simply Dan
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Report: Moscow's Architecture in Crisis
14 May 2007
MOSCOW (AP) - Russian and foreign preservationists expressed alarm Monday at the destruction of Moscow's historic and architecturally significant buildings as the Russian capital undergoes massive development fueled by the country's economic boom.
"We have come into the phase of continual and daily changing of the city environment," Marina Khurstaleva of the Moscow Architecture Preservation Society told a news conference. "It's really a very critical situation."
A report released during the news conference, titled "Moscow Heritage at the Crisis Point," detailed buildings destroyed or under threat. The changes come as developers undertake huge projects as Russia's oil-driven economy soars and real-estate prices reach levels rivaling those of Tokyo and New York City.
Some projects, like the Moscow City development which is to include Europe's tallest building -- a 1,115-foot-high structure -- are rising on disused land. But others have taken the place of buildings well-known to both architectural historians and to tourists.
In some cases, the new developments try to mimic features of the old ones.
The most dramatic example is the Hotel Moskva, known worldwide as the building on the label of Stolichnaya vodka. The building was torn down and is being replaced by one that purportedly will replicate the original building's facade.
A similar project razed the Voyentorg military department store, regarded as one of Moscow's best Art Nouveau buildings. It is to be replaced by a commercial complex mimicking the old facade.
Preservationists denounce such projects as creating an artificial city analogous to Disneyland.
"Such an approach to conservation is the worst kind of tokenism and represents a total loss of grip on the concept of authenticity, turning historic Moscow into a stage-set city," the report said.
Phone calls after hours Monday to the city's Committee on Cultural Heritage were not returned. City authorities have defended the approach, however, saying the original buildings had deteriorated beyond repair after decades of Soviet-era neglect and that the reconstructions preserve an element of the city's architectural heritage.
Adam Wilkinson, secretary of the Save Europe's Heritage organization, said during the news conference that such projects are economically unjustified.
"To knock down a building and then rebuild it is a tremendous waste of resources. ... There's always a cheaper way" to rehabilitate an existing building, he said.
The report blames a variety of factors for the destruction of historic buildings, including the offering of 49-year leases on land owned by the city -- which it said induces developers to focus on comparatively short-term profits rather than longer-term investment.
Wilkinson also cited sloppy observance of preservation laws. "The Russian law (on preservation) is quite good -- the problem is that it's not enforced," he said.
The report says buildings under threat include the Detsky Mir children's store, across Lubyanka Square from the former KGB headquarters, and the Tsaritsino Palace complex in southern Moscow.
The report bemoans the loss of some buildings many were glad to see go away. That includes the Rossiya Hotel, a gargantuan and bullying eyesore that lurked just outside Red Square.
But the report says aesthetic value is not the only criterion for preserving a building.
"However critically we view Soviet modernism of this period, it made a real and tangible contribution to 20th century architecture ... The more vividly these buildings express this age, the more valuable they are for history and culture."
Moscow Architecture Preservation Society: http://www.maps-moscow.com
14 May 2007
MOSCOW (AP) - Russian and foreign preservationists expressed alarm Monday at the destruction of Moscow's historic and architecturally significant buildings as the Russian capital undergoes massive development fueled by the country's economic boom.
"We have come into the phase of continual and daily changing of the city environment," Marina Khurstaleva of the Moscow Architecture Preservation Society told a news conference. "It's really a very critical situation."
A report released during the news conference, titled "Moscow Heritage at the Crisis Point," detailed buildings destroyed or under threat. The changes come as developers undertake huge projects as Russia's oil-driven economy soars and real-estate prices reach levels rivaling those of Tokyo and New York City.
Some projects, like the Moscow City development which is to include Europe's tallest building -- a 1,115-foot-high structure -- are rising on disused land. But others have taken the place of buildings well-known to both architectural historians and to tourists.
In some cases, the new developments try to mimic features of the old ones.
The most dramatic example is the Hotel Moskva, known worldwide as the building on the label of Stolichnaya vodka. The building was torn down and is being replaced by one that purportedly will replicate the original building's facade.
A similar project razed the Voyentorg military department store, regarded as one of Moscow's best Art Nouveau buildings. It is to be replaced by a commercial complex mimicking the old facade.
Preservationists denounce such projects as creating an artificial city analogous to Disneyland.
"Such an approach to conservation is the worst kind of tokenism and represents a total loss of grip on the concept of authenticity, turning historic Moscow into a stage-set city," the report said.
Phone calls after hours Monday to the city's Committee on Cultural Heritage were not returned. City authorities have defended the approach, however, saying the original buildings had deteriorated beyond repair after decades of Soviet-era neglect and that the reconstructions preserve an element of the city's architectural heritage.
Adam Wilkinson, secretary of the Save Europe's Heritage organization, said during the news conference that such projects are economically unjustified.
"To knock down a building and then rebuild it is a tremendous waste of resources. ... There's always a cheaper way" to rehabilitate an existing building, he said.
The report blames a variety of factors for the destruction of historic buildings, including the offering of 49-year leases on land owned by the city -- which it said induces developers to focus on comparatively short-term profits rather than longer-term investment.
Wilkinson also cited sloppy observance of preservation laws. "The Russian law (on preservation) is quite good -- the problem is that it's not enforced," he said.
The report says buildings under threat include the Detsky Mir children's store, across Lubyanka Square from the former KGB headquarters, and the Tsaritsino Palace complex in southern Moscow.
The report bemoans the loss of some buildings many were glad to see go away. That includes the Rossiya Hotel, a gargantuan and bullying eyesore that lurked just outside Red Square.
But the report says aesthetic value is not the only criterion for preserving a building.
"However critically we view Soviet modernism of this period, it made a real and tangible contribution to 20th century architecture ... The more vividly these buildings express this age, the more valuable they are for history and culture."
Moscow Architecture Preservation Society: http://www.maps-moscow.com