Merve Yucel “Microrayon Re-Invented: Fragmentation of the Connective tissue”

Microrayon re-inventedfragmentation of the connective tissue

Bibirevo Moscow

Microrayon, the primary structural element of the residential area construction in Russian cities has been subject to massive changes in the last 20 years. The absence of private land, private investors and private builders have been the perfect breeding ground for the occur-rence of these large housing areas with standardized apartment blocks, But the dissolution of the Union led to a sharp decline in managment, construction, organization and challenged the very normative concepts of living. What is happening in the Moscow today? On one hand the microrayon built for the masses of people is now being appropriated by man, undergoing constant change by its inhabitants. And on the other hand, confrontation with the reality of capitalism is leading to a hardening border between its collective and private space. The confusion in levels of ownership on public space is resulting in its deterioration. And the State’s strategies in dealing with this connective tissue islimited by superficial interventions, abandonment, and erasure. This book offers a journey to the reality of microrayon today, chasing the traces of this shift through all its actors.

DEMOCRATIC MICRO-TRANSFORMATIONSFRAGMENTING THE CONNECTIVE TISSUEBibirevo

By Merve Yucel

DEMOCRATIC MICRO-TRANSFORMATIONSFRAGMENTING THE CONNECTIVE TISSUEBibirevo

By Merve Yucel

TABLE OF CONTENT

Introduction

The Connective Tissue

Bibirevo Fragmented Protagonists

Conclusion

TABLE OF CONTENT

Introduction

The Connective Tissue

Bibirevo Fragmented Protagonists

Conclusion

INTRODUCTION

Microrayon, definition of the primary structural element of the residential area construction in Russian cities after the 60s that has been subject to massive changes in the last 20 years.

The absence of private land, private investors and private builders, the need of urgent housing stock and ideology of unification, have been the perfect breeding ground for the occurrence of these large housing areas with highly stan-dardized apartment blocks. But the dissolution of the Soviet Union led to a sharp decline in management, construction and organization in the Microrayon and challenged the very nor-mative concepts of living.

In a positive vein, this also triggered a set of creative, innova-tive and opportunistic processes that help structure the most important part of a society, the social actions and organiza-tions.

We will explore how these transformations have become vis-ible in physical spaces of the Microrayon Bibirevo, and the contributions of its actors in order to realize them.

This book is published as a result of the research done in Strelka Institute for Media, Architecture and Design, with the tutorship of Stefano Boeri and Francisca Insulza.The aim of the research is to have a comprehensive understanding of the urban processes in question for the post-soviet context of Moscow. The book has a uniquely subjective approach, com-bining different gazes and perspectives. We hope not to answer questions but to give voice to the emergent protago-nists, and understand the changes in the daily life experi-ences.

Merve Yucel

INTRODUCTION

Microrayon, definition of the primary structural element of the residential area construction in Russian cities after the 60s that has been subject to massive changes in the last 20 years.

The absence of private land, private investors and private builders, the need of urgent housing stock and ideology of unification, have been the perfect breeding ground for the occurrence of these large housing areas with highly stan-dardized apartment blocks. But the dissolution of the Soviet Union led to a sharp decline in management, construction and organization in the Microrayon and challenged the very nor-mative concepts of living.

In a positive vein, this also triggered a set of creative, innova-tive and opportunistic processes that help structure the most important part of a society, the social actions and organiza-tions.

We will explore how these transformations have become vis-ible in physical spaces of the Microrayon Bibirevo, and the contributions of its actors in order to realize them.

This book is published as a result of the research done in Strelka Institute for Media, Architecture and Design, with the tutorship of Stefano Boeri and Francisca Insulza.The aim of the research is to have a comprehensive understanding of the urban processes in question for the post-soviet context of Moscow. The book has a uniquely subjective approach, com-bining different gazes and perspectives. We hope not to answer questions but to give voice to the emergent protago-nists, and understand the changes in the daily life experi-ences.

