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Regarding the preservation of the Ukrainian architectural heritage of the post-war decade (1945-1955). Some special features
approving the reduced height of the hotel, at the same time,
they had given up the interfenestration reinforcing. One of the
hotel authors architect A. Dobrovolsky, came up with quite
a new solution to this situation.
“One has not just to recreate the design conception of
30 years old by now, it has to be further developed. There is
a pressing demand for hotel accommodations in the capital,
that’s why we must consider the “Moskva” reconstruction
as a stage of its further expansion. To that end, it would be
expedient to extend the side wings of the building and close
them with a new block surpassing by far the height of the existing
one, and placing this new architectural dominant behind
the present central block of the hotel to compensate for the
compositional miscalculations made during its building. The
new architectural composition of the hotel complex, all the
additions notwithstanding, will be nearer to the original architectural
conception than the present mercilessly decapitated
building. Thus, the present building of the “Moskva” will turn
an integral part of a grander voluminous and spacial formation
which is to become the main compositional dominant of
the Square architectural ensemble. By the way, I would like to
note that this architectural design had been born in torments.
About two score of versions had been elaborated. The design
had been incessantly approved, numerous criticisms had been
taken into account.
So, it`s no wonder that the hotel`s silhouette reminds
one of Moscow`s skyscrapers of the same period. It could not
have been otherwise because the then government had taken
a great interest in designs of the most crucial architecture. But
even within those limitations, we had tried to show creative
individuality, made attempts to make use of national traditions
of our vernacular architecture. It seems to me that our
practical architecture survived at the epoch due to a high general
qualifi cation level of the profession. But the qualifi cation
alone could do nothing against an unceremonious interference
of politics with architecture. Once, late at night, a Member of
the Ukrainian Government
I. Senin called and informed me that the Government
conference had just fi nished its work: “It just can`t be helped,
the top of the hotel has to be cut off.” Then I. Senin
told me about M. Khrushchov`s visit to Kyiv where the latter
was alleged to wonder about what had become of the top of
the “Moskva” hotel, and being told about the fi ght against
architectural extravagancies, expressed his annoyance: the
provision about limiting the height to fi ve stories concerns
only mass housing sites and does not extend over to customdesigned
buildings: “Teach a fool to bow with grace and he
would fall fl at on his face”, added Khrushchov citing a popular
proverb.
In conclusion, let me point out that we ought to remember
not only our old architectural history but also our recent
one. Undoubtedly, the value of an art monument depends on
the time of its creation. The oldest monument is the most valuable-it
goes without saying. Not many architectural creations
have succeeded to come down to us through centuries. Exclusivity
phenomenon conditioned by time increases the value of
survived monuments.
Time does not stop, and before long today becomes history.
For some reason, we do not want to notice the fact. Perhaps,
it is our reluctance to become aware of our own growing
old. Each time, when stages of cultural life become history,
we come to a belated conclusion that we have underestimated
ours today. We are making hasty attempts to restore justice
sincerely wondering about our former blindness. Our belated
repentance is accompanied by a bitter feeling of excessive losses
and destructions owing to our carelessness.
In the 20 th century, the same fate overtook at fi rst Modern
Architecture, then Constructivism and now – the architectural
heritage of the post-war rebirth. Each time, it takes us
so long to waver, therefore we are always late.
Fig. 1. Design of the hotel “Moskva” in the central Square of Kiev,1954.
Architects A.Dobrovolsky, B.Priymak, A.Miletsky,
A.Kosenko , V.Sazonsky
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