Social and Utopian Ideas in Russian Paper Architecture of the Post-Revolution Decade

During the post-revolutionary years in Russia so called “paper architecture” not only revealed different stylistic and formal inventions, but also conveyed philosophical and social ideas for creating a new world for a new human. Architects understood their task to create principally new forms, related to the future, but at the same time, to fulfill urgent problems of current social life. First discussions and competitions started at the very end of the civil war. Projects like the huge Palaces of Labor, dwellings for workers, and city planning demonstrated the fantasy and inventiveness of the architects Nikolai Ladovsky, Ilya Golosov, the Vesnins brothers, Konstantin Melnikov, or Moisei Ginsburg. The architectural fantasies by Jakob Chernikhov created an unpopulated world of inventive constructions, inspired by the dream of technological future. Avant-garde in art strongly influenced architectural experimentation with form, while the political ideology of “the cultural revolution” stressed its social functions. In the theory of “constructivism” architecture was considered to be an important instrument of “life-building.” Features of utopian thinking, found in nearly every trend of art of that period, manifested themselves differently and on several levels: philosophical, ideological, social, artistic. Paper architecture within this special period served to convey the ideas of a new way of life and social order. The rich and exquisite architectural language of the time expressed itself in the nearest future, when the construction sites appeared, and throughout the century provided architects a source of inspiration and method of teaching.