Palaces of Culture in Urals in Context of Architectural Policy of USSR (1920s-1980s)

Abstract

For the first time, a comprehensive analysis of the entire set of club buildings from the Soviet era in the Urals region (Sverdlovsk, Chelyabinsk, Perm, Orenburg regions, Bashkir and Udmurt ASSR) has been undertaken. The author of the article compiled a database comprising over 300 units. Information on specialized buildings of palaces of culture erected in cities and industrial settlements of the region in the 1920s-1980s was analyzed. The most popular standard projects of club buildings as well as individual projects were identified. A detailed description of palaces of culture, whose architectural appearance resonated widely in the public sphere, is provided. It is shown that in the late 1940s to early 1950s, under the dominance of neoclassical architectural aesthetics, a series of projects embodying exemplary characteristics were implemented in the Urals, clarifying the degree of centralization of the cultural policy of the USSR. The placement of specific cultural complexes is characterized in detail. A conclusion is drawn that club construction in cities and industrial settlements of the Urals was uneven both spatially and chronologically. The peak of construction was in the 1950s, with a significant decrease in the pace of building palaces of culture by the 1980s; the majority of clubs were concentrated in major industrial centers. The massiveness of club construction was determined by the use of standard projects, yet this does not diminish the specific valuable qualities of Soviet palaces of culture as a crucial element of historical heritage.

Keywords

• palace of culture
• urals
• pioneer palace
• soviet city
• cultural heritage