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[EARLY CRITIQUE OF THE FAMOUS SOVIET AVANT-GARDE ARCHITECT KONSTANIN MELNIKOV] Rukovodstvo po proyektirovke klubnykh stsen [i.e. A Guide to Designing Club Stages]

Baklin, N., Kuvakhin, K.

Item #2006

Moscow: Gos. izd-vo khud. lit., 1931. 72 pp.: ill. 21.4x14.6 cm. In original publisher’s constructivist wrappers. Fine.

Scarce. First and only edition. With numerous black-and-white illustrations and schemes throughout.
An interesting Soviet book about the design of club stages by a Russian film director Nikolay Baklin (1887-1967) and Konstantin Kuvakin (1864-1945). The publication can be considered as one of the earliest attempts to uncover “the formalist views” of the distinguished Russian avant-garde architect Konstantin Melnikov (1890-1974). The book, with the remarkable constructivist wrapper design, was published in Moscow in 1931. The main goal of the publication as set out in the foreword is to “delineate the foundational aspects
of designing theatrical components of club buildings, essential for the realization of a successful club theater.” The book consists of seven sections: “Auditorium,” “Stage,” “Apron Stage, Ramp, Proscenium,” “Orchestra,” “A Rotating Stage,” “Other Types of Scenes,” and “Service Premises.” In the text, the authors highlight the vital link between Soviet clubs and ideology, prompting readers to consider the portrayal of Communist principles in design. Interestingly, Baklin and Kuvakin cite the Kauchuk Factory Club and the Palace of Culture of the Dulevo Porcelain Factory in Moscow as examples of “inappropriate club theater design.” Both projects, initially considered masterpieces of Soviet constructivist architecture, were crafted by Konstantin Melnikov (1890-1974) in the late-1920s. In a few years, his distinctive creative approach encountered severe criticism in the USSR for “formalism,” resulting
in the architect’s effective expulsion from the profession. Another intriguing aspect of the book lies in its extensive critique of Soviet architecture, juxtaposed with enthusiastic acclaim for the construction designs in European theaters. The authors praise the design of the Schiller Theater, Stuttgart and the Münich Theaters and conclude their narrative with the chapter “Several Examples of European Theaters.”
The book includes numerous black-and-white illustrations and schemes showcasing the appropriate architectural principles of workers’ clubs. Workers’ clubs, praised by Trotsky as the ‘forge of proletarian class culture,’ emerged in the early Soviet Union and served as multifunctional tools for education and entertainment. Clubs peaked in popularity during the mid-1920s, reaching the most distant cities across the USSR. Yet, with the onset of the early 1930s, a decline in appeal led to their transformation into propaganda platforms.

Worldcat shows 1 copy of the edition at Harvard University.

Status: On Hold