgaz building and its residents. This detail, however, has not be sufficient to prompt even the slightest reduction of the planned 4300 squared meter area of the underground parking lot.
One may ask how this project was approved. Review of documents on which approval was based reveals gross improprieties and falsifications. Perhaps this question would be naive.
On 22 December 2009, a new, specially constituted commission catering to the interests of the Moscow construction industry recommended elimination of the Lissitzky printing house from the list of cultural landmarks under state protection.
Construction work next to the Zhurgaz house has been resumed.
Your help in protecting these landmarks is urgently needed!
You can help by sending a letter to the minister of culture of the Russian Federation Aleksandr Avdeev and to the mayor of Moscow Yuri Luzhkov.

Aleksandr Avdeev, Minister of Culture, Russian Federation.
Russia, 125993 GSP-3, Moscow, Maly Gnezdnikovsky per., d. 7/6, str. 1,2
Fax: +7 495 629 72 69
Email: info@mkrf.ru

Yuri Luzhkov, Mayor of Moscow.
Russia, 125032, Moscow, Tverskaya, 13
Fax: +7 495 620 20 70
Email: major@mos.ru

Contacts:

Elena Olshanskaya
(chairman of Zhurgaz condominium management)
Russia, 127473, Moscow, 1 Samotechny per., 17A kv. 3
Fax/phone: +7 495 681 27 65
Cell phone: +7 916 189 63 31
Email: elena.olshanskaya@gmail.com

Marianna Evstatova
(chief curator of “Russian Avantgarde” Heritage Preservation Foundation)
Email: mevstratova@gmail.com

Our friend Elena wrote us to inform about some sad developments of their campaign against speculation in Moscow. She is part of a committee of citizens struggling to defend their building, an interesting example of civil architecture of the constructivist period, from damages and abuses deriving from new development projects. Recently they discovered that the neighbouring building, a former typography workshop, was designed by El Lissitsky, and it is probably the only existing built architecture from this master of last century avant –guard. Despite that, the building was set to fire soon after the discovery of documents proving its paternity, and now, on the 3rd of January, the municipal commission decided to exclude the El Lissitzky tipography, together with many other, from the listed buildings for state protection as monuments of architectural interests. See below the address to which write to protest…

Da: Elena
Data: 03 gennaio 2010 19:13:18 GMT+01:00

… Comment allez-vous?  J’espere que vous vous avancez avec le film sur la maison de Narcomfine et les autres projets interessants.

Chez nous ca va un peu triste.  Avant les fêtes du Nouvel An la commission de Vladimir Resin (le premier assistant  du maire de Moscou) a décidé d’exclure l’imprimerie  El Lissitski et quelques autres bâtiments de la liste des monuments protégés par l’État. Les intérêts des constructeurs sont plus hauts que l’héritage architectural.  La  décision n’est pas définitive avant qu’elle soit signee par le maire de Moscou.

“…Cette semaine, deux jours plus tard après l’incendie à Potapovsky, la commission interdépartementale de Vladimir Resin  a décidé de laisser en effet sans protection “la maison de Bykov”, “les chambres de Gur’ev”, ainsi que l’imprimerie dans le 1-er  Samotiotchny, 17, brûlee auparavant, – la seule construction réalisée de l’architecte mondialement connu El Lisitski. Le gouvernement de la ville laissant les incendiés sans la protection de la loi, ressemble au médecin qui a refusé l’aide à la personne avec les brûlures lourdes”. Rustam Rakhmatullin

http://izvestia.ru/moscow/article3136991/
http://jst-ru.livejournal.com/66435.html

Nous luttons avec cette tendance, mais, malheureusement, l’aide des amis européens n’est assez forte. Je vous serai reconnaissante si vous pouviez vous adressez aux institutions et aux gens que vous connaissez avec la demande d’envoyer les télégrammes ou des lettres au maire de Moscou et au ministre de la culture de la Russie pour poser une seule question: comment  est-il possible de detruire le bâtiment unique qui etait costruit d’apres les plans d’ El Lissitski, un des classiques de l’art constructiviste au monde?

