Moscow-City

Moscow, Russia - Out with drab, old-fashioned sameness and in with slick shiny newness. That's what Moscow is all about.

The city of Moscow is pouring billions of dollars into the development of a new business district which will be known as Moscow-City. In Russian, it's called "Moskva-Siti", the transliteration of the English word city, which must somehow be symbolic of its modernity and globalism.

At the moment, the place is a gigantic construction site. You might say this neighborhood is up-and-coming, with an emphsis on `up'. Skyscrapers of glass and steel tower 20 stories over the rest of the city, shining like beacons to Moscow's wheelers, dealers and fortune seekers.

There are two brand new metro stations - sleek and modern - without any of the brandishments that the older Moscow metro stations are famous for. And a covered pedestrian bridge connects two shiny buildings on opposite sides of the Moscow River. The walkway is lined with shops and cafes, all with huge glass windows overlooking the water. As far as I know, these tall towers are not for residential space, but rather, banks, businesses and all the other offices associated with capitalism.

Moscovites are excited about this development, as well they should be. This cutting-edge architecture is bringing their capital into the 21st century. Moscow-City is forward-looking and money-making. It has the potential to revamp the world's image of their city.

Meanwhile, if you know where to look, you can find the remains of last century's cutting-edge architecture, less than a mile from here. In the 1920s and 1930s, Constructivist architects were inspired by the revolution to incorporate socialist ideals into their designs. They used sharp angles and geometric forms and lots of glass and steel. While this may sound like the contemporary skyscrapers we see in Moscow-City, its goals were very different.

Many architects concentrated their efforts on communal housing, which was envisioned to be the social unit of the future. The idea was to minimize individual space, encouraging residents to cook and eat together in communal dining areas, to share household chores and childrearing responsibilities, to free women from the daily grind of housework, and - according to architect Moise Ginzburg - to "[create] a new way of life."

The constructivists fell out of favor in the 1930s. When it came to family life, Stalin was conservative, preferring traditional gender roles and family relationships. Many constructivist buildings were forgotten, falling into disrepair over the course of the following decades. Only a few examples of this once cutting-edge architecture remain in the capital, the best being Narkomfin.

Built in the 1920s, Narkomfin was an apartment building for members of the Ministry of Finance. Apparently the block served as inspiration for Le Corbusier, as well as serving as a prototype for apartment blocks around the city. The style may not appeal to everybody, but its place in architectural history is undeniable.

These days, the place is in rough shape. It is still inhabited, but it is suffering from extensive water damage. More importantly, it occupies a prime place of real estate next to the American Embassy and a fancy new shopping center. Unfortunately, the ideals that inspired that constructivists don't do much for contemporary businessmen and bureaucrats... you gotta wonder how much longer Narkomfin will last.