[Nikas]

Сообщение от Tjutchev

on the ruins of the Third Rome

Konstantin Mikhailov

For a complete description of Moscow 1917-2008 years of losses needed, unfortunately, many volumes. No European capital in the twentieth century, so did not suffer. The Kremlin, which only seems to us beyond the control of storm-time sanctuary of antiquity, destroyed, for example, 17 churches of 31. Half of the cultural and historical heritage of Moscow, which existed in 1917, was destroyed as early as 1941. Then - as in a Russian proverb: it ctolko, took away half as much from him even half as much, yet half as much, yet half so much ... How many are left?

In the author's archive contains information about more than 2000 dead of old buildings in Moscow, but this list, alas, is far from exhaustive. In our town, where a historic building and overgrowth XVIII-XX centuries still found the remains of medieval buildings, each house is worthy of thorough and painstaking study. And the old Moscow in the twentieth century broke the entire neighborhoods, trying to clear the construction site for another masterpiece of the new architecture bound by the due date or the nearest holiday. Many ancient monuments have died so not only unexplored, but simply unknown.

Читать дальше... 

And this, unfortunately, does not matter long ago. And in our time regional specialists and enthusiasts are forced to describe and photograph destructible monuments race with construction excavators. So it was, for example, chambers of XVII century in WRI lane, dead for exactly three years ago, in February of 2006.

... One day (as always, sorry, "only to live in this beautiful season will not have me or you") in power in Moscow will be people who understand that the historic city with a millennial history deserves a much better fate than to stay an arena of infinite extract super profits from the lucrative areas in its center. One day in Moscow will understand that the preservation of its original historical monuments - this is the public interest, be compared to the private interests of specific investors, developers and government officials. And the second will be easy to sacrifice in the name of the first, and not vice versa. And the center of Moscow declared the cultural and historical reserve, and each house would hang plaques describing the historical, cultural and memorial values. And any investor coming to the city authorities with a proposal to demolish any historic building, will be the threshold point to the door. And maybe even send in the 101-km mark. I wonder just how many monuments of Moscow is destined to lose even while in the minds of city administrator and city dwellers do not come from the euphoria sobering transformation ...

about the benefits of scrutiny OLD PHOTOS

Moscow is no worse than a glass, suitable to illustrate the well-known paradox of the pessimists and optimists. The city is half empty or half full? The issue is not an easy one.

Kremlin. St. Basil's Cathedral. Novodevichy Convent. Church of the Ascension in Kolomna. Church of the Intercession at Fili. Menshikov Tower. Pashkov House. Donskoy Monastery. Church of the Resurrection in Kadashi. All intact. Worth. And be happy, I hope, our grandchildren. I list the fact that he dearly. Each must have at heart your rating of the Moscow masterpieces.
Sukharev Tower. Red Gate. Simonov Monastery. Church of St. Nicholas the Great Cross. Chudov Ascension Monastery in the Kremlin. Ibid - Cathedral of the Savior on Bor. The walls and towers of China-town. Church of the Assumption on Pokrovka. Temple Ioasafa Tsarevich in Izmailovo. Church of St. Nicholas in a pillar of ... Total killed in Moscow - sorry. But this - sorry immensely. It is a masterpiece (again, in my personal opinion) the first row. They were covered with any of the European capitals, would it be lucky to European capitals.

Look at their old pictures. Enjoy exquisite lines, subtle silhouette, harmony of proportions. Even looking at the pictures, you can feel, feel - let the elusive moment, and probably a tiny fraction - the impression of grandeur and charm that gave the inhabitants of the surrounding spaces of these famous buildings in Moscow. Praise does not come from nowhere, legends are not born on orders from above.

Looking at these old photos, I once knew that you can not believe commonplace phrases from books: the backwardness of Russian culture, that Russia in its history, just been busy and so that someone else caught up, someone has studied , someone has something took over. The fact that the only ray of light in a dark, uncivilized, stagnant and superstitious country have been gleaned in western magazines progressive ideas and ideals ... All this thinking stuff, which to this day with a significant view speaketh other historians and writers, does not stand comparison with a single photograph of the church of St. Nicholas the Great Cross or the Sukharev Tower. In a dark and superstitious country that never discover.

