Soviet Modernism 1955 till 1991 - Unknown Stories

Fascinating masterworks by Soviet architects – in spite of economic and ideological constraints of the years 1955 to 1991: on display in the current exhibition in the Architekturzentrum Vienna. An exhibition-portrait by CastYourArt.

A clear break with history is one of the main characteristics of modernism. However, in no part of the world there has been such an abrupt and thorough break with tradition as in the Soviet Union. The history of architecture there unfolded in an incredible succession of aesthetical and political back and forth, from constructivism of the 1919-1932 to Stalin’s socialist realism 1932 – 1954, the shift to modernism after 1955, until the dissolution of the USSR. Even though constructivism and Stalinist architecture are well known in these parts, in Western architecture history there is little knowledge about Soviet modernist architecture of the post-war period. The exhibition project „Soviet Modernism“, curated by Katharina Ritter, Ekaterina Shapiro-Obermair and Alexandra Wachter shows the architecture of 14 former Soviet republics in that particular era. Beyond a Russian perspective, the show is focused on the architecture in Armenia, Azerbaijan, Estonia, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kirgizstan, Latvia, Lithuania, Moldavia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Ukraine, Uzbekistan, and Belarus.

Over three years, teams of curators travelled to the former Soviet republics including Russia, and visited archives and projects, interviewing architects and local project partners. The book published on occasion of the show, Soviet Modernism 1955-1991 (Park Books), offers extensive information including research reports, essays, historical information and photographs, providing valuable insights into the development of the research project and its orientation. The exhibition tour was designed by Nicole Six and Paul Petritsch. Thematically divided into 4 geographical areas (Baltic, Caucasus, Eastern Europe and Central Asia) the enormous variety of local strategies and scales within the former Soviet Union becomes visible. This arrangement coincides with the curator’s perception of the architectural similarities and differences as a result of the different national histories, geographical particularities and the relations with Russia and the Soviet Union.

While the architecture of Baltic states was very much inspired by Scandinavia, the eastern European regions Belarus, Ukraine and Moldova followed Russian architectural standards more closely, also due to the fact that the historical building infrastructure was much more destroyed after the war in these countries. In contrast, in the Caucasian Soviet republics of Azerbaijan, Armenia and Georgia very independent national building styles developed that were inspired by a rich local tradition. Ion the central Asian republics, with their frontiers artificially drawn by the Soviets in the 1920ies, national identity remain an important topic throughout the entire Soviet era.

Under the circumstances of a gradual collapse of a monolithic system, the architects created beyond modernism, went back to regional historical traditions or invented freely. The exhibition does away with preconceptions about a supposedly conformist architecture of industrial mass production and provides an insight into the aesthetic, social and political post-war period of the communist countries. The variety of styles illustrated in a striking way the ideological dreams of an era, from the obsession with space and cosmonautics to the rebirth of national identities. The regional diversity of the USSR is summarized and the visitor gains an overview on how local traditions often took exotic turns – shortly before the dissolution of the Soviet Union. (written by Cem Angeli)