[A PERIODICAL ORGAN OF SOVIET CONSTRUCTIVIST ARCHITECTS] Sovremennaya arkhitektura [i.e. Contemporary Architecture]

Item #5058

Moscow: 1928-1930. #2 of 1928. 32 pp.: ill. 29.6x23 cm. In the original publisher’s constructivist wrappers. Rubbed spine. Otherwise near fine.
Scarce. 1 of 2,000 copies. With 1 photo-montage by the Soviet constructivist architect Ivan Leonidov (1902-1959). Constructivist wrapper design by the Soviet avant-garde artist, art theorist, and graphic designer Aleksei Gan (1893-1942). A key figure in the development of Constructivism in the USSR, Aleksei became first involved in creative activity in 1917 when he set up an amateur theatrical group with the Moscow Union of Food Workers. In 1921, Gan, together with Alexander Rodchenko, Varvara Stepanova, and other artists announced himself as a member of the First Working Group of Constructivists. Gan collaborated with Rodchenko and Stepanova on a Constructivist manifesto in 1922, and published his own pamphlet Konstruktivism in the same year. In October 1941, Aleksei was arrested for «counter-revolutionary» activities and executed a year later. Gan’s rejection of fine art in favour of graphic design, photography, and posters, is vividly conveyed through the design of “Sovremennaya arkhitektura” magazine, which exclusively featured constructivist-style printed wrappers.
“Sovremennaya arkhitektura” was a bimestrial Soviet illustrated magazine published from 1926 through 1930 by the Organization of Contemporary Architects (OSA) in Moscow. The architectural association was active from 1925 to 1930 and was considered the first group of Soviet constructivist architects. The periodical, which at the time served as one of the few Soviet magazines on architecture, covered issues of urban planning, design, history and theory of architecture and construction. The editorial board of the magazine was ostensibly inclined towards Western practices in architecture for which it was frequently criticized. Interestingly, in 1928, Kazimir Malevich wrote: “After reading the magazine, I discovered fundamental discrepancies with modern architectural thought. This means: do not print my name in the lists of employees, but this does not exclude the possibility of printing my work. I want to be random in your magazine.”
In 1926-1928, “Sovremennaya arkhitektura” was edited by the leading Soviet constructivist architects Alexander Vesnin (1883-1953) and Moisei Ginzburg (1892-1946). In 1929, with the release of the decree of Glavnauki and Gosizdat on the allocation of only one executive editor in all scientific periodicals, the editorial board chose Ginzburg as the executive editor of the journal, and Vesnin as the editor for the SA library (section Bibliography). From 1928 until the last issue of the magazine, “Sovremennaya arkhitektura” was published under the editorship of Roman Khiger (1901-1985), a noted Soviet ideologist of constructivist architecture. In addition to Vesnin and Ginzburg, the first editorial board of the journal included A. Burov, V. Vesnin, G. Wegman, I. Golosov, A. Gan, A. Loleit, G. Orlov, and I. Sobolev. Most of the members of the editorial board have worked in the journal during the entire 5-year period of its existence.
In 1926-1928, most of the magazine’s issues were designed by Alexei Gan (covers, layout, advertising); with the exception of No. 6 of 1927 and No. 1 of 1928, the layout of which was developed by Ivan Leonidov. Varvara Stepanova (four issues), E. Nekrasov (two issues) and Solomon Telingater (four issues) were also engaged in the design of the magazine.
The magazine existed until 1930, when all the contributors to the periodical were gradually forced to move towards Socialist Realism.
Designed by Alexei Gan, the present issue can be divided into two sections. The first section “How Not to Build” is dedicated to the Soviet architectural works christened by the editorial board as “mockery of fate, authors, customers, and the October Revolution.” The magazine criticizes the central telegraph building by Ivan Rerberg, the project for the reconstruction of the central bank building by Ivan Zholtovsky, passenger station in Kyiv, the project for the governing house of Dobrolet, etc., for the lack of ideological principles, high expenses, etc. Numerous black-and-white photographs and illustrations are accompanied by interesting comments of the authors: “The project of the Dobrolet governing house is an unpleasant structure in the mediocre Empire style - and next to it is an airplane, from which Dobrolet obviously did not learn anything.” This section is particularly important considering that most of the buildings/projects were either not realized or significantly transformed throughout the time (Central Bank building, etc.).
The second section features the report “Recent Advances in Concrete Construction” made on February 17, 1928, at the OSA by the Soviet engineer S. L. Prokhorov. In the text, the author suggests prohibiting the use of red bricks in construction and altering them with concrete as a more effective material. The section also includes a biographical brief of the founder of the Bauhaus School Walter Gropius (1883-1969). Interestingly, the German architect commented on the publication of the first issues of the “Sovremennaya arkhitektura” magazine: “the first two issues of the journal aroused a great interest not only in me, but also in all employees of our institute.”
The issue includes numerous black-and-white illustrations, projects, and schemes providing a vivid insight into 1920s Soviet architecture.

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Price: $1,000.00

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