RESPONSIBILITY OF THE UNION OF ARCHITECTS FOR SUSTAINING THE LOCAL VISUAL AND CULTURAL IDENTITY OF KRASNOYARSK AS A PROSPECTIVE CULTURAL CAPITAL OF EASTERN SIBERIA

Abstract

Krasnoyarsk has a rich and significant cultural and architectural history (since 1628), embodied in its architectural monuments and urban environment. After the fall of the Soviet Union with its well-defined visual and mental ideology (J. Charley), Krasnoyarsk, like many Russian cities, seems to have developed erratically. Additionally, the link between society and the built environment has been lost. However, the preservation of cultural layers is of importance (C. Abel; P. Emmons) and one of the key elements needed for national consciousness and a sense of national belonging (V. Putin, decree of 2009). The Krasnoyarsk office of The All-Russian Union of Architects had the rights and responsibility for the formation of a comfortable and relevant architectural environment and interactions between the environment and society during the Soviet Union period; however, currently, it is, in fact, fragmented and has lost its rights. Moreover, this Union is gradually dying as an institution and should be reinvented, according to current needs of society (New Institutionalism, Meyer, Rowan). Thus, the main question of the article is: how could the Union of Architects return the prerogative for identification and sustaining of the local visual and cultural identity of Krasnoyarsk, acting as a connector of the society and the built environment?Using elements of historical-correlation research (L. Groat, D. Wang), relying on case studies of existing approaches around the Western World and the existing theories of urban power distribution (Domhoff, Mossberger, Stoker, etc) along with instruments of participation (Hofmann, Lee, etc.), the initial work called Agency of Identity (D. Belova, MA thesis, Sheffield, UK, 2017) was aimed to develop the scenario of programme implementation for the Union of Architects as an Agency of Identity (‘Mapping Controversies’, Yaneva). Finally, the preliminary strategy was developed to provide the Union with the scenario of empowerment. This could become a social experiment, potentially used for future research.