TATLIN Mono #3/21/87 Сергей Скуратов 2005–2010

those who are able to think on a large scale and see the perspective. We architects will gladly join in and do our best to help. We will work to trans- form their plans and regulations into beautiful buildings, harmonious space, squares, parks and boulevards. I’ve long wanted to practice urban development, and my largest experience to date is my development project on the area of Kau- chuk Factory in Khamovniky: 14 hectares of ur- ban land, and entire borough – Sadoviye Kvarta- li. But I understand that sometimes one has to think at this scale of an entire city, or a district, even an area of several districts. – You raise global things now – and it must take experience to see such things. Five years ago you said you are learning a lot from the young generation. That is to find them of in- terest? – This question defies a clear answer. I’m tough on myself and my employees. Many find it hard because I demand very serious and thoughtful work on every project. I try to shape correct attitude to work in them, to plant and grow faith and love of their profession. Not ev- eryone can match, not everyone is sacrificial. It is very difficult to learn being creative and remain a disciplined subordinate at the same time, but I don’t know any other way. Our profession has managed things that survive from apprentice- ships in medieval guilds. There are some young people, including my students, they are very competent and extremely responsible. It’s great when young people come up with ideas. But I still have to hear some really strong and fresh ideas, something like ‘Come on, let’s do it all the other way – you are used to this, and we sug- gest we do it otherwise’. I haven’t heard this yet. When I hear that, I believe it will be great. I want them to improve. – These are eventful times, new archi- tecture is in the making. You see many new things. What architecture makes you care? – I used to hope that many things still ex- ist in the world that I might like, things that are somewhat near to what I’m doing. Then I real- ized that such things are few and far between, and perhaps it is good in a way. In recent years

pends on critics too, in fact, of all mass media, such as the TV, the press, radio hosts, etc. The language through which architecture speaks to the public is fairly complicated. A complete the building is the architect’s most important chan- nel but not the only one to communicate with the society. Critics must help understand what the ar- chitect has been doing. So critics must clearly perceive the division lines that limit the archi- tect’s scope of responsibility. It is not always as simple as it seems. Poor construction quality or an incorrectly selected site, as a rule, cannot be blamed on the architect. The architect does a specific project. In today’s environment, the ar- chitect unfortunately is unable to influence any development decisions, but urban development approach is a heavyweight factor in the city. Just imagine having architecturally ideal shopping centers instead of the current shopping centers that destroyed the squares; what would they change? It’s a tragic fact that any building would maim the city’s face in this situation. – Citizens now complain that the city is im- possible to live in with virtually no micro en- vironments. We have had this for quite some time. Do you think would still have a chance to set it right after all we have built? – I believe we have. I guess we could if we changed our urban development policy entirely. We need a different master plan, with all solu- tions reviewed in favor of the citizens. Going to- wards social adaptation of public space. There is no other way, or else you get congestion, col- lapse and stampede to escape the city. A point of no returning’is a concept. But even now the city hasn’t passed this point. There is still time to address traffic problems, to dig tunnels and chords, to build junctions and road network, to make some things and break some things, but reasonably, like Baron Haussmann did in Paris; it is like amputating a leg to say that human life. The city requires global and dramat- ic decisions. It’s about surgery now. Therapy is useless here. But we have to do it, by united ef- fort as humans and citizens. We need profession- als – urban developers, ecologists, sociologists,

щественного пространства. Другого пути нет, иначе пробки, коллапсы и бегство людей из города. Есть такое понятие – «точка невозврата». Но даже сейчас эта точка невозврата по от- ношению к городу еще не пройдена. То есть еще можно заняться проблемой транспорта, еще можно рыть тоннели, хорды, еще можно строить развязки, сетку дорог, можно приду- мывать какие-то вещи, да, что-то ломать, но разумно, как барон Осман в Париже, как от- резать больную гангренную ногу, чтобы не умер человек. Город требует глобальных кар- динальных решений. Уже хирургических. Уже терапевтическими мерами не поможешь. Но надо это делать, нужна общая воля. Общече- ловеческая, общегражданская. Нужны про- фессионалы – урбанисты, экологи, социоло- ги, которые умеют мыслить глобально, пер- спективно. Мы, архитекторы, с радостью подхватим их идеи, будем им помогать. Пре- вращать их планы и регламенты в красивые дома, гармоничные пространства, площади, парки, бульвары. Мне давно хочется занять- ся градостроительством, пока у меня самый масштабный опыт – это проект развития тер- ритории на месте завода «Каучук» в Хамов- никах. 14 га города, целый микрорайон –«Са- довые кварталы». Но я понимаю, что бывают времена, когда надо мыслить целым городом, целым округом или целой территорией не- скольких округов. – Вы говорите сейчас об очень глобаль- ных вещах – и эти вещи, наверное, можно увидеть только с опытом. Пять лет назад вы говорили, что многому учитесь у моло- дых. Они по-прежнему вам интересны? – Трудно ответить на этот вопрос одно- значно. Я очень требователен к себе и к сво- им сотрудникам. Для многих это тяжело, ведь я требую по каждому проекту очень серьез- ной и вдумчивой работы. Я пытаюсь воспи- тать в них правильное отношение к своему труду, вырастить в них веру и любовь. Лю- бовь к профессии и служение ей. Но вовсе не все это могут делать, и вовсе не все способны себя отдавать. Очень сложно одновременно

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