And all this had developed over centuries, to increase and cherished the beauty and glory in Moscow destroyed, and - this is hard to believe - for some ten years, from 1927 to 1936. Only ten thousand years of history of Moscow, and the city has changed in the face.
Have passed since then have seventy-odd years, and the city changed in the face again and again. Nowadays, it tightens the new carnival masks - with pseudo-theatrical scenery concrete walls under uzorochnymi frames. Thank God, the masterpiece has not yet touched. In Stalin's Moscow they too are not spared - for the time being ...

about the benefits READING Journal articles

I allow myself one more lyrically autobiographical digression. I'll tell you how I first questioned the Soviet regime. The case was still in school, twenty-six or twenty-seven years ago. I have read ... no, no samizdat about Stalin's camps. In a magazine I read an article about the demolished architectural masterpieces of Moscow. With pictures. The article was by today's completely harmless, with no conclusions, no generalizations, without documentary revelations. But until now, surprisingly, as it was then censor. Because without generalizations and revelations impression was terrible. How? That is - to destroy the Soviet regime and Soviet citizens? Do not barbarians, not by foreign invaders, not diversions, not a disaster? Destroyed not by accident, not by inadvertence, not at gunpoint at his temple, and quite consciously, deliberately, and even joyfully and with enthusiasm? Destroyed by the very people whose exploits and achievements we are taught in school to be proud of, whose heirs and successors, we are accustomed to consider himself?

Habit Soviet world collapsed almost overnight. That's when the first stirred in me a worm of doubt. That's when it all began: the bitterness, pain and a burning desire to find out about the masterpieces of the victims as much as possible, and to revive them at least in his own mind, and tell others about it, and pay tribute to the memory of themselves and their creators ... The most desire, which is not dead in me until now and actually has your humble servant to write books in the series "Moscow, we have lost."

Still, even after so many years, and after reading hundreds of books, articles and archival documents about the history of destruction of monuments of national culture in the twentieth century - a lot to explain, for much of the opening eyes - with loss of masterpieces can not be reconciled. And it is impossible to explain them by any logical, rational reasons.

about the benefits COMPARISON OF REASONS AND EFFECTS

Among the adherents of old Moscow is still alive the legend, in recent years and told the press. Its meaning is that supposedly in the early 1930's leading restorers and scientists were summoned to the Moscow City Council and asked to compile a list of the best, most valuable architectural monuments of Moscow. On the question - why? - Explained: in order not to affect to necessarily save them for starting the reconstruction of the city. Conservators and scientists have made such a list and handed them over to the Moscow City Council, happy preventive care authorities on the historical heritage. And when the reconstruction of Moscow gained speed, scientists and restorers with horror to realize that the best architectural monuments of the city destroyed one after the other - carefully compiled on their list ...

This is true or not, probably no longer be had learned. But for us it is in this case is not important. Legend is often truer than reality. Because it is better conveys the meaning of events, cutting off the unnecessary details and details. A sense that the great architectural and historical monuments of Moscow, the symbols of the ancient city, were, with few exceptions, destroyed in 1927-1936, respectively.

The history of the struggle those days the few defenders of the old Moscow against the destruction of its masterpieces, let me mention a few monotonous. Are changing the dates and names, but the development of the plot, not to mention the finale, in general, the same thing.
Object (Sukharev tower Kitaygorodskaya wall, Simonov monastery, then on the list, underline) is listed in all imaginable and unimaginable lists of sites approved by state authorities. His knowledge, learn, arrange excursions to him. He was being restored, muzeefitsiruyut, draw prospects. Authoritative luminaries of art restoration and publish it on the articles and books, not forgetting to praise the Soviet regime, under which first became possible and the public demanded the restoration, research facility or opening a museum. A distinguished historian of Moscow Peter Sytin wrote in 1926: "Sukharev tower over two hundred years languishing. Today, the Soviet government returned it to life in the fullest sense of the word, not only refreshing overhaul its decrepit members, but vdunuv in her living soul ". Before demolition Sukharev Soviet power remained for eight years ...

