Russian architecture: life after death

In the article the author, one of the most outstanding architects in the modern Russia, reflects on the fate and prospects of Russian urban development, and more widely - on the fate of Russian culture and the state. As a result of standardized designing Russian cities have lost their individuality and identity, and Russian citizens have lost the understanding of architecture as an art, at the same time, having lost the notion of small homeland, and the ability to love and be proud of their wonderful and unique cities. Standardized designing and art are incompatible and mutually exclusive things; this kind of designing is only destructive for the social sphere and culture of the people. A separate problem is deprivation under current conditions of an architect of the exclusive rights after the conclusion of contracts for the design. The article concluded, that unprecedented in the world practice subordination of architecture to building, harmful for the culture and the state, is very beneficial for the new ruling class - a large construction business, which has become the largest owner of the cities’ land in Russia.