The Architecture of Soviet Modernism in the Sociocultural Context of Contemporary Moscow: Receptionist Declarations and Practical Actions
Year: 2026
Type: article
Abstract: The article examines the urban and cultural role of buildings from the period of architectural modernism (or the so-called ‘socialist modernism’) in the urban context of Moscow. The work focuses primarily on large-scale and atypical buildings (architectural megaliths) that shaped the image and silhouette of the Russian capital in the second half of the 20th century. The article presents assessments and attempts to understand the uniqueness of this period made by the creators of these buildings — Soviet architects themselves. The author examines Soviet modernism for being the last architectural utopia of the 20th century, while simultaneously demonstrating its transformation in real-life practices and the 21st-century perspective into utilitarianism. The article describes the major physical losses and possible causes of the material and sociocultural devaluation of the buildings from the 1960s-1980s, leading to numerous decisions to demolish buildings of the ‘Thaw’ architecture.
Source: Art & Culture Studies
Author: O.M. Dedkov
Institution: State Institute for Art Studies
Language: English
Subfield: Architecture
Field: Engineering
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: diamond
OpenAlex ID: W7165906331