Merve Yucel

RigidityMonotonyfastAutorotarianunityNEIGHBOURHOODprefabricated

MONOCENTRIC PLANNINGsociety of productionHOUSINGHarmonicfastsuperimposedQuantity

massiveinhabitantsmicrorayonhumanity Alienationuni�cation

repetitionmanifestoindustrialperfectionstandardized buildinghonesty gap

Khruschev’s speechcenrtralized planningkommunalkacommunal living

labourcitymicrodistrictresidentialK20growthconnective tissue1956

modulesoullesstop-downexperimentRIGIDECONOMICtypologiesSoviet

Empoweredstabilitykindergardenpublicnurseriesequalitycity

urbanizationstairwaysuni�edRussiacommunist

blocksconnectivetissuestandardssocialcontrol

diversityo�nhabitantssecurelocalspaceresidentialIRONYOFFATE

opennessstandardizedmicrorayonobsessiverepresentativeplacelessnesssleepingdistrict

miscalculatedbureucraticsuperimposedmassivescale

rationalindividualizedequalityUTOPIAstability

technocraticopencityspeedofconstructionarchitecture

temporaryorganizeddiversityo�nhabitantssecure

The Myth

RigidityMonotonyfastAutorotarianunityNEIGHBOURHOODprefabricated

MONOCENTRIC PLANNINGsociety of productionHOUSINGHarmonicfastsuperimposedQuantity

massiveinhabitantsmicrorayonhumanity Alienationuni�cation

repetitionmanifestoindustrialperfectionstandardized buildinghonesty gap

Khruschev’s speechcenrtralized planningkommunalkacommunal living

labourcitymicrodistrictresidentialK20growthconnective tissue1956

modulesoullesstop-downexperimentRIGIDECONOMICtypologiesSoviet

Empoweredstabilitykindergardenpublicnurseriesequalitycity

urbanizationstairwaysuni�edRussiacommunist

blocksconnectivetissuestandardssocialcontrol

diversityo�nhabitantssecurelocalspaceresidentialIRONYOFFATE

opennessstandardizedmicrorayonobsessiverepresentativeplacelessnesssleepingdistrict

miscalculatedbureucraticsuperimposedmassivescale

rationalindividualizedequalityUTOPIAstability

technocraticopencityspeedofconstructionarchitecture

temporaryorganizeddiversityo�nhabitantssecure

The Myth

Aleksander gets up at 7.15 AM. He lives with his mother and father in a two-bedroom apartment on the second floor of a typical nine story, mi-

crorayon Zvezda located 15 km away from the city center. He leaves home at 8:05 A.M. and walks to his school, across the courtyard from the apart-ment building. He spends 6 hours at school, including lunch break. At 2:00

pm Alexander goes home to an empty apartment. His mother left for her job at a government office (4km away by city bus).His father left even earlier; he needed to take the same bus route and then transfer to another one to reach his factory (10 km away). At 4:00 P.M.

he leaves home to walk over to the bakery shop on the corner, which is only 10

minutes away. He walks a total distance during the day about

1.5 km, almost all of which is within his

own microrayon.

8:05Sacha leaves home

14:05Sacha comes from

school

15:25Sacha plays with

his frineds

16:45Sacha goes to the

bakery

8:10Sacha arrives at

school

Aleksander gets up at 7.15 AM. He lives with his mother and father in a two-bedroom apartment on the second floor of a typical nine story, mi-

crorayon Zvezda located 15 km away from the city center. He leaves home at 8:05 A.M. and walks to his school, across the courtyard from the apart-ment building. He spends 6 hours at school, including lunch break. At 2:00

pm Alexander goes home to an empty apartment. His mother left for her job at a government office (4km away by city bus).His father left even earlier; he needed to take the same bus route and then transfer to another one to reach his factory (10 km away). At 4:00 P.M.

he leaves home to walk over to the bakery shop on the corner, which is only 10

minutes away. He walks a total distance during the day about

1.5 km, almost all of which is within his

own microrayon.

8:05Sacha leaves home

14:05Sacha comes from

school

15:25Sacha plays with

his frineds

16:45Sacha goes to the

bakery

8:10Sacha arrives at

school

The idyllic ‘modern’ environment dominated the Russian urban land-scape. Moscow demonstrates the

reality of scale and territorial implica-tions of a socialist city. Similarity of Soviet urbanity, despite the context

and cultural implications was essential.

