From drawing to book: how "The Birth of Scale" exposition became a publication on architecture
The unique book "Architecture. The Birth of Scale" was published following the large-scale architectural exposition "The Birth of Scale" held by the National Centre RUSSIA. The publication was presented by Andrei Chernikhov, head of the curator team and chief architect of the exposition, during the closing ceremony on July 30.
"We managed to produce a 304-page book in an unprecedentedly short time," noted Andrei Chernikhov. "This publication, like the exposition 'The Birth of Scale' itself, tells the story of the great eras of our country that have always inspired monumental architectural projects. It is about the exceptional patrons of different times — from emperors and princes to party leaders. Their ambitions found expression in the creation of a new capital in Saint Petersburg or in the urban revolution of Catherine the Great. In our book, Constructivism is presented not merely as an architectural style, but as a large-scale project for building a new country, in which architects, scientists and designers took part, demonstrating the highest level of professionalism."
The structure of the book largely reflects the concept of the exposition "The Birth of Scale" and includes the main sections of the display: "Architecture of the Great Era," "The City in Rus'," "The Socialist City," "The Russian Module," "Constructivism," "Soviet Modernism," "The Poles of Russia," "Archschool," "The Russian Skyscraper," and "The Celestial City."
Andrei Chernikhov noted that even despite the considerable volume of the book, capturing the rich history of Russian architecture was not an easy task:
"The architectural and urban legacy of our country is truly vast. However, our book turned out to be sincere, honest, and created with great love. When I hold the finished result in my hands, I feel genuine joy at how successfully we brought our vision to life."
The final day of the exposition "The Birth of Scale" took place at the National Centre RUSSIA on July 30.
The exposition also became an important space for professional dialogue with the international architectural community.
As part of the exposition, an extensive educational programme was implemented, including children's workshops and a series of enlightening lectures titled "Symbols of Time" with Yelizaveta Likhacheva.
In the near future, visitors will be able to purchase the book "Architecture. The Birth of Scale" at the department store of the National Centre RUSSIA.
The Leningrad region celebrates its 98th anniversary on August 1.
