To the page “Protection of
historical heritage”
Dr. Sergey Zagraevsky
Architecture as art (“
Published in Russian: Çàãðàåâñêèé Ñ.Â. Àðõèòåêòóðà êàê èñêóññòâî
(«Ïåòåðáóðãñêèå òåçèñû»).  ñïðàâî÷íèêå «Åäèíûé õóäîæåñòâåííûé ðåéòèíã», âûï.
Attention!
The following text
was translated from the Russian original by the computer program
and has not yet been
edited.
So it can be used
only for general introduction.
These theses were prepared for architectural
forum, held in St. Petersburg in the summer of 2002. The author is grateful to
the organizers of the forum, Alevtina Telysheva, for the opportunity of the
speech, which received considerable resonance among the Russian and foreign
participants. Unfortunately, this response was not only positive: when
discussing the topic of the presentation was continued at the "round
table", chief architect of St. Petersburg Oleg Kharchenko demonstratively
left the building, stating publicly that can't be where I suggest to declare
Petersburg the protected area.
The author refrains from comments of
the act Oleg Kharchenko and is committed to publish the thesis statement in the
form in which they were sent to the organizing Committee of the forum.
* * *
Topic: "Problems of architecture as art in the present social
context. The Experience Of Moscow".
1. Provides a General understanding of architecture as art, although
many modern theories about the fact that the architect works exclusively on the
customer and decisive in buildings is a functional component.
2. Respect to St Petersburg this thesis is of particular importance, as
the protection of monuments of architecture akin to the storage of works of art
in museums. Even a small addition made to the monument, which can radically
change his perception.
3. Who benefits to consider the architecture of the function? Those who
try to earn money by developing the protected areas elite office and
residential construction and indulging nerazviti taste of the customer.
4. Who benefits relate to the architecture as an art? Only if
intelligentsia (that is talking about the benefit does not go at all)? No - it is
profitable and the state, and, paradoxically, the same businessmen.
They strive to build in the historic areas, because there's more expensive
square meter. And there meter is more expensive because the area of the
historical, that is, a Museum, that is prestigious. Consequently, traders
actually understand that architecture is an art, but in conditions of
"natural capitalism" in Russia we ignore this for the sake of
expediency.
5. And this is the state's task is to protect historical buildings
(especially at the stage of "disaster capitalism"), because otherwise
the country will not go tourists. While tourism is the country's image in the
world and, consequently, improving the investment climate.
Historical buildings have to be protected from many of the
"troublemaker", including from too Intrusive advertising.
6. The situation is similar outside the historical zone is aesthetically
attractive house is usually more elite.
7. But here we come to the question from the field of art - what is
considered aesthetic appeal? What is a work of art? A positive answer to this
question is much less, than negative. But it is clear, for example, that a
remake in most cases, a work of art is not. And how many now in Moscow is built
of remakes?..
8. Artistic taste to raise, and here an important educational role of
the state. Then the situation develops "ascending"): customer is more
susceptible to works of art and demand from architects aesthetically attractive
construction. And proposals architects enrichment of aesthetic filling habitat
fall on fertile ground.
9. This process can go and "down". Stalin called writers
"engineers of human souls" - hence its increased attention to the artists
and writers in particular. Some were killed, others were raised. But look:
instead of whether similar situation (though not as acute today in
architecture? Not reproduces whether today's "elite" architecture
Imperial psychology (at all levels), and whether such "engineering"
dangerous for the young Russian democracy?
10. We are told what to do, we all understand, but the interests of the
city require... let's See: what is required in the interests of the city? Seal
of office building in the center? So this inevitably leads to the transport
crisis, with which Moscow has already experienced, and no ring can save. And
will soon be faced and St. Petersburg, and will not save his new ring road.
11. How can I unzipped center? With the help of architecture as art.
To give historical centre tourists, and to develop governmental and commercial
multicentricity. And to make new prestigious centers, there is a need to build
buildings - works of art, attracting the best architects, including the West
(let work in perspective outskirts, not rebuild the Mariinsky theatre and the
"New Holland").
© Sergey Zagraevsky
To the page “Protection of
historical heritage”