So, for the time being nothing portends storm. And then in the evening paper or in speeches of some minor economic planner for the first time is: be ruined. Demolished to improve the traffic, or to improve the urban form, or make room for the construction of something much needed proletarian capital.

Maestros smile. Wow, what have we found illiterate and short-sighted business leaders. They do not understand that urban problems can always be solved without destroying the monuments of antiquity. Maestros condescending remarks published in newspapers (as long as they are allowed). Grabar wrote about the project demolition Sukharev Tower: "We tend to his hobby right at the heart of the idea a few too far ... in those days swam alone, especially objectionable by their obvious absurdity: draft demolition Sukharev. Do not worry, dear reader, no more nor less than the Sukharev Tower! It is not a joke, but seriously. You admit that one day heads to destroy the painting of Raphael, the manuscript of Beethoven or Goethe? "

It fades for a time, sometimes for several years - and suddenly! - Leading figures on the table, sitting in the committees of scientists, lay the paper with the coat of arms. By decision of the Moscow City Council! Wash away! In order to streamline the traffic!
This is serious. Scientists, experts and restorers into the battle. Write complaints to the Central Executive Committee of the republic. Write letters to Stalin. They fetch tens of historical, cultural and artistic arguments. Reference is made to Lenin, who had ordered once broken window glass in the church in the Kremlin. Persuade the authorities that all their problems can be solved much cheaper and easier, and do not want anything to break. Developing projects of the organization of traffic, the expansion of streets, underground tunnels, at worst - a masterpiece of advancing on the neighboring empty lot ... And suddenly luminaries understand that talking to emptiness. Emptiness does not understand what they were talking with her. They cry about the artistic value, the emptiness - the expansion of driveways or building materials it needs. They beg to spare the ancient temple - they say: it must be demolished to put in its place stand Mosgorspravki. They are asked to save another temple - they are responsible: it is impossible, because of his business man loses precious seconds, because it leaves the pavement on the roadway.
Finally, Comrade Stalin - the ultimate truth and the last hope of giants - meet them that the Soviet people will be able to build a more magnificent structure than the Sukharev Tower.

Dialogue with the emptiness ends. Masterpiece explode or dismantle. After some time it turns out (and even recognized by the authorities themselves or their newspapers) that the victim was in vain. Traffic has not improved, cleared land in the city center is empty and then tens of years, kiosk Mosgorspravki appears in another place. And then emptiness recognized errors. She says: we gone wrong. Of course, you can not just demolish the Red Gate and think that everything in the area to normal. No: we must tear down another nearby church of the Three Saints and the house where he was born Lermontov - that's when everything will be fine.
History repeats itself.

Repeated and its laws. Emptiness does not accept and discusses the rational counter-arguments and alternative ways of solving the problems posed by it. Emptiness is committed to purposes of destruction does not hook or by crook. Upon reaching her, she calms down and looks for new victims. The stated goal initially and cause drift masterpieces void immediately forgotten or replaced. At the site of the monastery, Hot and nothing appears on the Palace of literature. Lots of churches of St. Nicholas and the Grand Cross of the Assumption on Pokrovka empty to this day. Masterpieces replaced vacant lots. Actions voids at first glance inexplicable, insane.
But perhaps, emptiness is not empty, as it seems? She's not crazy - just about the true purpose of their preferred not to talk about?

on the benefits of confrontation progress of society

In conclusion - another lyrical digression. It is necessary to explain why our service - protection of monuments - and dangerous, and difficult. And why is it such a problem, not only in Russia. Because the protection of monuments is a conscious opposition to social progress. If you understand that progress as a constant and justifiable desire of mankind to develop, update and improve all areas of human existence. Including the environment in which mankind lives. All around us - not a conscious enemy of historical heritage. Do not blame people for wanting to live in a spacious new apartments, work in a new convenient offices, driving around in new cars by a wide new roads and parking them in a spacious parking lot in the heart of the beloved city. Condemn citizens for these desires, as well as a desire to build new buildings and thus earn money - it is rather pointless, then, they are people.