Voici les adresses:

ALEXANDRE A. AVDEEV , le Ministre de la culture de lа Russie:
7/6, Malii Gnezdnikovski per.,125993,  GSP-3, Moscou
(Министр культуры РФ АВДЕЕВ А.А.
125993, ГСП-3, Москва, Малый Гнездниковский пер., д. 7/6, стр. 1,2)

Yurii Louzhkov, le maire de Moscou
13, rue Tverskaya
Moscou, 125032
(Мэр Москвы Юрий Лужков
13, Тверская ул. Москва 125032)

Merci a l’avance, je vous vous souhaite beaucoup de bonheur dans la nouvelle année,

Elena

Constructivism is one of the most exciting, important, productive, inventive avant-garde movements of the first half of the 20th century. It developed in many cities of the Soviet Union and not only in Moscow. Developments took place in Leningrad, in Ukraina, even in the Caucasus, and were connected to a series of contemporary movements. The founders of constructivism knew extremely well what was happening in Germany. In France, for instance they had contacts with most of the progressive and inventive architects and they presented their work to the Soviet audience at the time of the exhibition on the modern architecture they organized in the building of the Vkhutemas in 1927.
But constructivism had a peculiarity, if you look at the spectrum of all the movements that developed since the end of WWI. The constructivists had an aesthetic agenda, a technological agenda, but also, and maybe first of all, a social agenda. Constructivism aimed not only at changing architecture, at changing the range or the spectrum of building types, working on the communal houses, on worker’s clubs. Using the medium of architecture, constructivism aspired to contribute to the so-called cultural revolution, to contribute to what the bolscheviks then called “the reconstruction of everyday life”.

J.L. Cohen, interview by OK

Bad news, the Moskostruct exhibition that was foreseen to take place in the Narkonfin, was denied the permission form the residents. Apparently, the inhabitants are tired of journalists and students visiting the place, while none of their requests about the refurbishing of the building happens. Some rupture happened during last week in the relationship with MIAN, the real estate investor owning most of the apartments, and the event won’t happen. It’s pity, to open the narkonfin with a public event would have been a wonderful occasion to advocate for it’s restauration and possible development as a cultural facility.

www.moskonstruct.eu

The Narkomfin building was acknowledged by Le Corbusier as an influence on his Unité d’Habitation .

the layout of its duplex apartments have been copied by Moshe Safdie in his Expo 67 flats, as well as by Denys Lasdun in his luxury flats at St James’, London.

Videoinstallation presented at the Moskonsctruct exhibition, Garage Contemporary Art Center

October 2009

Nearly two decades after the fall of Communism, Russia’s rapidly expanding  economy, led by the current oil and gas boom, is transforming Moscow real  estate. Construction cranes have joined the cupolas of Russian Orthodox churches  and the spires of Stalinist-era edifices on the city’s skyline. Parts of the  capital that were once desolate are filled with shiny new luxury boutiques.  Drab, concrete apartment blocks have been restyled as condominiums and rental  units that sell for millions of dollars. Mushrooming development is attracting  such star architects as Norman Foster, who is designing a mixed-use skyscraper  that will be Europe’s tallest building when it is completed in 2010.

Property prices in the Russian capital’s prime districts—where homes cost $7  million or more—are expected to appreciate 18 to 25 percent this year, according  to British real estate broker Knight Frank, which opened a Moscow office in  2004. (Residences in that sector grew by 40.9 percent in 2007, compared with an  8.9 percent rise for the same market slice in London, the firm says.) New  construction is fetching especially high prices.

The boom may be good for Moscow’s swelling upper class, but it has endangered  the city’s architectural heritage. A number of landmarks, including important  examples of Russian avant-garde and Constructivist design of the early  1920s—sometimes blocky, often austere, but nonetheless significant—are in danger  of being wiped out.  The Moscow Architecture Preservation Society, a local nongovernmental  organization, estimates that some 400 historically significant structures have  been razed since 1992, and many others are crumbling after years of neglect.  Even some buildings at Red Square, a Unesco World Heritage site, have been demolished to make way for a hotel and apartments.

