Simple forms with maximum efficiency of use became the basis of Soviet constructivism, which arose as a counterbalance to the pretentiousness and abundance of the decor of classical architecture. Avant-garde proletarian art became the only style that the Land of Soviets could boast as a trendsetter in the severity of lines, geometrism, laconic forms, and refusal of excesses. Despite the fact that constructivism was very popular almost a hundred years ago, the surviving objects are still capable of surprising, which is easy to see right now.
1. House of Culture. Rusakova in Moscow
The most famous Soviet constructivist architect who gained worldwide fame was Konstantin Melnikov. He became especially popular after the creation of the USSR pavilion at an exhibition in Paris in 1925, when he gained fame as an innovative architect. Since at this time, instead of religious structures, they began to actively develop and build houses of culture, literally in two years Melnikov designed as many as seven fantastic structures, five of which were implemented in Moscow, and in the shortest possible time. Already by 1930 were built: DK im. Rusakova, the club "Freedom" for the soap factory, the recreation center of the plant "Kauchuk", the Club of the Dorkhimzavod im. Frunze, the "Burevestnik" factory club and the building of the Palace of Culture named after Rusakov (originally Rusakov's Club of the Union of Communal Services).
The last of the listed centers of mass cultural and educational work, as the House of Culture was called during the Soviet Union, is the most unusual and striking masterpiece of architecture of 1927-28. This is especially noticeable from the side of the facade overlooking Stromynka Street. From this point on, the structure looks more like a gear with three teeth, which became a kind of tribute to the workers for whom the club was built. The huge ledges did not become a primitive decoration or detail of stylization; the author of the project placed the balconies of the auditorium in them.
Such a "removal" outside the building was used for the first time in the world, because no one has ever made the balconies of the amphitheater outside the structure. Although not only the "gear teeth" emphasize the belonging to the style, but also the reinforced concrete frame, transformable partitions inside the premises, which allow combining or dividing the interior space, the principle of efficient use of the entire internal volume and maximum increase in functionality has not been forgotten either.
2. Building Gosprom in Kharkov
One of the largest and most spectacular structures created in the style of constructivism is the House of State Industry in Kharkov, better known as the building of the Gosprom in Kharkov. This huge complex was designed to house more than 20 government organizations, including such Soviet giants as Prombank and Gostorg of the Ukrainian SSR.
Interesting fact: The competition for the best project was won by the Leningrad architects S. S. Serafimova, S. M. Kravets and M. D. Felger, and Dzerzhinsky personally supervised the construction. At that time, such a large-scale structure was considered the largest building in Europe, because its height reached 63 m, and the area of the internal space was 60 thousand square meters.m ², which corresponds to the territory of three quarters of a large city at once. The main idea of the authors was the absence of part of the internal partitions, this would contribute to the complete transparency of the building during sunset.
Despite the fact that the building is built of monolithic reinforced concrete, it does not look massive and rough. This is due to several factors at once: huge areas of external glazing - 17 hectares (4, 5 thousand windows), multi-storey buildings at once and their geometry.
3. Building of the House of Culture. Zuev in Moscow
DK im. Zueva is one of the brightest and most famous examples of constructivism on a global scale. Its creator was the architect Ilya Golosov (1883 - 1945), who was at that time under the influence of Cubism. For this reason, in the structure of the building itself, you can immediately notice the asymmetrically located regular geometric shapes of the building. The main compositional center of this large-scale object is a vertical glass cylinder, around which the entire body of the building is installed (as if put on it).
Stylish glazing of the facade, unusual shapes, the presence of a large auditorium, a small hall and a group of rehearsal rooms - all these rooms are distinguished by a clear and compact composition. The most spectacular object of the interior space is the spiral staircase that leads from the lobby of the 1st floor to the auditorium and runs inside a glass cylinder.
4. Central Telegraph on Tverskaya Street in Moscow
The original building of the Central Telegraph on Tverskaya became the first sign of the grandiose transformations of the main street of the capital, and therefore of the country. This project was developed by the architect Ivan Rerberg, who became famous for the Kiev railway station and the houses of the Northern Insurance Company on Ilyinka in Moscow. He was faced with a very difficult task, because the new object was being erected among the masterpieces of "bourgeois" architecture, so he needed to "create a monument worthy of Moscow of the future."
According to the Novate.ru editors, this project caused a lot of controversy, but Rerberg nevertheless managed to combine the elements of constructivism that were fashionable at that time, and rational modernity in the design of a huge building, and maintain the main picture of the historic district of the city. No matter how zealous the critics are, looking for flaws and inconsistencies, whatever one may say, the building organically blended into the already established appearance of Tverskaya.
5. "White Tower" in Yekaterinburg
"White Tower" - this architectural monument, which has received worldwide recognition, is the water tower of the Ural Heavy Machine Building Plant. The building, unique in all respects, was designed by Moses Reischer. The construction of the structure took quite a lot of time (1929 - 1931), but the way it was created was really innovative. As it turned out, the huge tank was created not by riveting parts, but by welding, although this experiment ended in complete failure. When filled with water, the bottom of the tank could not stand it and came off, so the designers were forced to make it reinforced concrete.
Despite the fact that the water tower is currently not being used for its intended purpose, it still performs its role as an architectural dominant of this area, although it requires reconstruction, on which both residents and city activists insist. The architectural image of the 29 meter high water tower is a classic example of the unification of function, structure and form, which became an example of avant-garde architecture of the beginning of the last century.
Not all architectural masterpieces "survived" to this day without losses and any changes, or even cardinal transformations. Particularly interesting and noticeable are the transformations of religious buildings, who are recognized anywhere in the world.