CONTENTS
Preface 9
Chapter 1. Introduction
What was Soviet Modernism? 13
1.1. From Socialist Realism to Real Socialism:
Strict Economics and a New Communist Party Programme 17
1.2. New Territorial Planning and a Network of Modernisation 19
1.3. Urbanisation and the Tiered System
of Public Cultural and Consumer Services 21
1.4. Socialist Modernism and Cold War Tensions 23
1.5. The Idiosyncrasies of Soviet Modernism 27
1.6. Soviet Modernism and Planning History 28
Chapter 2. Baltic Modernism in the Soviet Period 31
2.1. The Sovietisation of Lithuanian Architecture from 1940-1955 35
2.1.1. Soviet Urban Planning and the Hierarchy of Cities 38
2.1.2. A Hierarchy of Buildings in Soviet Lithuania 43
2.1.3. Speaking Buildings 49
2.1.4. . The End of Socialist Realist Architecture 52
2.2. Emancipation from Stalinism -
The Transitional Period, 1955-1958 55
2.3. The Rise of the Lithuanian School
of Modernist Architecture, 1959-1969 59
2.3.1. A Critical Architectural Mass 61
2.3.2. Symbolic Geographies of Modernism 53
2.3.3. Destinat ion Finland: Lithuanian Architects Meet Architecture 66
2.3.4. The Interior Decade 68
2.3.5. Optimistic Lightness and Environmental Sensitivity 73
2.4. The 1970s: Modernisation within the Confines of Stagnation 78
2.4.1. Forms Taken by Late Soviet Modernism 80
2.4.2. Folkloric Regionalism 87
2.5 . Toward Postmodernism: The Final Soviet Decade, 1979-1989 91
Chapter 3. Industrialisation, Urbanisation
and New Territorial Planning 97
3.1. Regional Planning and the Concept
of Uniform National Development 99
3.2. New Industrial Cities : A Showcase of Socialism 106
3.3. Rural Urbanisation 116
3.3.1. The First Phase of Collectivisation 119
3.3.2. Phase Two: Urban Standards for Collective Settlements 122
3.3.3. Phase Three: The Pursu it of Individuality 130
3.3.4. Juknaiciai -Atop of Kolkhoz Arch itecture 138
Chapter 4. Residential Housing 147
4.1. Cheaper, Faster, More: Large-panel Construction
in the USSR and Western Expertise 149
4.2. Mikrorayon -The Central Doctrine
of Soviet Modernist Urban Planning 152
4.3 . Architecture Begins in the Factory:
Introducing Mass Housing and Mikrorayon in Lithuania 154
4.3.1. Drawing the First Mikrorayons 156
4.3.2. Experimental Design 162
4.3.3. The Z irmOnai Resident ial District. 166
4.4. Lazdynai - A Breakthrough in Soviet Residential Design 169
4.5. Critique of Mikrorayon and the Pursuit of Individuality
over Standardisation 180
4.6. Alternatives to Mass Housing Construction in Lithuania 193
4.6.1. Apartments for the Nomenklatura 195
4.6.2. Cooperative Houses 200
4.6.3. The Creativ ity of Artistic Organisations 203
4.6.4. . Private Homes 211
Chapter 5. Collective Welfare.
In the Service of Soviet Society 217
5.1. Renewal in Soviet City Centres 221
5.1.1. Sov iet Central Business Districts 221
5.1.2. More Recreational and Pedestrian Space in City Centres 225
5.2. Educational and Health Facilities 229
5.2.1. Experimentation in School Des ign 229
5.2.2. Large Univers ity Campuses 235
5.2.3. Large Hospital Comp lexes 238
5.3. Consumerist Recreation: Stores, Cafes, and Restaurants 243
5.3.1. An Imagined Shopp ing Paradise 243
5.3.2. Mikrorayon Centre - A New Type
of Shopp ing and Leisure Structu re 248
5.3.3. Public Cate ring 254
5.4. Collective Holidays 259
5.4.1. Sett ing High Standards for Resort Architecture 263
5.4.2. Preservat ion and Invention of Genius Loci 267
5.5. Soviet Hospitality: Hotels and Guesthouses 271
5.6. Civilised Leisure Time: Cultural Halls, Cinemas,
Museums and Theatres 279
5.6.1. Cultural Halls 280
5.6.2. . Cinemas 286
5.6.3. Cultural and Sports Buildings in Major Cities 290
5.7. Inventing New Soviet Rituals : Wedding and Funeral Palaces 299
5.7.1. Civil Wedding Palaces 300
5.7.2. Funeral Palaces 306
Epilogue 313
Abbreviations 316
Bibliography 316