Alexander Kuzmin, the chief architect of Moscow, who voluntarily left this position on July 12, 2012, gave “the first interview after his resignation to Moskovskiye Novosti” - a big, smart and exciting one. Now the time of the leadership of Yuri Luzhkov and the work of Alexander Kuzmin as the chief architect can already be regarded as history, which makes the conversation about him more frank and meaningful. The most painful moment of the story is about an investor who was kneeling in front of the chief architect, and two days later he was killed.
Kuzmin considers the main problem of Moscow to be uncontrolled housing construction: no more than two or three million square meters of housing per year should be built, and not 5 million square meters: “This was written in the general plan of 1998, for which I got it in the neck. A million for low-income Muscovites, and two for everyone else. If we could withstand these norms, today we would live in another city. But the builders pressed. This is not a mistake, but pressure."
Alexander Kuzmin proudly says that in Moscow it was possible to ban construction near the Moscow Ring Road (and the Moscow Region authorities, on the contrary, built everything up), Alexander considers Luzhkov's time "not the worst for Moscow architecture" (a Public Urban Planning Council was created, the general plan was developed with the direct participation of Muscovites; roads in Moscow also began to be built only under Luzhkov). The Moscow transport collapse, according to Kuzmin, goes back to the 1970s, since no roads were built in the city for almost 30 years. We also talked about Moscow corruption ("First of all, they try to buy you on the vine. As a rule, through acquaintances. Believe it or not, but this is not about me"), as well as about foreign architects, about the division of the post of chief architect and chairman of the Moscow Committee for Architecture and Construction (“I have always been against it. And by the way, this is another reason why I left "). The interview is illustrated with graphic works by Alexander Kuzmin.
This week, Moscow authorities approved the credentials of the current chief architect of Moscow, Sergei Kuznetsov. The chief architect will remain in charge of overseeing the creation of architectural objects and urban planning solutions in Moscow, supervising the General Plan, participating in the consideration of projects for urban planning plans for land plots, color solutions of building facades, participating in competitions, developing projects for the reconstruction of the historic center, RIA Novosti reports.
And according to Interfax, the chief architect of Moscow, Sergei Kuznetsov, will also head the newly created architectural council. Sergei Sobyanin signed a decree on this on January 23. The same topic is covered by Kommersant. The Architectural Council, a body charged with evaluating major construction projects, has been virtually inactive in recent years. The new council, which will include major Russian and foreign architects, will receive broader powers in order to preserve the architectural appearance of the city, primarily the historical one.
Tatyana Guk, appointed deputy chairman of the Moscow Committee for Architecture and Design in charge of the decoration and individual stylistic decisions in the city (she took over the powers of the chief artist of Moscow, Igor Voznesensky), gave an interview to a RIA Novosti correspondent last week, in which she spoke about the department's immediate plans.
Continuing the theme of the contests that has been topical recently, DomChel.ru informs about the results of the next one held in Chelyabinsk. According to the results of the competition for the project of the sculptural ensemble and at the same time the leisure center "Ural-Siberia", designed to become a symbol of the border between the two geographical regions, the project of SUSU students Pavel Kultyshev and Stepan Kharitonov was named the winner.
RIA Novosti reports on the progress of the competition for the development of new schemes for the Moscow metro, organized by the City Projects Foundation. Let us remind you that three participants reached the final - Artemy Lebedev's studio, designer Ilya Birman and the RIA Novosti Design Center. Their projects will be presented for public viewing at the Kitay-Gorod, Tsvetnoy Bulvar and Krasnopresnenskaya stations.
Vedomosti is watching the development
the concept of the Moscow master plan, which the Moscow authorities promise to complete by the end of this year. The development of the new document will be carried out by the recently established Research and Development Institute of the Gradplan of Moscow. Vedomosti also reported details of the implementation of the program for the construction of 200 churches in Moscow. According to State Duma deputy Vladimir Resin, it will take 10 to 20 years. 20 plots for the construction of churches have already been found in the Moscow promotional zones - RIA Novosti clarifies.
IA REGNUM has been following the activists of public and political organizations of St. Petersburg all week defending the historic building of the Varshavsky railway station "Pakhauz No. 2", which, in their opinion, is preparing for demolition after the "Warehouse No. 1" destroyed on January 11. For several days they have been on duty around the clock inside the Warehouse, a brick building of the early 20th century. On January 23, representatives of a private security company made an attempt to storm the building, albeit unsuccessfully.
RIA Novosti quotes the deputy chairman of VOOPiK Alexander Kononov, who calls the demolition plans just rumors: "By the end of February, VOOPiK experts will determine the historical significance of the Varshavsky railway station complex and dispel rumors about the demolition of the warehouse." IA REGNUM in the material of January 24 also quotes Kononov: "The monuments of cultural heritage identified to date will not lose their protected status." According to the statements of the department employees, only those objects that will be outside the protection zone will be demolished. However, the defenders of Varshavsky do not believe the promises and by seizing the building they hope to save the building from dismantling.
And in Moscow on Thursday, an exhibition of the Old Object - New Quality competition opened in the Winzavod fermentation shop, in which young designers and architects were looking for a new appointment for the abandoned industrial buildings of the capital - as an alternative to demolition.
