In a search of Modernism. A series of lectures by Alex Bykov, Ukrainian expert on Soviet post-war modernism, begins

23/4/2022

Soviet modernist architecture is the new social media hit, with commercials and music videos being filmed there. Alex Bykov, a Kiev-based architect, photographer and curator, will be giving a talk at the FA on researching the heritage that has become part of pop culture in recent years. The series, in support of Ukrainian artists and scholars, will take place on 25. 4; 2. 5. and 9. 5.

Alex Bykov is currently one of the leading Ukrainian experts on architecture of the post-war modern period. He focuses on the legacy of Soviet urbanism, the latest Ukrainian official and DIY architecture, with special attention to sacred architecture. He was among the first scholars to identify, popularize and preserve the heritage of Soviet Modernism in Ukraine.

Alex Bykov received his master's degree from the Kyiv National University of Civil Engineering and Architecture in 2008 and has been running his own architectural studio since 2012. He is a co-founder and member of the activist group "Savekyivmodernism", which fights against the demolition of modernist buildings in Kiev. In 2019, in collaboration with Yevgenia Gubkina, he published the book "Soviet Modernism, Brutalism, Postmodernism. Buildings and constructions in Ukraine 1955–1991".

In three lectures Alex Bykov will present the research he has been doing since 2010. He will supplement the presentations with archival materials, his own photographs and videos.

In a search of Modernism. Part 1. History

Lecture 25. 4.

In recent years, international teams of scholars have regularly visited Soviet modernist architecture to admire the distinctiveness of its forms and the contemporary urban context that surrounds it. Even at the time of their creation, these buildings attracted the attention of experts, while the general public failed to accept their originality. After the collapse of the Soviet Union, modernist buildings and their authors were forgotten. Alex Bykov will present a sequence of research processes, from the first interest in the early 1950s to the present.

In a search of Modernism. Part 2. Personality

Lecture 2. 5.

Alex Bykov undertook the research mainly because of the lack of information. His main source of knowledge was personal acquaintance and conversations with architects active between 1955 and 1991. Alex worked not only as a journalist, but became their close friend, lived with them in the last days of their lives, scanned and systematized their archives. Many of these interviews were published in architectural journals and presented in exhibitions. Alex Bykov will tell the stories of iconic Kiev architects, focusing on their professional careers and the ambiguous fates of their projects.

In a search of Modernism. Part 3. Architecture, community, time

Lecture 9. 5.

Uncontrolled urbanisation is taking place in historic areas and on the outskirts of Ukrainian cities. At the same time, post-Soviet urban landscape waste has risen to the top of the global visual mainstream. A number of questions arise in relation to the urban development of the last 30 years in Ukraine: What is an urban community and what is its influence on urban development? Who is the architect and what is his or her role in the rapidly changing face of the city? Who is a developer and why does he often act in violation of the law? In his final lecture, Alex Bykov will focus on modern vernacular and official architecture and its reflection in public, political and cultural everyday life.