Expert interview on the cultural code of Veliky Novgorod: The modernity of the historical city

Abstract

The expert interview is devoted to the analysis of the cultural code of Veliky Novgorod and to the architectural techniques, which represent it in the urban environment. The expert considers the general concept of cultural code and examines the modern situation of Veliky Novgorod, where only a small part of authentic objects has been preserved, as most of the structures were destroyed during the Great Patriotic War. Also, the expert evaluates various city objects and projects in terms of combining Novgorod architectural motifs and modern solutions and emphasizes that the design code, which was introduced in Veliky Novgorod since 2024, is very poorly connected with the city's cultural identity. The key thesis of the interview is that all urban objects located outside the historic part of the city (outside the berm boundaries) should be resolved in a modern architectural language. In addition, creating new projects in contrast with the existing urban environment is described as one of the possible and productive strategies for working in the city's historical area. In this way, contemporary architects and urban planners can make their original, authorial contribution to the historical city and leave their mark on the urban texture.

Keywords

• cultural code
• urban environment
• historical city
• design code
• novgorod architecture
• public spaces
• green areas
• scale
• visual links