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In the 1950s, with the advent of Khrushchev, the principal focus of
architects became the designing of mass-produced apartments. This
Soviet-modern style introduced a dull standardization of apart-ment
construction with identical large-panel 5-storey apartment complexes
popping up in many cities of the country. At the same time, the
rapid construction of prefabricated buildings enabled millions of
Soviet families to move from hostels and communal flats into tiny
but separate apartments.
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The
“stagnation” period in architecture continued during Brezhnev’s
rule, notable for the project of Kalinin Avenue in Moscow with its
repetitive many-story box-like structures that were hailed as a
model of city planning.
In the
post-Soviet era Moscow remains the main testing ground for new
architectural concepts. New buildings with irregular silhouettes,
huge glassed facades and intricate towers are being built. Many of
the new buildings are of a characteristic “pencil-shape” style: tall
towers topped by a spire resembling sharpened pencils. The present
day architectural style is sometimes referred to as “new Russian,”
as most of these new office and apartment blocs are first and
foremost meant for the “new Russians” and are designed to meet the
requirements and wishes of Russia’s business class. They are often
an eclectic mix of latest Western architectural trends with a hint
of ancient Russian traditions.
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