ПОЛЕЗНЫЕ ССЫЛКИ

APPENDIX

ТЕКСТЫ ДЛЯ ЧТЕНИЯ И ПЕРЕВОДА

FOR SG

The first third of the XXth century was one of the most significant stages in the development of world art as a whole since a new trend appeared in art. It was the time of initiation and formation of a new architecture trend that has established its influence on the development of practically all kinds of art. The origination of a new style started in Europe with the basic centers in France, Holland, Germany and Russia. At that it should be admitted that the contribution of Russia was the most significant.

According to Fridrih Djurrenmatt, a well-known Swiss literary critic, ґThe strongest weapon of Russia is its spirit and the spiritual culture. It was just the appearance of avant-guard in Russia that served as a vivid example of bright development of new cultureЄ. RUSSIAN AVANT GUARDE was estimated as a phenomenon of the world culture, unique in its own way, that was caused by the appearance of a galaxy of brilliant masters at the beginning of the last century in Russia since their masterworks had received a world-wide resonance and are still actual now-a-days inspiring artists and architects, attracting attention of historians all over the world. The names of K.Malevich, V.Tatlin, V.Kandinsky, A.Vesnin, N.Ladovsky, A.Rodchenko, I.Leonidov, L.Popova, A.Ekster, L.Lisitsky, M.Ginzburg, A.Lavinsky, I.Golosov, V.Stepanova, Steinberg brothers and other great masters of Russian avant guarde are widely known all over the world. Roughly schematizing the real Russian avant guarde development process, we can distinguish between two time periods. The first decade (the beginning 1910 - the beginning of 1920th years), when the basic role in generating of authentic tendencies was played by the left wing trends of the fine arts; and the second decade (the beginning 1920 - the beginning of 1930th years) when the new innovative team of architects have accepted the relay race from the left fine arts current and have finished the new style forming process. In the beginning of the 20ts marked as a period of creative interaction intensification there started to appear a complex process of changing roles and position of the representatives of the left-trend art which enabled them to take the leading role in the further formation and development of the new style. In the left fine arts of the beginning of the XXth century we can distinguish between two main directions: one came from Matisse, another from Сеzanne and cubism.

The bright representative of the first trend was Russian-born French expressionist painter Vasilij Kandinskij who was trying to indicate an emotional condition by means of art of a personality and to reveal the role of subconsciousness in creative process. Supporters of the second trend were seeking means of reality expression not in emotional spheres, but in real life, not in the features of subjective perception of the world, but in the very objective world itself. Apart from that in architectural avant-guarde there was also one more creative current - the so-called "rationalism". The representatives of rationalism did not concentrate their attention on the developing of style system, but contributed indirectly into such levels of creative processes which externally seemed far from the matters of art composition system, but actually comprised its functional and constructive basis asa well as volumetric and spatial structure. The admitted leader of the rationalists trend was the principle theorist of the rationalist approach to architecture Nikolai Alexandrovich Ladovsky.Ladovsky graduated from the Moscow School of painting, sculpture and architecture in 1917. In 1919 he joined the Zhivskulptarkh group. From 1920 he taught at the VKhUTEMAS as one of the directors of the basic course. In 1921 he became a member of the Institute of Artistic Culture (Inkhuk) in Moscow. He became the principle theorist of the rationalist approach to architecture and was one of the founding members of the Association of New Architects (ASNOVA). The founders (N.Dokuchaev, V.Krinsky, A.Ruhljadev, A.Efimov, V.Fidman, S.Mochalov, V.Balihin) shared their tastes and ideas with N.Ladovsky. In 1926 he co-edited with El Lisitzky the journal Izvestiia ASNOVA (ASNOVA News). 1928 saw him found the Union of Architects and Urbanists (ARU) and during 1932 he was elected to the Board of the Union of Soviet Architects.

Another major trend of architectural avant-guarde - constructivism - was advanced several years after the rationalism trend. The leader of the trend Alexander Vesnin defined the credo of his art the following way: I consider, he wrote, that the artist should do absolutely new things no matter whether it would be a usefull, expedient and utilitarian thing (engineering construction, things of household use) or only expedient (laboratory work on new modern form). Each of those things, created by the modern-thinking artist, should bring with the creation some active force affecting on the consciousness of the person, causing the rise of energy and brain activity. If A.Vesnin (in assosiation with his companions) was the creative leader of architectural constructivism, his nearest colleague and assistant in administrating was M.Ginzburg who took up the propagandist role. A.Vesnin's favourite disciple I.Leonidov the famous Le Korbjuze called "poet and hope of Russian architectural constructivism", although Leonidov himself became one of the most tragic figures of Russian architecture. Being no doub one of the most gifted artists of his time, Leonidov had executed in practice non of his projects (if do not consider a ladder in Kislovodsk sanatorium park). One of the most powerful generators of creative ideas alongside with Leonidov at the initial stage was the talent of K.Melnikov. Basic contribution of Melnikov was the extension of form-building opportunities through the way of organic "game" of space and the simple volumetric form. The main thing in an Melnikov's originality is simultaneous thinking about both interior and inferior space in a volumetric composition. Melnikov was modelling external shape of a building by arranging its original internal space.