After Khrushchev’s speech in 1956, the microrayon concept became accepted as the fundamental building unit for planning urban expansion. This structure was rigid and had a standard layout that consists of a number of large urban blocks separated by main roads, greenways and natural obstacles.

This allowed an overall reduction in the city road constructions and emphasized public transportation. There are secondary roads serving inside the block. A public service building such as a school or a kindergarten forms the center of the block. The idea is that children can reach the schools without crossing major roads. This design was focused on the production of an industrial-ized, rationalized and massively urbanized society. The uniformity of residential build-ings represented equality and stability in the Soviet Union. This indeed was the success of the microrayons. Everybody lived here. A university professor, a factory worker and a bus driver could all be neighbors living in the same building.

From the 1950’s and for over 30 years, the Microrayon was the only form of housing built in Moscow. After the collapse of the Soviet Union, other forms of housing has also appeared but the city still continues to

use the traditional Soviet methods of standard housing design and construction. Today the microrayon dominates the Moscow urbanity. Moreover the existing buildings have an expiration date, and the strategies to deal with this heritage remain insufficient.

GENERIC CITY

It was not only the urban blocks that were uni-fied but also the interiors of the apartments were almost the same.

The idyllic ‘modern’ environment dominated the Russian urban land-scape. Moscow demonstrates the

reality of scale and territorial implica-tions of a socialist city. Similarity of Soviet urbanity, despite the context

and cultural implications was essential.

After Khrushchev’s speech in 1956, the microrayon concept became accepted as the fundamental building unit for planning urban expansion. This structure was rigid and had a standard layout that consists of a number of large urban blocks separated by main roads, greenways and natural obstacles.

This allowed an overall reduction in the city road constructions and emphasized public transportation. There are secondary roads serving inside the block. A public service building such as a school or a kindergarten forms the center of the block. The idea is that children can reach the schools without crossing major roads. This design was focused on the production of an industrial-ized, rationalized and massively urbanized society. The uniformity of residential build-ings represented equality and stability in the Soviet Union. This indeed was the success of the microrayons. Everybody lived here. A university professor, a factory worker and a bus driver could all be neighbors living in the same building.

From the 1950’s and for over 30 years, the Microrayon was the only form of housing built in Moscow. After the collapse of the Soviet Union, other forms of housing has also appeared but the city still continues to

use the traditional Soviet methods of standard housing design and construction. Today the microrayon dominates the Moscow urbanity. Moreover the existing buildings have an expiration date, and the strategies to deal with this heritage remain insufficient.

GENERIC CITY

It was not only the urban blocks that were uni-fied but also the interiors of the apartments were almost the same.

Yevgeny Lukashin had just moved into a newly built, high-rise apartment in Moscow. With his old friends, they have a tradition of going the banya on the New Years Eve, where there is too much steam and plenty of vodka. After drinking one too many, it is time to go home to his fiancé for Yevgeny, but first he has to drop his friend, who is going to St Petersburg, to the airport. After departing from him, Yevgeny gets on a cab to go home and gives his address to the taxi driver “Construction Workers’ Street”. Thankfull for arriving home despite the confusing influence of the vodka, he opens the door lock. Inside he finds the same apartment layout and even the furniture exactly the same, except for the screaming woman that is not his fiance. Only after an hour of argument with the stranger, he realizes that he is the one who flew to St Petersburg,

instead of his friend. How could he end up in a different city with exactly the same street name, the same apartment, the same lock, the same furniture? This should be an absurd comedy!!!The storyline of the famous Russian movie, Irony of Fate expressively illustrates the context, an absurd reality of scale and territorial implications of a socialist city.

Model of a typical resi-dential dwelling inner

space.

Irony of Fate, Enjoy your Bath!

Yevgeny Lukashin had just moved into a newly built, high-rise apartment in Moscow. With his old friends, they have a tradition of going the banya on the New Years Eve, where there is too much steam and plenty of vodka. After drinking one too many, it is time to go home to his fiancé for Yevgeny, but first he has to drop his friend, who is going to St Petersburg, to the airport. After departing from him, Yevgeny gets on a cab to go home and gives his address to the taxi driver “Construction Workers’ Street”. Thankfull for arriving home despite the confusing influence of the vodka, he opens the door lock. Inside he finds the same apartment layout and even the furniture exactly the same, except for the screaming woman that is not his fiance. Only after an hour of argument with the stranger, he realizes that he is the one who flew to St Petersburg,

instead of his friend. How could he end up in a different city with exactly the same street name, the same apartment, the same lock, the same furniture? This should be an absurd comedy!!!The storyline of the famous Russian movie, Irony of Fate expressively illustrates the context, an absurd reality of scale and territorial implications of a socialist city.

