Bookvica

[POST CONSTRUCTIVIST SCHOOLS] Shkoly gotovy! Kak my borolis’ za vypolnenie postanovleniia SNK SSSR i CK VKP(b) o novom shkol’nom stroitel’stve [i.e. Schools Are Ready! How We Fought for the Implementation of the Resolution of the Council of People’s Commissars of the USSR and the Central Committee of the CPSU (b.) on the New School Construction]

Moscow: Sovet RK i KD Kirovskogo raiona, 1935. Item #501

In original cardboards with gilt lettering on the front cover. Very good.

First and only edition. One of 300 copies. Extremely rare.

This is a triumphal report of the ful lled plan of school construction in the transitional stage between avant-garde and Stalinist architecture.

In 1935 a new plan required the construction of 72 Moscow schools for several months. It was implemented thanks to the early socialist emulation which grew up in the Stalinist era. The ve schools were built in Kirov district (on Balchug island and the nearest area) and the creation of these buildings is presented in the book. Two of them are recognized as the evidence of post constructivism. The architects looked for the new images retaining the constructivist forms and combining it with the portals and columns. The rst school was designed by architect Leonid Grinshpun (1906-1981), contributed to the construction of Russian State Library and pavilions of VDNKh. The young architect created the experimental plan placing the main entrance on the corner of asymmetric building. In the middle of 1930s the plans lacking symmetry were almost disused in the urban construction and Grinshpun’s design was criticized. The book permits us to compare the drawing itself and the result of building. Another school is the only listed post constructivist memorial building in Moscow. Designed by Ivan Zvezdin (1899-1979), it was called Moscow Suburban Experimental School. The details of design were realized as the architect wanted, but in general his idea was never completely embodied. Zvezdin also planned the gym, stadium and workshops: the gym appeared in almost 20 years, but the innovative workshops didn’t.

The report looks really democratic, each school construction was analyzed by different people describing the progress at their site, who helped them and what prevented them from increasing the labor capacity. They paid attention to sabotages of the former kulaks and actions taken against them. Each construction story has a turning point when the disorganized teams rallied, overcame a material shortage and had met the deadline. There are numerous portrait photographs of contributors, the littered areas that were before the construction, the impressive facades and the interior of schools.

No copies located in the Worldcat.

Status: On Hold