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Moscow – diverse, multifaceted and unique. The city center is replete with old mansions. Passing by, you cannot help thinking about the life of their owners and the buildings. The houses that are used to host ceremonial receptions with its life in full swing are now unapproachable old-timers of our capital.
Vitaly Kalashnikov, a historian, guide, and author of a historical project on the Moscow 24 TV channel, will tells us about what secrets the old mansions in Moscow keep and how to tell a story to arouse interest.
Vitaly, congratulations on the release of your book “Secrets of Moscow Mansions”! When did the history of old buildings become the central theme of your work, including your scientific work?
Thank you for your kind words! It is my debut book, and in this case, words of encouragement are always important.
To answer your question, I will start with the fact that history has fascinated me for as long as I can remember. As a child, I spent much time in libraries, reading books about the past, fascinated by legendary events, great and amazing personalities. Later, I enrolled in the history school and worked in a museum. For the last fifteen years, my activities have been associated with radio and television. However, here I found my niche: I made several documentaries and original shows about the past of Moscow. In addition, I organize tours around the capital. You know, writing a book was only a matter of time.
How did you work on the book? Did you manage to make some discoveries during the work?
The main task when working on the book was not just to tell about interesting city mansions, but to make a selection of those old buildings that everyone can visit one way or another. Once upon a time they were all built as houses. Today they house restaurants, museums, libraries, clinics, galleries, offices, and cultural centers. While collecting material, I visited each of the buildings, had the opportunity to explore them from basement to attic, and took a lot of photos. I made some discoveries. For example, I found old marks on the stove lids in one of the mansions, which had not been noticed before.
Who is the intended audience for your book and will it be understandable for those who are just discovering the world of architecture?
My book can be read by everyone - it will be interesting to everyone in their own way. Someone will appreciate the photographs of the interiors, someone will be carried away by the stories of the owners of the mansions, someone will be curious to go through the QR codes and watch a series of TV shows that I shot about these buildings together with the Moscow 24 TV channel. I am sure many people will like the design of the book with its unique cover.
Being interested in your activities, one cannot help noticing that you are popular among young people. Are young people showing more interest in architecture, art and history of Russia? How to support and develop this trend?
Interest in the past of our country is, of course, increasingly intense. This is evidenced by specialized projects in different media, as well as numerous forums, competitions, lectures and tours. There is also a noticeable interest in history among young people. It is very important, in a fit of educational enthusiasm and the desire to share knowledge, not to frighten or discourage all desires with a stream of boring information, a flurry of names and numbers. It is extremely important to talk to your audience using their language. Do not overwork, do not moralize. After all, the history is really not boring, but incredibly exciting! This is the area that perfectly adapts to modern methods and technologies, which help draw attention to the heritage of the past.
Do you see interest among young people in any particular architectural era, for example, Constructivism? Or are they interested in urban space as such?
Interest in individual architectural eras, judging by my observations, is a changing thing. Indeed, just 10 years ago everyone was completely captivated by Art Nouveau, then it became popular to study Constructivism, and today people are increasingly paying attention to Soviet Modernism. I am happy that this is all part of the Moscow urban environment. Our city is a complex phenomenon. It is like a huge architectural pie. Being at one point and just looking around, you can often see buildings dating from the 15th, 16th, 17th, 18th, 19th and 20th centuries. This thought alone is fascinating. Those who understand this want to cope with the so-called Moscow cipher or code. I believe this is the most resourceful idea. You should not consider any era or architectural style separately from previous and subsequent ones. Everything is very much connected.
Today, many historical buildings are beginning a new life, including through private funds. In recent years, the VDNKh complex and the Northern River Station have been transformed. GlavUpDK under the MFA of Russia also puts much effort, restoring the mansions supervised by the Enterprise to their former glory. How do you assess the city transformation? What is the state of later buildings, for example, from the period of Soviet Modernism or Constructivism?
Recently, a lot has been done in Moscow to preserve cultural heritage sites. Unfortunately, it can be incompetent (and sometimes downright negligent). But overall, the trend is good. For example, the restored Northern River Station became a hot spot with its restaurants, tours and cruises. I am happy that they pay attention not only to large sites, but also to the so-called city artifacts: old signs, flag holders, guard stones, etc. Moreover, all this is done not only by large government agencies, but also by public organizations. But even at the current pace, there is still a lot of work to do. The restoration of the Narkomfin Constructivist Building is an excellent example. At the same time, the building of the Communist University of the National Minorities of the West on Ivanovskaya Gorka, built in the same era, is being destroyed.
Not long ago, you moderated the event called “Open Dialogue: How to Tell a Story to Arouse Interest”, during which GlavUpDK under the MFA of Russia introduced a mobile app with an immersive performance “Inside the Mansion.” What is the role of modern technologies in getting to know history? Is this form capable of attracting the attention of young Russians to the history of the Fatherland?
The use of new technologies always attracts attention. When it comes to the Inside the Mansion app, users have a great opportunity to visit places which are usually closed. Thus, technology is pushing back the boundaries and improving accessibility. After all, you see, it is hard to imagine a modern person without a phone. It often plays a key role in a person’s life. Many people learn about the world through this gadget. In this context, a mobile app is a very effective tool. Moreover, it can be publicly used. It allows integration into other projects, for example, a virtual tour of a mansion can become part of a street tours, a school lesson, an extracurricular assignment, or an immersive street performance.
What has the language of architecture become for you and what stories can the city tell us using this language? Please give some tips to our readers on how to understand this language?
I always recommend paying attention to details - particularities help to understand the thought and philosophy of the whole. Brick marks can tell about the method of construction, the size of the plot and the building shows the wealth of the owner, the multi-layered structure provides information about their long life, and the style - about the taste of the owner and the trends of the time.
The science of understanding the language of architecture requires time and observation. Walk around the city, take tours, read. All this forms your personal knowledge base, thanks to which you will be able to easily distinguish Baroque from Classicism, and Neo-Russian style from Pseudo-Russian style over time.
You organize unique tours with routes suitable for every taste. Which route is most close to you?
I love to show unexpected Moscow. It seems to you that you already know everything about the city, but you turn the corner and see a completely new picture, you are surprised, and it seems that you have been transported to a completely different space. Such unexpected and attractive corners still exist in the modern capital, and often in its very center. This is why you need a guide who will literally lead you through hidden courtyards and narrow alleys, show you architectural treasures hidden behind façades and pay attention to detail. Believe me, a good guide will be able to show you the Red Square as you have never seen it!
What is your favorite area or building in Moscow?
I really love the area of Staraya and Novaya Basmannaya Streets. The old Moscow spirit has been preserved there. Lots of trees, mansions, few tourists. Mamontov Mansion, one of my favorite city buildings, stands right there. It features a stunning cast iron grand staircase, magnificent imperial interiors, and plenty of stories. I organize tours there. Supported by the Moscow Drama Theater named after S. Yesenin we deliver immersive performances about the past of this place. We show the house from unexpected angles, filling it with characters associated with the place.