Model of a typical resi-dential dwelling inner

space.

Irony of Fate, Enjoy your Bath!

Hierarchical structure of Soviet urban planning and design

PHYSICAL PLANNING &

CONTRUCTION

CONTROL COORDINATION

ECONOMIC PLANNING, BUDGETING

FINANCE CLIENT CONSTRUCTION

GOSPLAN USSR

GOSSTROY USSR

GoskomArkitektura

Central, design institutes

Republic research, design institutes

Oblast design institute

OFF, TownArchitect

Republic Gosstroy

Oblast directories construction architecture

Republic Councils Ministers

Dept. Cityarchitect

Oblast executive committee

Ministries specialized in construction

Functional Ministries

Stroybank USSR

Republic Gosplans

Oblast Plan.Committees

Town Planning Commission

Republic Storybanks

Oblast office of Storybanks

Office of Storybanks

Republic Ministries

Enterprise under constructionField Mge’t

Republic Ministries

constructiontrusts

main construction directories

USSC Council of Ministers

Hierarchical structure of Soviet urban planning and design

PHYSICAL PLANNING &

CONTRUCTION

CONTROL COORDINATION

ECONOMIC PLANNING, BUDGETING

FINANCE CLIENT CONSTRUCTION

GOSPLAN USSR

GOSSTROY USSR

GoskomArkitektura

Central, design institutes

Republic research, design institutes

Oblast design institute

OFF, TownArchitect

Republic Gosstroy

Oblast directories construction architecture

Republic Councils Ministers

Dept. Cityarchitect

Oblast executive committee

Ministries specialized in construction

Functional Ministries

Stroybank USSR

Republic Gosplans

Oblast Plan.Committees

Town Planning Commission

Republic Storybanks

Oblast office of Storybanks

Office of Storybanks

Republic Ministries

Enterprise under constructionField Mge’t

Republic Ministries

constructiontrusts

main construction directories

USSC Council of Ministers

Microrayon Marfino and the monopoly of design process...The role of the designer was to achieve perfection, by generating the strict Construction Rules and Regulations. The hierarchy of actors in city planning ensured that all land use decisions were made administratively. Today, within a capitalist system, these relationships have changed. Ilya Mukosev, a local architect, tells us the story of the design, management and construction in the Microrayon Marfino. His biggest complaint is about the entity, Techni-cal Clients, a special company that obtains the approvals and connects the architecture and construction companies. In Marfino the design was made by Mosprojekt (50% state owned design company), Ilya’s small archi-tecture firm was responsible for landscape design. He unburdens his troubles about the obscene amounts of money he has to pay to the Technical Client; whereas Mosprojekt, a State funded huge entity, can easily manage this amount. He explains that this unfair situation resulted in dissolution of manysmall-scale private offices. For that reason they initiated to form organization of around 50 companies to get the permits.

Ilya explainns that they have to pay an annual fee, an entrance fee and insurance funds to be a memeber of this organization. Marfino was recently a matter of public discussion. Ex-major Mr Luzhkov came to the construction site and promoted under-ground parking projects. As a result Mosprojekt was commisioned an other project for underground parking.

The monopoly of state is now transfered into private companies. The developer Vedis, has a branch company that is repsonsible for management. This company is responsible for collecting trash, planting greenery, cleaning and security control. The micor-rayon has 2 working gates. It is a half gated format, the gate is for cars not for pedestri-ans. The environment is also controlled by an agreement signed by the inhabitannts, stating that they wont change anything in public spaces after they move in.

