Money Growing: Point of No Return

Russian and western TV channels broadcast programs for several days in a row, which were made with the help of the authors of the report at a time when officials of Moscow were furiously defending the attacks of journalists and assuring the public that danger of the old architectural condition of the capital disappearing was strongly exaggerated.

In the year since the report was published until now there have bee no objects of cultural heritage in Moscow signed over for demolition. But this is where the good news ends.

Like people

"He is a monument that can be put in prison," a character from the film Gentlemen of Luck said. However every monument, like every person, has its own destiny. One - honour and respect, another - vegetation. Or, even worse, to be demolished and forgotten.

Buildings constructed in Russian avant-guard style in Moscow are unlucky. In the world the creativity of Konstantin Melnikov, Moisei Ginzburg, Vladimir Shukhov is recognized as the new word in architecture, they are in all the books, people study them and defend dissertations on them, yet in their native land, these world scale masterpieces have a pitiful existence with the prospects of being becoming ruins, being taken down or undergoing barbaric restoration.

In the opinion of the vice-president of federal methodical council on cultural heritage at the Ministry of culture of the Russian Federation Alexander Kudryavtsev, society simply has not yet grown to understand the minimalist aesthetics carried out by Russian avant-gardists. "Although during this short period of history (1920s-1930s) our architecture was a leader in the world, Russians find it difficult to accept avant-guard,” professor Kudryavtsev is convinced. “And the saviours for avant guard monuments come from abroad."

When the say "old Moscow is leaving," the first ting you remember id the quiet courtyards hidden in the depths of buildings from the 17th and 18th centuries. But monuments of architecture from Soviet times are threatened with not less serious danger. Two years ago in Moscow the international conference “Heritage in Danger: the Preservation of Twentieth Century architecture and World Heritage” took place. During the conference the pitiful condition of constructions by Russian avant-guard architects was discussed. Seven monuments were particularly specified: the Narkomfin building by architect Ginzburg, Rusakov Club house, Kauchuk club house factory by architect Konstantin Melnikov, and also his home on Arbat, a communal building by architect Ivan Nikolayev, a radio tower by engineer Vladimir Shukhov, and Mayakovskaya metro station by architect Alexei Dushkin.

"But for two years none of these constructions have been included on UNESCO’s list of world heritage,” says Natalia Dushkina, a professor and founding member founder of the International scientific committee ICOMOS for the preservation of 20th century heritage. “Of all the subjects, only Mayakovskaya metro station has undergone intensive construction. But this project, in essence, was not ratified or approved by the Moscow Heritage Committee. And although enormous funds have been spent, the result is doubtful and the station still leaks. It seems like the developers of the project had a strong desire to strip the whole station and replace the original materials with new ones, including changing all the aviation steel. They don’t want the same thing to happen as with the "Worker and Farmer” sculpture.

The destiny of another building designed by Dushkin has now been decided: Sistema-Gals has announced the start of the reconstruction of the Detsky Mir department store on Lubyanka, after which only the façade will remain in its original liking. Inside, the reconstruction of the building will completely change it, as a result of additional retail areas, new cafes and even underground parking. And the old Detsky Mir that every Muscovite remembers from their childhood will cease to be.

"In Moscow there are monuments that after ignorant reconstruction only the facade remains, while the interiors are completely destroyed. For example, this happened with the Zholtovsky building on Mokhovaya and Konstantin Melnikov's Burevestnik club house.

There are monuments where restorers have completely changed the architect’s concept and design.

Often there are cases where on the territory of monuments - for example, Bakhmetyevsky Garazh, the Planetarium - construction takes place even though it is forbidden by the law. The reason for this attitude is that no historical building from the 20th century has the status of a federal monument and the designers of the restoration projects do not consider it necessary to think of them as national property,” says Dushkina.