The tendency to use architectural forms of the past in modern constructions was gaining force. Avant-guarde supporters made their best to preserve the achievements of the new style but failed and by the middle of the 30s architectural avant-guarde has practically stopped its existence in a design practice though avant-guarde constructions projected in the beginning of the 30s continued to appear till 1937. In the following quarter of the century when traditional trends have dominated over the Soviet architecture based on historical heritage architectural avant-guarde was estimated negatively. Thus many valuable historical materials of this period (projects, breadboard models, documents, etc.) have been lost or have been kept only in private hands anonymously whereas the heritage of that epoch is not only domestic property, but also the treasure of the whole world cultural realm.

Based on Khan-Magomedov publications.

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Rem Koolhaas public lecture in "Burevestnik" club, Moscow, Russia Public lecture of outstanding Dutch architect, one of the most prominent architects of modern time, the Pritzker Prize winner (2000) and OMA/AMO (the Office for Metropolitan Architecture ) founder Rem Koolhaas took place in Moscow ґBurevestnikЄ club organized under the "Russian avant-guarde" foundation guidelines on May,31. Two spacious halls of "Burevestnik" club have hardly contained the numerous audience gathered to listen to Rem Koolhaas lecture: in one of the halls the spectators listened to the great master directly "in alive contact", in the other - they watched and listened to the report broadcasted through two great screens. As Rem Koolhaas has admitted Moscow became his favourite city since the architect visited it for the first time. The main part of the lecture was presenting his recent works such as "Renaissance" office tower and hotel complex in Dubai and another project - China Central Television (CCTV) building which is under construction in Beijin at present moment and of course the competitive project of "Gazprom" headquarters in St-Petersburg. Having finished the lecture Rem Koolhaas went down to the hall from the stage to answer the numerous questions of the audience. The most active spectators were lucky to listen to the great "star" speculations about the world architecture and about the importance of architectural education while becoming an architect. He also told about inevitable problems and complexities people had to tackle in case of reconstruction of his constructions, and after all admitted that he is not planing to stay for work in Moscow yet.

More details: www.archcenter.org

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18.07.2007 The Lost Avantguarde Exhibition in the USA and in Russia On July 18 the exhibition entitled "The Lost Avantguarde" has started its work in New York Museum of Modern Art representing an exposition of works by a well-known photographer Richard Peri devoted to the Soviet architecture of the 20-30s of the last century. The exhibition was organized under "The Russian avangard" foundation support founded by The Supreme Council senator Sergey Gordeev which is to be lasted in the USA till October 29. Soon after that the exposition is to be moved to Russia in order to be presented to the Russian connoisseurs of art and experts on architecture. "The Russian avangard" foundation in common with “Tatlin” publishing house is now preparing the Russian edition of the catalogue of Richard Peri’s creative works for the opening of the Russian exhibition.

12.07.2007 Advertising Law amendments forbidding outdoor advertising on the objects of cultural heritage are presented for consideration of the State Duma (Russian Parliament). The Chairman of the Supreme Council Sergey Mironov as well as the representative of Buryatia autonomous region Sergey Gordeev (The Committee on economic policy, business and property member, the member of The Supreme Council Federal Commission on culture, the president of "The Russian avangard" foundation ), as well as Perm Region government legislative power representative Oganes Оganyan (The Committee on economic policy, business and property chairman) have offered the amendments to the State Duma forbidding the outdoor advertising neither on the territory of historical sites and historical conservation areas, nor located on any sorts of objects of cultural heritage. The ban is supposed to be spread also on the period of construction and repair works, as well as during the restoration, reconstruction or preservation of monuments time. In case the draft law will be supported it will be banned to place the outdoor advertising posters at the distance as near as u 500 meters from the historical site-seeing centers of Moscow, St.-Petersburg and other important capital-cities the Russian Federation. According to the opinion of the authors of the legislative initiative the above-mentioned amendments should serve to promote protection and preservation of the country’s cultural heritage. To provide strict observance of the new requirements it is required to make the With this purpose in view S.Mironov, S.Gordeev and O.Oganjan's have also made the amendments to the Administrative Offences Code . In correlation with these amendments (on outdoor advertising on the objects of cultural heritage) it is suggested to take penalty comprising the sum of 2000 up to 3000 rubles from the citizens, 5000 up to 25000 rubles from officials and 50000 up to 1000000 rubles from legal officials. The above-mentioned sanctions will be applied not only to the advertise customer and advertise distributor but also to the contractor on installation and operation of advertising item namely to the proprietor of the building or land, or the tenant or the confidential managing director.