‘‘The rules of urban planning are even more strict than Soviet times. ’’

itutio

a special company that does

the approvals and connects

the archictecture and

construction companies

NII oubishes catalogues forthe approved building seriesthere are 4 different series

used for Marfino

responsible fo

r collecting

trash,

plantatio

n, cleaning, security and has

strict regulatio

ns All inhab

itants sign an

agreem

ent with the co

mpany b

efore settling

Technical

Client

Tekhna

foreig

npartn

Comfort

Mosprojekt2

Agricultural

Enterprise

Client

ical P

lannin

g & Desig

MANAGEMENT

Construction Control

The strory of design process in Marfino reminds me

of the famous novel by George Orwell.

Microrayon Marfino and the monopoly of design process...The role of the designer was to achieve perfection, by generating the strict Construction Rules and Regulations. The hierarchy of actors in city planning ensured that all land use decisions were made administratively. Today, within a capitalist system, these relationships have changed. Ilya Mukosev, a local architect, tells us the story of the design, management and construction in the Microrayon Marfino. His biggest complaint is about the entity, Techni-cal Clients, a special company that obtains the approvals and connects the architecture and construction companies. In Marfino the design was made by Mosprojekt (50% state owned design company), Ilya’s small archi-tecture firm was responsible for landscape design. He unburdens his troubles about the obscene amounts of money he has to pay to the Technical Client; whereas Mosprojekt, a State funded huge entity, can easily manage this amount. He explains that this unfair situation resulted in dissolution of manysmall-scale private offices. For that reason they initiated to form organization of around 50 companies to get the permits.

Ilya explainns that they have to pay an annual fee, an entrance fee and insurance funds to be a memeber of this organization. Marfino was recently a matter of public discussion. Ex-major Mr Luzhkov came to the construction site and promoted under-ground parking projects. As a result Mosprojekt was commisioned an other project for underground parking.

The monopoly of state is now transfered into private companies. The developer Vedis, has a branch company that is repsonsible for management. This company is responsible for collecting trash, planting greenery, cleaning and security control. The micor-rayon has 2 working gates. It is a half gated format, the gate is for cars not for pedestri-ans. The environment is also controlled by an agreement signed by the inhabitannts, stating that they wont change anything in public spaces after they move in.

‘‘The rules of urban planning are even more strict than Soviet times. ’’

itutio

a special company that does

the approvals and connects

the archictecture and

construction companies

NII oubishes catalogues forthe approved building seriesthere are 4 different series

used for Marfino

responsible fo

r collecting

trash,

plantatio

n, cleaning, security and has

strict regulatio

ns All inhab

itants sign an

agreem

ent with the co

mpany b

efore settling

Technical

Client

Tekhna

foreig

npartn

Comfort

Mosprojekt2

Agricultural

Enterprise

Client

ical P

lannin

g & Desig

MANAGEMENT

Construction Control

The strory of design process in Marfino reminds me

of the famous novel by George Orwell.

ARITHMETICAL EQUATIONS...Microrayons have been subject to massive changes since the start of privatization in 1991. The so-called transition from a social-ist to a market economy may generally speaking have been completed by the early 21st century but the process in the housing sector is not yet finished. Deteriorating apartments, new constructions, housing scams and expert’s debates are constant subjects of discussion in the Russian media. This draws attention to State’s policies in dealing with this Soviet heritage.

The transition represents the tendency towards the ‘commodifica-tion’ of places, which are exposed not only to economic, but also to social and cultural transformations. But the top-down strategies to adapt these structures to Post-Soviet context still remain superficial and inefficient.

Since 2002 City Hall has been designating five-story khrushcheby, for removal and replacement. This is not only expensive, but also a destruction of social and cultural heritage. According to initial plans the Khrushchev’s slums should have long ago disappeared from the face of Moscow. In the last 5 years 1477 buildings have been demolished. By 2014, 1512 more buildings are scheduled for demolition, which implies that the inhabitants of these buildings are waiting to be evicted and relocated. The Soviet habit of conceiving the shelter in terms of geometric area and a checklist of conveniences still continue. It appears to be hard for the city authorities to understand the human attachment to place, to home and neighborhood.

