Konstantin Bugrov: Scientific and Technical Buildings Reflected the Four Faces of Soviet Science

16:48, February 12, 2024

The historian of the university spoke about the architecture of Soviet modernism

During a press conference at the TASS Regional Information Center, Konstantin Bugrov, Professor of the Department of Russian History at the Ural Federal University and a member of the Institute of History and Archaeology of the Ural Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, discussed the unique features of the scientific and technological urban landscape that was created during the Soviet modernism era and its impact on the modern city's image. The historian notes that in the 1960s to 1980s, scientific and technological progress led to the construction of numerous urban buildings for research purposes. Although these structures are no longer relevant, they have significantly influenced the modern urban landscape.

"During the peak development of the Soviet Union and its planned economy in the 1980s, science and technology buildings dominated the landscape of regional centers. The most well-known example is the Novosibirsk Akademgorodok or the chain of science cities near Moscow. The Great Urals, the industrial edge of the country, also made significant contributions in this area. Today, historians, sociologists, and other scientists seek ways to understand this architectural heritage. They aim to process it scientifically and integrate this urban environment into our current practical understanding of the modern city," explains Konstantin Bugrov.

Scientific and technological progress in Soviet society led to new requirements for architectural solutions. One significant change was the emergence of large-sized computing facilities, and electronic computing machines (similar to ENIACs), which required specialized infrastructure and a significant amount of space. It also became clear that pre-revolutionary buildings were inadequate for modern scientific laboratories.

"A century ago, there were no buildings in the Great Urals that were specifically designed for science and technology. Instead, scientists worked in mansions, such as merchant houses, and there were only a few factory laboratories. However, with the introduction of the first computers, this became impractical. Specialized buildings were required to house these machines, as they could not be accommodated in former mansions. Specialized scientific and technical buildings reflecting the four main 'faces' of Soviet science - academic, branch, university, and factory science - have been appearing since the late 1950s," explains Konstantin Bugrov.

Soviet architects designed different types of buildings depending on their purpose. Data centers were equipped with specialized rooms for computers, while buildings intended for students were created with numerous classrooms and assembly halls.

"The buildings of research institutes grow upwards and very clearly resemble the then fashionable skyscrapers. These are not business centers, not company headquarters, but exactly research institutes. A striking example is the Sverdlovsk Research Institute of Chemical Engineering, located on the outskirts of Ekaterinburg. However, academic buildings are typically designed to be horizontal rather than vertical. The Mikheev Institute of Metal Physics (UB RAS) is one of the largest buildings in Ekaterinburg. University buildings are designed for students and are more spacious. They have rooms that can accommodate a large number of people, such as assembly halls," says Konstantin Bugrov.

Many architectural solutions from the Soviet modernism era are no longer relevant today due to modern scientific and technological progress. Miniaturization has become the norm, with small-sized chips and microchips being more computable than large-sized computers. As a result, the functionality of these buildings is less demanded than before.

"Today, it is history. The cohort of late socialist scientific buildings quickly became obsolete. Structures designed for computer-assisted computing centers are now a thing of the past, like old merchant mansions or medieval palaces and kremlins. Their old functional purpose will be gone," concludes Konstantin Bugrov.

Reference

Many researchers believe that Brutalism formed the basis of Soviet modernism. Both styles are characterized by the functionality of massive forms and structures, as well as an urban aesthetic. Compositional solutions likely reflected the advanced ideas and anti-bourgeois principles of Soviet life. Like Brutalism, the primary building material of Soviet modernism is reinforced concrete, and the approach to fulfilling architectural orders is complex.

Soviet modernism has a unique feature of using facing materials such as marble, sandstone, coquina, ceramics, and others. This architectural style is also characterized by its decorativeness, including mosaic panels, bas-reliefs, and other modernist elements of decoration of monumental art. Additionally, building surfaces are often extensively glazed, reminiscent of constructivism. The style was mainly developed during a certain stage.

In Ekaterinburg bright examples of the style are the Ekaterinburg Circus, the Youth Palace, the building of the Government of the Sverdlovsk region, and the building of the UrFU building on Sofya Kovalevskaya Street.

The news article was translated by UrFU International Marketing Office.
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