Demolishing is not the same as constructing

A paradox exists: Russian restoration school is considered to be one of the best in the world, while at the same time the capital is now experiencing the highest wave of monstrous changing of historically significant buildings. We have all heard the history about the demolition of the Voentorg and Moskva hotels. But there are also other less famous examples. On New Arbat they have demolished the building of the Institute of Balneology, which was designed by Anatoly Samoilov. This was under construction in the transition period: the facade of the building has designed in constructivist style, while the interiors already gravitated towards Stalin neoclassical. Nevertheless, you cannot doubt its architectural-historical value, and in 1998 the building was recognized as a subject of architectural-historical heritage. But in 2004 it was excluded from the list of monuments for reasons that due to the technical condition of the building it cannot be restored. And in January 2005 Mayor Yury Luzhkov signed an order of the government of Moscow on the demolition of the Institute and to construct in its place a multipurpose commercial-administrative complex with underground parking measuring a total area of 93,600 sq.m on a land plot measuring 1.171 hectares.

"During the post-war decades the shape of the city centre practically didn’t change. And while other European capitals experienced more or less smooth evolution, Moscow, as a matter of fact, stagnated and silently decayed, but in this there was charm and originality,” considers Marina Khrustalyov, art critic and chairman of the Moscow society for the protection of architectural heritage. “The building boom started in Moscow at the end of the 1990s. Investment money from Moscow, regional and foreign investors rushed into the city, and immediately there were building structures ready for them to develop. However, with market economy laws, there was a problem in the in the unavailability of mechanisms in the city to adequately take this impact. In a city with eight and a half centuries of history and a population that exceeds 15 million, suddenly a total reorganization developed that didn’t have an officially accepted general plan, but had the ideas and thoughts of architects and developers who at that time didn’t have the essential experience to manage large scale projects. The federal government, in essence, ignored this problem, by not showing interest in the regeneration of Moscow unlike the mayor, whose taste and ideas about beauty have been forever embodied in the streets of the city".

Heritage and successors

The creativity of famous avant-garde architect Konstantin Melnikov is widely presented in Moscow and can be treated as a separate tourist route.

His own workshop/home on Arbat. Four clubhouses, each of which has an original facade and interior. The club house by Ilya Rusakov looks like a flower bud, and the facade of the Dorkhimzavod clubhouse looks like a bulldozer. There is also Bakhmetyevsky Garazh, which is now a roofed arena and to this day is amazing in its - 8,500 sq.m of space with no partitions or support.

Melnikov’s constructions not only look original, but are also quite modern. Owing to huge windows there is a lot of light and air, and sliding walls transform the internal space instantly. It is no wonder that the creativity of Melnikov is significant for modern architects and designers. "Foreigners are always calling and asking for tours to the Dorkhimzavod clubhouse to be organized," representatives of its proprietor, Zhanna Fomina and Valentina Sergeyeva say.

In March of this year Liral Group completed renovation-restoration work in the Dorkhimzavod clubhouse. The scientific restoration of the premises took three years and cost 120 million rubles, but as a result it remains not only a unique monument of constructivism, but is also a building adapted for modern comfortable offices and a bank.

"In 2004 in the building of a catering establishment which is an integral part of the Dorkhimzavod clubhouse, there was a fire. After that the company’s management decided to begin restoration. A whole year was spent on the approval of documents. Restoration began with clearing the building of constructions that had been added throughout its life, sheds which had been stuck all around the clubhouse from different sides,” says Sergeyeva. “The project of restoration and adaptation for modern use was carried out by Central Restoration Workshops No.2 under the supervision of architect Nina Stukolova. She also carried out architectural supervision. The building and all its interiors were restored using the drawings of Melnikov. Every step was approved with the Moscow Heritage Committee.

According to employees at Liral Group, the budget for the restoration work was repeatedly increased.

For example, the restorers found under the linoleum some old tiles used in the club in the 1930s. These days such tiles are not made, but similar ones were found in Germany. The tiles were then hand cut to match the original size. Fixtures had to be changed twice: when buying them they looked like they would match the interior but when they were put up it was clear they didn’t match. The same happened with the doors. But the end result has surpassed all expectations: both the facade and the interior look like the original. And, the most important thing, the pearl of the building - the cascade auditorium – is now visible to all visitors of the bank, and here there will be a function room.

