"It is important that not only architects, art historians and historians take care of the preservation of architectural objects"

Jean-Louis Cohen, professor at the Institute of Fine Arts at New York University, French architectural historian and art critic, one of the first Western researchers of the Russian avant-garde at 100+ ForumRussia shared his experience in restoring modern industrial facilities and social reform in Western Europe.

It is about the experience of Europe and not only Europe in the reconstruction and preservation of significant architectural sites - in our interview.

- Mr. Cohen, you have already managed to walk around Yekaterinburg. What are your impressions?

"Can I be honest?" It seems to me that compared to Moscow, where the architecture is quite interesting, Yekaterinburg has little original. Maybe Malevich residential complex. From the point of view of architecture and idea, this complex is cleaner than other buildings. In general, the architecture of Yekaterinburg shows features of postmodernism, sometimes nostalgia or not very interesting imitations of styles that exist in the world.

- Which of the objects of constructivism made the strongest impression on you? How do you assess their condition?

 - The state of constructivist objects in Russia is generally not very good. But this is not catastrophic, Russia is 30 years behind Europe, but there is movement and it is in the right direction. If we talk specifically about Yekaterinburg, then the problem here is to preserve the interiors: the Main Post Office building is in order from the outside, but inside… Unfortunately, the interiors are changed very often. And it started back in Soviet times.

In Yekaterinburg, I really liked the house-commune of Moses Ginzburg on Malyshev Street. I think it's a very interesting building.

- In Europe, historical buildings are now premium class objects, including for housing or business. It is prestigious to live and work in them. How is this achieved?

 - Yes, that's right. Our old and renovated buildings are prestigious because they have historical significance and are the pride of their cities. Sometimes these buildings are protected by the state or municipalities. And even private developers understand that they need to invest in the restoration of these buildings in order to preserve the cultural heritage. It's important to them. In Berlin, for example, residential ensembles of the 20s of the last century were restored. But this is not the case everywhere. Let's be honest: very often architects, developers and authorities prefer to invest in the preservation and reconstruction of medieval churches, rather than in the houses of the French bourgeoisie of the early 20th century. Although these houses are quite interesting. There's always a debate about what's more valuable.

- And so far the temples are winning?

 - Not always. Not always.

- Are there any positive examples?

- There is. And not only in Europe. I often visit Africa - Algeria and Morocco. It can be assumed that they treat the buildings of the beginning of the last century as colonial architecture, which needs to be eliminated. But no! On the contrary! They believe that the buildings of the 20s, 30s, and even 50s have important historical significance. And now I'm working on a plan to preserve these buildings in Casablanca.

- Who is taking the initiative in this case?

 - Interestingly, the initiative initially came from the public: residents created associations, connected the press, and first the mayor's office and then the state were forced to respond. Now they have a fairly clear policy for the preservation of buildings. They want to create an application for inclusion in the UNESCO World Heritage Lists, since the UNESCO list is already another level of monument protection. Many people want to be protected by UNESCO, but it is very difficult.

- What needs to be done to ensure that a building or an entire architectural complex is protected by UNESCO?

 - This is a very large and complex work in various instances, including at the level of UNESCO itself. But this process must begin within Russian society and be supported by the authorities. One application is accepted every year. And it is very difficult to choose an object for the application.

 - How important is public opinion in this matter?

 - It is very important that not only architects, art historians, and specialists defend the protection and preservation of architectural objects. Public opinion is of great importance to UNESCO.

 - Unfortunately, in modern Russia it is very common now not to reconstruct, but to imitate historical buildings, how do you feel about this?

 - This is a big problem, there is no sense of authenticity of the materials.  During the reconstruction of the Nikolaev commune house in Moscow (a famous monument of constructivist architecture by architect Ivan Nikolaev – editor's note), only the metal frame was preserved, everything else was done again. But I believe that the building materials should be identical to those from which the building was originally created. Everything else is a replica, alas.

In Yekaterinburg, for example, we see the fate of several cultural houses: during socialism, they were sometimes decorated, which means that these are no longer authentic buildings of the 20s. But still, they tell the story of Soviet culture, and I think it's interesting.

- You work a lot and often in Russia. Do you notice any changes in the attitude towards monuments of constructivism and architecture in general?

 - I am glad that recently the thinking and public opinion in relation to historical monuments in Russia has noticeably changed. The public stands up for them and the authorities listen to the public. For example, in Moscow, a supervisory committee has been established for the reconstruction of the Melnikov house (the house-workshop of architect K.S. Melnikov – editor's note). This world-famous monument of the Soviet avant-garde is a unique building on the scale of Europe. The committee includes good specialists and professionals. There is publicity, a grant has been allocated for reconstruction, in my opinion, everything will go well.