06.07.2007 The president of "The Russian Avangard" foundation Sergey Gordeev has entered the staff of the Supreme Council Commission on culture. The president of "The Russian avangard" foundation Sergey Gordeev has entered the staff of the recently found under the Upper Chamber of Parliament the Supreme Council Commission on culture. The decision on the commission was taken on July 6 at the 207-th session of the Supreme Council. According to the mass-media reports the independent commission on culture has been found under the Supreme Council "by virtue of the importance of this sphere". Before that moment the matters of culture were purely the prerogative of the Science, Culture, Education, Health and Ecology Committee. 14 persons have entered into the structure of the commission. The first sitting of "the culture senators" takes place as soon as on July 11.

02.07.2007 The President of "The Russian Avangarde" foundation Sergey Gordeev has taken part in the work of "The New Museums in New Geography" conference. On June 2 "The New Museums in New Geography" international conference took place at ”Lenin’s Hills” under the support of Federal Agency on Culture and Cinematography. People who are directly responsible for the preservation of culture on our planet namely the heads of the leading world museums and cultural organizations, the most prominent patrons of art and masterpieces collectors as well as a number of Russian and western curators spoke about the concept of an ideal museum of the XXI century and discussed how to form a new universal cultural space. The architect Norman Foster, Royal Academy of Arts - London - director Norman Rosental, Metropoliten Museum of Arts co-director Gary Tinterow, Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum curator Jermano Chelan, o Shanghai Museum of Modern Art creative director Victoria Lu, National Museum of Singapore director Chor Lean Lea, Serpentine Gallery - London – director Julia Paton-Jones, gallery owner Jeffery Deitch from New York and British sculptor Anthony Gormli have spoke at the conference. The Russian party at the forum was presented by the head of the Federal Agency on Culture and Cinematography Michael Shvydkoj, the State Hermitage director Michael Piotrovsky, the Pushkin Museum of Fine Art director Irina Antonova it have accepted the chapter of Federal agency on culture and cinematographies. A.S.Pushkin, the General Director of Moscow Kremlin Museums Elena Gagarina, the Moscow House of Photograph director Olga Sviblova, the Shchusev Architecture Museum director David Sarkisyan as well as the President "The Russian Avangarde" foundation Sergey Gordeev. The participants of conference have arrived at the similar conclusion that the past concept of the passive role of a museum as a mere storehouse should be turn into an active element of public life, the catalyst of the changes in the world cultural process and have agreed to work in this direction further on.

Rem Koolhaas public lecture in "Burevestnik" club, Moscow, Russia Public lecture of outstanding Dutch architect, one of the most prominent architects of modern time, the Pritzker Prize winner (2000) and OMA/AMO (the Office for Metropolitan Architecture ) founder Rem Koolhaas took place in Moscow "Burevestnik" club organized under the "Russian avant-guarde" foundation guidelines on May, 31. Two spacious halls of "Burevestnik" club have hardly contained the numerous audience gathered to listen to Rem Koolhaas lecture: in one of the halls the spectators listened to the great master directly "in alive contact", in the other - they watched and listened to the report broadcasted through two great screens. As Rem Koolhaas has admitted Moscow became his favourite city since the architect visited it for the first time. The main part of the lecture was presenting his recent works such as "Renaissance" office tower and hotel complex in Dubai and another project - China Central Television (CCTV) building which is under construction in Beijin at present moment and of course the competitive project of "Gazprom" headquarters in St-Petersburg. Having finished the lecture Rem Koolhaas went down to the hall from the stage to answer the numerous questions of the audience. The most active spectators were lucky to listen to the great "star" speculations about the world architecture and about the importance of architectural education while becoming an architect. He also told about inevitable problems and complexities people had to tackle in case of reconstruction of his constructions, and after all admitted that he is not planing to stay for work in Moscow yet.