In Melnikov's other operating club house – Kauchuk - located on Ulitsa Plyuschikha, restoration is in full flow. At the moment only the facade of the building has been completed but as soon as the Moscow Heritage Committee approves the project of adaptation for modern use, work will begin on renovations inside the building.

Restoration is planned to be completed by next year when it will be the 80th anniversary of the clubhouse. Here there will be a cultural-entertainment center: in the evening adults can visit theatrical performances, exhibitions and the cinema, and during the day children can take part in activities. Practically the exact family club Melnikov dreamed about.

And again, as with the Dorkhimzavod club house, which has been restored with the proprietor’s funds, the Kauchuk clubhouse is being restored not by the government, but by the tenant - in this case inter-regional public organization Academy of Russian Art. The tenants have already spent 30 million rubles on restoration of the façade of the building. What amount will be spent on the internal restoration and equipping the auditorium with modern cinematic equipment, the academy is even afraid to think about.

"We are not going to economize on the restoration, and it would not even be possible for us – our every step is under the watchful eye of supervisory organizations,” says director of restoration works at the club Sergey Popov. “For example, yesterday another commission came: "Why do you have a protective cover on the roof? Are you planning on building another floor?" No, I say, we have covered the veranda from rain while it’s being restored. And so we justify ourselves like that during restoration. There’s an impression that officials were more satisfied with the ruins that were here before us, than they are now when we want to restore the monument of life."

Melnikov’s house-workshop on Krivoarbatsky pereulok is currently in a very bad condition. In the "Moscow Architectural Heritage: The Point of No Return" report by the Moscow society for the protection of architectural heritage it says: "The house urgently demands restoration. Negligent restoration carried out in the middle of the 1990s (carried out with funds from the budget. - Vedomosti), and also active construction of nearby territory have led to the deterioration of the condition of the house. Subsoil waters have become evident on its site which has led to the formation of mould fungus and loosening of the ground.

Directly behind the building the construction of a new building with an underground car park has started. Just one year ago experts from the defenders of architectural heritage of Moscow association convinced the city authorities to veto the development of underground space within a distance of 30 m from the unique building, as this would threaten it with destruction. But a year has passed, and things are right back where they started.

"On the site of 39-41 Arbat construction began last summer, but when builders were going to dig a 15-meter foundation ditch, it appeared that the territory represented a danger in the form of a sink hole,” says Yekaterina Karinskaya, the grand daughter of the famous architect. “Two water tables converge here, an old river passes here, and there are seismic faults and other land features. Construction has been suspended and hydro-geological research on the land is being carried out: builders are drilling a hole to decide whether there is danger to the new building."

If construction will continue, then, according to Karinskaya, underground dams will develop and subsoil waters which pass under the building will start to wash away the base. "The building has already suffered serious damage after two foundation ditches to the left and to the right of it were dug at the end of the 1990s,” says the successor of Melnikov. “The ground has loosened, the main window has slipped, and the 4-meter window no longer opens. I live in this house and I see how it reacts to changes in the ground."

In the last years of his life the architect lived in the house like a hermit. Back then this tiny island was perceived as a symbol of free creativity and a challenge to the totalitarian system, and now – to the global commercialisation of society. The land on which Melnikov's house-workshop stands, is absolutely insignificant - only 8 sotkas. But it is located on Arbat and this is the most expensive land in the city. Of course, nobody will risk ordering the demolition of a monument which is under protection. But if the house itself will fall apart, washed away by subsoil waters, well, it’s nobody’s fault.

"To estimate the value of a sotka in the Arbat district is practically impossible,” considers Yan Al-Nuri, an adviser at Penny Lane Realty (by the way, experts from other real estate companies in general refused to comment on this topic). “Land in this area is not on sale, but is issued for long-term rent, and its value, as a rule, is attached to the value of the building based on it, even if the building is shabby. Each plot is unique and demands individual valuation. Prices can vary from $300,000 to $1 million per sotka."