Books

Constructivism (a term we use loosely, encompassing also its former counterpart Rationalism, as well as eclectic imitations and the "renewed classicism" of Fomin and Zholtovsky) in Moscow seems to be a well-studied subject. There is no shortage of books and guidebooks, themed tours, websites, and social media communities. And yet, upon closer examination, the list of recognized landmarks narrows down to a dozen world-famous masterpieces by Melnikov, Golosov, and Ginzburg. The rest exists only in footnotes—if at all—reduced to brief lists or superficial (often mistaken) descriptions.

Many buildings remain unnamed, anonymous, rebuilt, stripped of history and memory—leaving them open to various forms of interpretation and manipulation. It’s as if they don’t exist, invisible and doomed to demolition.

And yet these buildings—not only the iconic "style symbols"—are the true material remains of a vanished utopia. They form the new urban fabric that reshaped the everyday life of millions of Muscovites in the first third of the 20th century. Schools, housing estates, workers' clubs, communal kitchens, department stores, public baths—structures of new scale, typology, and appearance that gave Moscow a radically different rhythm and identity.

The Avant-garde Center has launched a book series dedicated to individual, lesser-known avant-garde landmarks in Moscow. Each selected building is explored within its sociocultural context, as a case of new typology and a representative of a broader range of similar Soviet examples. The format of the series is inspired by the once-popular 1980s monographs Biography of a Moscow House. The first two volumes were published in collaboration with the Togda project.

Constructivism (a term we use loosely, encompassing also its former counterpart Rationalism, as well as eclectic imitations and the "renewed classicism" of Fomin and Zholtovsky) in Moscow seems to be a well-studied subject. There is no shortage of books and guidebooks, themed tours, websites, and social media communities. And yet, upon closer examination, the list of recognized landmarks narrows down to a dozen world-famous masterpieces by Melnikov, Golosov, and Ginzburg. The rest exists only in footnotes—if at all—reduced to brief lists or superficial (often mistaken) descriptions.

Many buildings remain unnamed, anonymous, rebuilt, stripped of history and memory—leaving them open to various forms of interpretation and manipulation. It’s as if they don’t exist, invisible and doomed to demolition.

And yet these buildings—not only the iconic "style symbols"—are the true material remains of a vanished utopia. They form the new urban fabric that reshaped the everyday life of millions of Muscovites in the first third of the 20th century. Schools, housing estates, workers' clubs, communal kitchens, department stores, public baths—structures of new scale, typology, and appearance that gave Moscow a radically different rhythm and identity.

The Avant-garde Center has launched a book series dedicated to individual, lesser-known avant-garde landmarks in Moscow. Each selected building is explored within its sociocultural context, as a case of new typology and a representative of a broader range of similar Soviet examples. The format of the series is inspired by the once-popular 1980s monographs Biography of a Moscow House. The first two volumes were published in collaboration with the Togda project.

Constructivism (a term we use loosely, encompassing also its former counterpart Rationalism, as well as eclectic imitations and the "renewed classicism" of Fomin and Zholtovsky) in Moscow seems to be a well-studied subject. There is no shortage of books and guidebooks, themed tours, websites, and social media communities. And yet, upon closer examination, the list of recognized landmarks narrows down to a dozen world-famous masterpieces by Melnikov, Golosov, and Ginzburg. The rest exists only in footnotes—if at all—reduced to brief lists or superficial (often mistaken) descriptions.

Many buildings remain unnamed, anonymous, rebuilt, stripped of history and memory—leaving them open to various forms of interpretation and manipulation. It’s as if they don’t exist, invisible and doomed to demolition.

And yet these buildings—not only the iconic "style symbols"—are the true material remains of a vanished utopia. They form the new urban fabric that reshaped the everyday life of millions of Muscovites in the first third of the 20th century. Schools, housing estates, workers' clubs, communal kitchens, department stores, public baths—structures of new scale, typology, and appearance that gave Moscow a radically different rhythm and identity.

The Avant-garde Center has launched a book series dedicated to individual, lesser-known avant-garde landmarks in Moscow. Each selected building is explored within its sociocultural context, as a case of new typology and a representative of a broader range of similar Soviet examples. The format of the series is inspired by the once-popular 1980s monographs Biography of a Moscow House. The first two volumes were published in collaboration with the Togda project.