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[PALACE OF SOVIETS] Dvorets Sovetov. Biulleten’ upravleniia stroitel’stvom Dvortsa Sovetov pri Prezidiume TSIK SSSR [i.e. The Palace of Soviets. A Bulletin of the Palace of Soviets Construction Directorate under the Presidium of the Central Executive Committee of the USSR]

Item #2784

No. 2/3 for 1931. Moscow: Izdatel’stvo Mosoblispolkoma, 1931. 56 pp.: ill. 17,5x25 cm. In original constructivist wrappers. Spine, covers corners and edges of some pages restored, covers slightly soiled, lower corner of last leaf lost and restored, some small stains and tears. Otherwise good and mostly clean internally.

One of two issues produced. One of 6000 copies.

This issue contains 15 earliest, “formalist and inappropriate” projects of the Palace of Soviets by chosen architects and architectural groups. They were submitted for the preliminary round of competition. Many of these drawings haven’t been published anywhere. For instance, “Construction of Moscow” No.8 for 1931 published a critical article on these 15 projects, but it is mostly illustrated with photographs of models. Meanwhile, this particular issue collected a good number of technical drawings provided by architects. The publication was released to warn participants of the open competition against incorrect design solutions.

The issue was designed by outstanding constructivist designers, brothers Vladimir (1899 – 1982) and Georgii (1900 – 1933) Stenberg.

Only two issues of this bulletin were released: in September and October 1931. This year became essential. In late 1931, the Cathedral of Christ the Savior was dynamited and reduced to rubble to free the place for the construction and its dome of over 20 tons of gold of “excellent quality” was taken out for the needs of industrialization. This bulletin was published between the announcement of demolition and the action itself, and one project offered to preserve the gold dome in the new structure.

The preliminary competition was announced in April 1931. There were a few requirements for competition participants. As a result, all proposed projects didn’t live up to critics’ expectations. The analysis is full of words “excessive”, “unsuccessful”, “unsuitable”, “irrational and naive”, “alien to proletarian architecture”.

Among 15 projects are 5 designs submitted by contemporary architectural associations – ASNOVA, ARU, VOPRA, SASS (2) and 10 designs by individual architects: I. Bronshtein, B. Iofan, D. Iofan, P. Kutsaev with G. Krasin, N. Ladovsky, G. Ludvig, A. Nikolsky, P. Rosenblum, V. Fidman, and A. Shchusev. Of the Association of New Architects (ASNOVA), V. Balikhin, P. Budo, M. Prokhorova, R. Iodko, F. Sevortian, M. Turkus took part. The project of the Association of Urban Architects (ARU) was created by N. Beseda, G. Krutikov, V. Lavrov and V. Popov. The All-Union Association of Proletarian Architects (VOPRA) was represented by K. Alabyan, A. Karra, A. Mordvinov, P. Reviakin, V. Simbirtsev. The Sector of Architects for Socialist Construction (SASS) was represented by L. Pavlov and M. Kuznetsov.

The latter submitted two projects. The first one was supposed to replace the Cathedral of Christ the Savior. The second one should have been located on the Lenin Hills. Several participants took advantage of the right to locate the Palace on other sites. Rosenblum, D. Iofan, Nikolsky chose places between the Kremlin and Lubyanka, while Fidman and Shchusev proposed an arbitrary territory. Nikolai Ladovsky presented a project that required the demolition of only the cathedral. He was one of the few participants in the competition who considered regular marching as an uncharacteristic function for the Palace of Soviets. For this reason, his project doesn’t include areas or any special structures for rallies. In the project by Pyotr Kutsayev and German Krasin, the upper part of the building resembles the church dome of the Cathedral.

Boris Iofan was criticized for mixing styles and expansion of the territory. However, unlike many participants, he introduced a strong vertical accent into the composition – a tower – completing it with a sculpture of a worker with a torch-spotlight. Rosenblum’s work is the most fantastic. He equipped his Palace of the Soviets, located on a cramped site in Okhotny Ryad, with an airfield, lifting devices and many other technical benefits. Also, it is the only project illustrated with an avant-garde drawing (Image 7. Details). The project by Alexander Nikolsky looks more like a circus tent (he intended to use it to close the Great Hall). Vladimir Fidman projected a single common hall in the shape of a long stadium without any other premises indicated. The concept of a tiered tower was first outlined in Genrikh Ludvig’s project. Later the idea was embodied in the approved project. According to Shchusev's project, the Palace was a vast complex consisting of several freely placed buildings designed in a constructivist spirit.

The issue contains two essays for open competition participants: about acoustics of the Palace of Soviets and equipment of its halls, a table comparing Great Hall characteristics in these 15 projects. Some projects feature routes of regular celebratory rallies around the structure. At the end, a map of early Moscow Metro lines is reproduced with the names planned before the construction began.

Worldcat shows copies located at Columbia, Arizona Universities and Amherst College.

Price: $2,500.00