Development of the self-identifying vector in Russian architecture from the 2010s to the mid-2020s: Trends and prerequisites

Abstract

This article identifies the ‘external’ prerequisites and ‘internal’ trends in the development of contemporary Russian architecture. It shows that the development of a self-identifying, or original, trend is driven by public demand, state endorsement, and the availability of economic resources. Russian scholars have advanced several propositions that could serve as a basis for developing a self-identifying principle in architecture. The article analyzes crises in the geopolitical, sociocultural, and economic spheres, including military–strategic, demographic, and settlement–related macro-threats and risks that require an adequate response from Russian architecture. It identifies and describes three phenomena that have developed within the self-identifying trend in Russian architecture: the protection and restoration of monuments, the revival of small settlements, and the development of national and regional traditions. Reindustrialization is presented as a mechanism for reviving urban and rural communities. This involves abandoning the concentration of demographic resources in the largest cities and reviving the settlement network, restoring and constructing residential buildings and infrastructure, and simultaneously developing local industries — from timber industry to agricultural and flax production — to avoid single-industry economy. The author concludes that the development of small and medium-sized towns, rural areas, and national and regional architectural traditions requires additional support. The author describes several pilot projects — including those related to reindustrialization — near the district centers Gryazovets and Torzhok in the Vologda and Tver regions. These projects could contribute to the revival of small settlements and the development of national and regional architectural traditions in Russia.