Georgii Krutikov epitomises the utopian visions and aspirations of the Russian Avant-garde. In 1927, while still an architectural student at the Moscow Vkhutemas, he presented his vision for a flying city. It was a scheme that was intended to solve the problem of over-crowding and despoiling of the Earth s surface and resources, by placing humanity s living quarters in space. Inspired by dreams of space travel, notions of building a new world, and a revolutionary idealism which seemed to make all things possible, Krutikov developed his ideas in great detail, producing a substantial amount of data, along with numerous sketches, drawings, and plans. For decades, architectural historians of Russian modernism have cited this project, but apart from a few drawings, little has actually been known or written about the design, its author or his career as an architect. This book by the eminent scholar Selim Omarovich Khan-Magomedov remedies this deficiency. It is the very first detailed study of Krutikov s sensational scheme, providing a wealth of visual and documentary material, allowing the reader to gain insights into this remarkable project and the thinking behind it. Khan-Magomedov also discusses Krutikov s later career as a member of Nikolai Ladovsky s rationalist group of architects, ARU (The Association of Urban Architects), the contribution that he made to this architectural approach, as well as his work on urban planning and designs for the Moscow Metro."

It was prominent architect and publicist Felix Novikov (b. 1927) who first coined the term Soviet modernism, which refers to the third, concluding period (1955-85) of Soviet architecture. The value of Novikov’s creative path lies in the fact that it spans the years both before and after Soviet moder­nism. Today, the architect continues to be a prolific writer, critic, and initiator of many inspired ideas that materialize into publications, exhibitions, and conferences. He is the key surviving source for the fullest and most accurate understanding of Soviet architecture after World War II. His principal built works are the Palace of Pioneers in Moscow (1962) and the Science Center of Microelectronics (1969) and Moscow Institute of Electronics (1971) in Zelenograd. His numerous books include Formula of Architecture (1984) and Architects and Architecture (2002).

Offers a comprehensive survey of Soviet interior design from constructivism and the revolutionary avant-garde to late modernism. The book demonstrate that, while often discredited as monotonous, the work of designers, architects, and manufacturers behind the Iron Curtain, in fact, comprises a remarkable variety of original styles

An essential exploration of how Russian ideas about the United States shaped architecture and urban design from the czarist era to the fall of the U.S.S.R. Idealized representations of America, as both an aspiration and a menace, played an important role in shaping Russian architecture and urban design from the American Revolution until the fall of the Soviet Union. Jean-Louis Cohen traces the powerful concept of “Amerikanizm” and its impact on Russia’s built environment from early czarist interest in Revolutionary America, through the spectacular World’s Fairs of the 19th century, to department stores, skyscrapers, and factories built in Russia using American methods during the 20th century. Visions of America also captivated the Russian avant-garde, from El Lissitzky to Moisei Ginzburg, and Cohen explores the ongoing artistic dialogue maintained between the two countries at the mid-century and in the late Soviet era, following a period of strategic competition. This first major study of Amerikanizm in the architecture of Russia makes a timely contribution to our understanding of modern architecture and its broader geopolitics.

"This text charts the trajectory of Russian avant-garde architecture during the brief but intense period of design and construction which took place between 1922 and 1935"--OCLC