An other option is infrastuctural reconstruc-tions and rennovations. In the last two years 866 building have been rennovated. Gener-ally these interventions are limited to sheat-ing or painting. The repetition of faded colors in the facades creates an other type of absurd harmony. There are many other strategies, like adding floors or new build-ings to densify or "My yard, my porch," programs to beautify. The recent transition process is a fundamental re-evaluation of the territory with respect to the location, functioning and reorganization of produc-tive activity (Hamilton, 1995). densification

additiona floorspublic spacerennovation

newconstructions

addition of new buildings

demolitionerasure

abandonment infrastructuralreconstruction

The Soviet utopia is almost becoming a

distopia

ARITHMETICAL EQUATIONS...Microrayons have been subject to massive changes since the start of privatization in 1991. The so-called transition from a social-ist to a market economy may generally speaking have been completed by the early 21st century but the process in the housing sector is not yet finished. Deteriorating apartments, new constructions, housing scams and expert’s debates are constant subjects of discussion in the Russian media. This draws attention to State’s policies in dealing with this Soviet heritage.

The transition represents the tendency towards the ‘commodifica-tion’ of places, which are exposed not only to economic, but also to social and cultural transformations. But the top-down strategies to adapt these structures to Post-Soviet context still remain superficial and inefficient.

Since 2002 City Hall has been designating five-story khrushcheby, for removal and replacement. This is not only expensive, but also a destruction of social and cultural heritage. According to initial plans the Khrushchev’s slums should have long ago disappeared from the face of Moscow. In the last 5 years 1477 buildings have been demolished. By 2014, 1512 more buildings are scheduled for demolition, which implies that the inhabitants of these buildings are waiting to be evicted and relocated. The Soviet habit of conceiving the shelter in terms of geometric area and a checklist of conveniences still continue. It appears to be hard for the city authorities to understand the human attachment to place, to home and neighborhood.

An other option is infrastuctural reconstruc-tions and rennovations. In the last two years 866 building have been rennovated. Gener-ally these interventions are limited to sheat-ing or painting. The repetition of faded colors in the facades creates an other type of absurd harmony. There are many other strategies, like adding floors or new build-ings to densify or "My yard, my porch," programs to beautify. The recent transition process is a fundamental re-evaluation of the territory with respect to the location, functioning and reorganization of produc-tive activity (Hamilton, 1995). densification

additiona floorspublic spacerennovation

newconstructions

addition of new buildings

demolitionerasure

abandonment infrastructuralreconstruction

The Soviet utopia is almost becoming a

distopia

URBAN POLICYDuring Soviet times, the role of urban rent and other market mechanisms were neglected

which resulted in elimination of resources for urban development. The new policies are

almost totally TOP-DOWN and the fastest possible abandonment of all aspects of

state socialism is essential. The focus is on least possible role for the state comparing to free

market and private ownership., This results, in a MARKET-DRIVEN production of

space and creates an environment for the rise of various actors with the capacity to influence

governance more than those in political power. Such a regime can’t reintegrate fragmented

local CIVIL SOCIETY Municipal offices lack sufficent institutional capacity and they

look at NGO’s actors to play the role in providing the social safety net. Or the

community/individuals take the initiative to substitute the lack of state or local governanace.

It would not be a mistake to say, that the populations of the microrayons are not able to

protect themselves against developers in such an environment. Considerding the vast nume-

ber of demolitions of five storey buildings. FORCED EVICTIONS are becoming

a phenomenon. The present social mix is a legacy of the socialist city, But is this soon to be

changed?

Typically when the city approves a new development proposed by a private developer part of the recom-pense is to be paid in kind, up to 40% of a residential complex’s elite apartments. To avoid building public housing developers usually pay the city in cash or built it somewhere else.

Februar 2003 Protest against the quality of the new public

housing given to those relocated

residents.

Mr Luzhkov positioned himself as a friend of public and

fired the chief housing inspector. The city sat up a

‘HOTLINE’.

Gazeta publishes a list of resettler’s rights including

the right to refuse resttle-ment (2004)

YOU’RE

170 CASESIN COURT 2003

Even after being convinced about the quality of the new housing residents were still not willing to leave their

neighborhood to the periphery. But the city authorities conceive shelter in

terms of geometric area and checklist conveniences.

Mr Luzhkov was forced to acknowledge

that such an aproach (rennovation) will save the

city a lot of money and made comments in favor of

rennovations.

Five months later a new list of

buildings to be demolihed were

released

Story of a demolition