URGACH Rector Alexander Dolgov: "If unconscious construction prevails, it's a nightmare"

One of the speakers of this year's 100+ Forum Russia is Alexander Dolgov, Rector of the Ural State University of Architecture. In an interview, he explained what the term "conscious construction" means to him (the central theme of the upcoming event), how the situation in Yekaterinburg is in this regard, whether the city needs to rely on external investments to develop, and how to deal with renovation.

– How do you interpret the term "conscious construction"?

– I will not hide that the topic of the conscious construction forum seems provocative to me. The question immediately arises: is there an unconscious construction? Loneliness cannot be avoided here, but there are serious aspects of the proposed topic that you rarely think about in the hustle and bustle of life.

Obviously, different points of view will be expressed during the forum, including those that do not lie on the surface, forcing us to delve into the reasoning in search of the essence of things. I've always been interested in the root "construction" in the word "construction". And that's the way it is. According to Vitruvius, who is almost two thousand years old, architecture, first of all, consists of a structure. But we still don't know what is meant by structure in architecture, although, by analogy with music, we can guess that it must be about something most important in creating a perfect and harmonious form of buildings. Therefore, I believe that building construction activities that do not pursue such lofty goals may well be called unconscious construction or under-realized.   

There is another meaning in the word system: the connection of some three principles into a single whole, like brick to brick. Interconnected by mortar, they form a structured primary element of the wall, the main building structure.

Conscious construction is able to create images of buildings, including those glorified over the centuries, captured in architectural masterpieces, in beautiful cities, villages and landscaped parks. Unconscious construction is either unimaginative or simply ugly. When there's not much of it, you can put up with it as an annoying mistake and an exception to the rule. But if it prevails or even fills everything around, then it's a nightmare and trash.

Technological progress has long ignored the aesthetic properties of construction projects, singling out only those related to consumer needs. In practice, the need to comply with technical requirements prevails, and the laws of harmony and beauty that rise above them remain inaccessible to verbal forms and are intuitively found in buildings, like a shadow of beauty.

Conscious means experienced and accepted, but not always expressed and defined, which has become an integral part of the architectural and construction culture of society, both material and spiritual.

That is why I am in favor of conscious construction in all its forms, capturing the achievements of the times and their features with absolute authenticity and historical truth.

- In your opinion, is Yekaterinburg more an object of conscious construction or not? Why?

- As you see. I remember myself in my school years and I can admit that I was not aware of architecture, living in an environment given to me by fate without any aesthetic and everyday claims to it.

Habitual indifference disrupted the multi-stage architectural education. With it came discrimination, preferences, and rejections. The latter disappeared or weakened as they became more familiar with the objects and aroused professional interest, leading to an awareness of their value and originality. The city and its buildings became more and more dear to me as I became more aware of them.

For these reasons, there are a lot of conscious objects in Yekaterinburg for me. Some of them, for example, the Sevastyanov House and the Verkh–Isetsky Plant hospital, I passed through my hands, head and heart. They have become very dear to me, understandable and conscious.

Love and explore Yekaterinburg! There are a lot of conscious objects in it. That's enough for everyone who is aware.

- In your opinion, what does Yekaterinburg lack to reach the level of world centers?

- I don't quite understand the question in this way. Probably, there are not enough historical, socio-economic, natural, climatic, and so on prerequisites for this. Is it really so important for Yekaterinburg to reach the level of world centers? Which ones and in what way?

Yekaterinburg is much closer to me, which is dynamically developing its existing potential without relying on external investments. They will inevitably deform the existing delicate balance of Yekaterinburg with its unique environment, and will change the character of the city, I'm afraid, not for the better.

Let our city develop as defined in its strategic plan, where there is nothing about the level of world centers.

- Tell us more about the UrGAHU session on the forum.

- The relevance of the section at the forum is related to the dangerous physical degradation of a significant number of residential areas in the center of Yekaterinburg, in which, as the song says: "We love everything and dearly, and our hearts are light!" The time has come to solve the problem of their preservation for posterity and now living as an identity of the most important time in the history of the city, but how It is not very clear yet how to approach the resolution of a whole tangle of problems.

One of the objects of discussion in the section will be the Town of Security Officers. Two years ago, the idea arose to complete a master's thesis on its reconstruction, which Vladimir Yeremeyev, a graduate student at the Moscow Institute of Architecture, completed in July this year and received the MARCHI Gold Medal for it.

The next step for him will be to study full-time at the Moscow Art Institute and work on a dissertation study on similar problems in other cities of the Urals.: Nizhny Tagil, Magnitogorsk, Orsk, Serov, Kamensk-Uralsky, Chelyabinsk, etc.

The fact is that in the 30s and 40s, for well-known historical reasons, huge funds from the Soviet state and international banks were directed to the construction of industrial facilities in the region, Sverdlovsk as the capital of the giant Ural region.

A lot of housing was built under them, social towns and work settlements appeared, residential complexes in which architectural and construction innovations of that time appeared, ahead of the experience of central Russia and metropolitan cities.

Thanks to these processes, in which the masters of Soviet architecture participated, Sverdlovsk acquired a metropolitan scale and a unique architectural appearance combining antiquity and the avant-garde. This is the core of the uniqueness of modern Yekaterinburg, and there is a lot of work to be done to preserve the residential buildings of the 30s and 40s, which can only be done together with the authorities, society and professionals in various fields.