Protection Versus Construction

[M II A II R II K]

Protection Versus Construction


Jul 1, 2010



Read More: http://english.ruvr.ru/2010/07/01/11205793.html

“It is a burning problem but I am an optimist”. With these words Igor Bondarenko, the Director of the Russian Research Institute of Architecture, responded to an invitation of “The Voice of Russia” to share his thoughts about preserving the architectural heritage and the balance of the old and new in the look of modern cities. He was asked to speak on this important subject on the 1st of July, World Day of Architecture. This is what he told:

"In recent years, starting with the mid-1980s, interest in architectural heritage has risen, change for the better has occurred in public and professional mentality. Our institute has made great progress in this respect, I can say our dreams of protecting the heritage have come true. In Soviet times there were restoration projects too, but on the whole, the problem of protecting the heritage was ignored and buildings were pitilessly demolished. We consider today’s situation a breakthrough. Now there is a law about protecting architectural monuments and committees responsible for it. In Soviet times only very old buildings were considered to be worthy of protection, like St. Basil’s Cathedral and the Kremlin in Moscow or the historical centre of St. Petersburg. But the architecture of later periods, eclecticism or art nouveau, was called tasteless and decadent and, as a result, unnecessary. Someone even planned to destroy the buildings of GUM and History Museum in Moscow.

Construction. Photo: RIA Novosti