“Moscow’s architectural heritage is at a crisis point,” says David Sarkisyan,  head of the Schusev State Museum of Architecture in Moscow. “More and more new  buildings are constructed every year, and no one seems to be enforcing laws to  protect important monuments.” He blames the unchecked destruction on local  politicians, who, he claims, allow such projects because of financial  incentives. (A small percentage of construction costs are levied by and paid to  the city.)
from Moscow Ruins – Troy McMullen

SA, Sovrimanja Architektura, the magazine of the constructivists, published before this design was developed, a Russian translation of Le Corbusier’s celebrated 5 points of the new architecture, in which Le Corbusier based the new discourse on the use of concrete, and insisted on the meaning pilotis, ribbon windows, the free plan, the free façade and the garden roof, the terrace roof.
We meet exactly all these elements, literally, at the Narkomfin. So the Narkomfin would later be characterized by the enemies of constructivists in Moscow as an evil example of “corbusiamizme”, of  “corbusianry”, and indeed it was one of such buildings: one in which all this five points, if you look at all the details of the building, were systematically put into form.

J.L Cohen, interview by OK

The building commissioned by Nikolai Milyutin, who was the people’s commissar for finance of the Russian federation, to Moisei Ginzburg and Ignati Milinis is an exceptional building, it is a prototype of a new kind of architecture , an architecture in which daily life, in which residential life would be re-articulated on a collective base. So, the Narkomfin was considered to be a “transitional type” of building between the conservative, the traditional apartment houses and the communal houses of the future; there was the idea, the generous and also dangerous idea, of completely collectivizing a series of domestic functions and of reducing therefore the cell, the apartment of each family or of each household to smaller spaces in which, according with the principles of scientific management of taylorists which were very popular in Russia, every movement, every step would be measured in order to reduce the amount of space consumed. So there was a very clear agenda.

J.L. Cohen, interview by OK

An international campaign for the preservation of  Constructivist Architecture in Moscow is lead by Moskonstruct.

Sign the petition here.

We  left Moscow with good feelings… we stepped into a very interesting subject and came back  with renewed curiosity and enthousiasm to go forward in our project (s). The first impact with Moscow has been tough and puzzling, the impression was of an hostile and repulsive city, too big, too noisy, too competitive… and difficult to film. However, proceeding with our usual attitude in exploring transversally the city and its social networks, thanks to the many wonderful, friendly, hospital and intelligent people that we meet, which helped and assisted us to have a better understanding on Moscow’s reality, we have been discovering many interesting tensions and narratives flowing behind its more unpleasant surface.  In particular, we are extremely grateful to  Anna  Bronovitskaya and Boris Kondakov, who have welcomed us in their homes and guided us with their deep knowledge of history of Moscow’s architecture; to Elena Ovsyannikova and Ncolai Vassiliev, and the people at MARKI for their support, their  disponibility and for the fundamental effort that they are doing in preserving the threatened  heritage of modernist architecture in Moscow. We want to remember all the people that helped us, gave us their advice and conceded interviews for our investigation, as Alexei Ginzburg, Alexei Murakho, Lisa Schmid, Lisa , Stepan, Vova, and the ones  that maybe we are forgetting. A particular thanks goes to Roman Sinitcin, talented actor who played for us a wonderful reading  of Michael Bulgakov. Thank you also to the artists Achim Vollenscheid and Eva Hertzsch for the pleasant discussions and the exchange of impressions on Moscow. And finally,  our biggest thank you goes to Rosanna, Massimiliano, Paul and Claudio -Moorroom, for involving us in this project, giving us the possibility to start a new investigation perfectly fitting in our research theme, and supporting us with total trust and intellectual resonance.

See you all in Moscow in October…