It is only necessary to understand that in these circumstances the physical preservation intact of any kind were buildings, neighborhoods, city views, elements of layout and other things that we call the architectural heritage, is possible only through violence. Opposition to progress otherwise not happen. Law on the Protection of Monuments used in practice, real control over its performance - it is abuse of officials, investors, tenants, private owners, architects, etc. It limits their proprietary, economic, business, creative will. This, however, refers to any law that is always somebody in something limits.

So it is futile to blame the people who this will demonstrate. But then there are the state power to stop this will legitimate violence - if the business or creative impulses threaten cultural and historical values. But when the government fails to comply with this its high purpose when the city turns into a historical constructor, which can be mutually beneficial to replace the old buildings Novodel concrete copies, and the leader of the government declares a program article that "in the Moscow culture a copy sometimes is not less meaning than the original. Because semantic, historical and cultural "load", which carries a copy of this can often be richer and deeper than the original architectural solutions "... I think Talleyrand attribute magic phrase -" it's more than a crime - it's a mistake. "

The originals, the originals - and this is the ancient monuments - are valuable not only the architectural qualities or memorial memories. The originals are evidence of the historical existence and development of the nation. Link of Times, the continuity of generations, an obligation to preserve and pass on the relay and historical heritage and other lofty words cease to be abstractions and empty slogans, if we can touch the wall of the temple or at home, confident that this could touch the wall of our great-grandfathers. And the same uzorochny casing gladdened their eyes their elastic forms. And if by this we find the casing in situ concrete - all the high words become meaningless, in the deception, in nihilism, which denies all the original values.
And if there is no immortality of the soul, embodied in including in the historical monuments - everything is permitted.

Уничтожение архитектурных и исторических подлинников прошлого - в Москве и по всей России – примерно та же операция, которая осуществляется ныне в отечественной историографии с помощью т.н. «школы Фоменко». Ярослав Мудрый равен Батыю, Новгород – Ярославлю, московский царь – египетскому фараону. Монолитный бетон уравнивает палаты XVII века с офисом конца века ХХ-го, мемориальный дом драматурга Сухово-Кобылина с его вновь выстроенной копией, новодельный храм Христа Спасителя с настоящим. Подлинной истории не было. Подлинная история не нужна. История пишется, делается и строится заново. На наших глазах. С чистого листа. Важен и действителен только сегодняшний день, прожитый под мудрым и эффективным руководством сегодняшней власти.

Вот почему так упоительна в России охрана памятников старины. Вот почему в ней нельзя не участвовать, несмотря на численное и административное преимущество оппонентов. Здесь, может быть, тот же принцип, что был когда-то в олимпийском движении: главное – участие. Главное, на чьей ты был стороне.
С ломом – или против лома.

Фотографии предоставлены архивом Центра историко-градостроительных исследований

Сообщение от Тютчев

О ПОЛЬЗЕ СРАВНЕНИЯ ПРИЧИН И СЛЕДСТВИЙ

Среди ревнителей московской старины до сих пор жива легенда, в последние годы рассказанная и на страницах печати. Смысл ее в том, что якобы в начале 1930-х годов ведущих реставраторов и ученых вызвали в Моссовет и попросили составить список лучших, самых ценных архитектурных памятников Москвы. На вопрос - зачем? - объясняли: чтобы не затронуть, чтобы обязательно сохранить их при начинающейся реконструкции города. Реставраторы и ученые составили такие списки и передали их в Моссовет, обрадованные превентивной заботой властей об историческом наследии. А когда реконструкция Москвы набрала ход, ученые и реставраторы с ужасом осознали, что лучшие архитектурные памятники города уничтожают один за другим – аккуратно по составленному ими списку…

Комиссии начали создаваться уже 1919-1920 г, и цели наверное были благородные, чтобы сохранить, когда не было возможности сфотогафировать здания и даже отдельные их фрагменты зарисовывались и составлялись специальные метрики