Belarusian Soviet Modernism Collected on One Online Map
Enthusiasts have developed an interactive catalog dedicated to the national Soviet heritage of the second half of the XX century. Once magnificent buildings and complexes, designed by the foremost names in Belarusian architecture, are now experiencing one of their most difficult periods.
"Kastryčnik" cinema in Baranavichy. Photo: belmodernism.by
The database of the project belmodernism.by, as reported by the authors, covers the period from 1955 to 1991. They position the resource as a guide for popularizing modernism, which is a full-fledged part of the world history of architecture.
The platform offers a flexible search system. Objects are divided into individual and типовые (standard) types. Users can filter buildings by functional purpose: residential buildings, dormitories, administrative, sports, and industrial structures. Separate search blocks are dedicated to design organizations (for example, "Beldziarzhprajekt" or "Minskprajekt") and specific architects. The list already includes the names of famous Ihar Yesman, Ivan Bout, Siarhei Filimonov, and Siarhei Musinski.
Objects on the website. Screenshot: belmodernism.by
For each building, a separate information card is provided, indicating the year of creation, the current state of the object, precise coordinates with the possibility of navigating to a map, and a gallery of modern photographs. Dozens of iconic objects are already presented in the visual catalog. Among them are Minsk's Palace of Sports, "Maskva" cinema, Palace of Tennis, the 15th building of BNTU ("Korablik"), "BelExpo" exhibition pavilion, Belarusian State Academic Musical Theater, the Ministry of Sports and Tourism building, former workshops of the Union of Artists (now NTSM), Republican Institute of Professional Education, as well as buildings of the "Integral" and "Complex Automation Means" factories.
Example of an object card on the website. Screenshot: belmodernism.by
Minsk State Palace of Children and Youth. Photo: belmodernism.by
When filling the map, the creators rely on materials from the Union of Architects of Belarus, the Belarusian State Archive of Scientific and Technical Documentation, and the Belarusian State Archive of Film, Photo, and Audio Documents. Currently, the website belmodernism.by is in testing mode and will soon be available for wide use.
The appearance of such a project for recording and popularizing heritage is especially relevant against the background of how the state and developers treat the architecture of the second half of the XX century. As we wrote earlier, almost none of the national masterpieces of modernism have official protective status, and many iconic buildings are irreversibly destroyed during demolition or lose their original appearance during reconstructions using cheap ceramic granite and plastic.