Rostov-on-Don is the largest city in Russia, located in the south of the European part of the country. It is home to over 1.1 million people. This article will focus on the architecture of Rostov-on-Don. What buildings can be seen on its streets and squares? What historical eras and architectural styles do they belong to?
Rostov-on-Don: architecture and urban planning
The city is located on the banks of the Don River, just 50 kilometers from the coast of the Sea of ​​Azov. This is a major industrial and cultural center of the country, as well as an important transport hub in the South of Russia. Often it is called the "southern capital" or the "gateway to the Caucasus" (due to its transport and geographical position). Rostov-on-Don is divided into eight administrative districts. The total area of ​​the city is 348.5 square meters. km
Different parts of the city are built up differently. So, almost all historical buildings are concentrated within the Kirov region. Sleeping areas prevail in the Voroshilovsky district in the north of Rostov-on-Don. The architecture of the Pervomaisky district, on the contrary, is represented mainly by private low-rise buildings.
In Rostov-on-Don, there are 482 architectural monuments. Among the most valuable and iconic historical buildings in the city are the City Council, the Shirman apartment building, the Chernova mansion, the Cathedral, the Surb Khach church, and the Rostov Academic Theater. Gorky. In general, the architecture of Rostov-on-Don is represented by several styles. It:
- Russian classicism.
- Brick style.
- Eclecticism.
- Modern.
- Constructivism.
- Neoclassicism.
- Brutalism.
- Modern architecture.
The architectural appearance and the process of modern development is determined by the Department of Architecture and Urban Planning of Rostov-on-Don, which is the branch body of the city administration. In addition, he is responsible for the development of the transport and social infrastructure of the city, as well as the preservation of its historical and cultural heritage. Since the end of 2017, the Department has been headed by Roman Borisovich Ilyugin.
From classicism to modern
Very soon, the city will celebrate its 270th anniversary. Enough solid age! During this time, Rostov-on-Don managed to form its own unique architectural appearance. And each historical era brought something of its own to it. Let's briefly get acquainted with the styles of architecture of the last three centuries on the example of the architecture of Rostov-on-Don.
From the beginning of the 18th century until the middle of the 19th century, classicism dominated Russian architecture. In Rostov-on-Don, the Surb-Khach monastery complex, which was built from 1786 to 1792, can be considered the most striking example of this style. Only a single-domed church with a classic triangular pediment and four columns on the central facade has survived to our days.
In the 19th century, classicism was gradually supplanted by the so-called "brick" style. Brick at that time was the most popular and affordable building material. Residential buildings, temples, fences, industrial buildings were erected from it. In parallel with the brick style, eclecticism is actively developing, combining the features of classicism, baroque, neo-renaissance and even gothic. Perhaps the clearest example of eclecticism in Rostov-on-Don is the building of the City Council (1899). Its facades are tiered, which is expressively emphasized by various (in shape and size) windows.
At the end of the 19th century, modernism bursts into European architecture. Unlike classicism or eclecticism, he completely abandoned the use of architectural orders, and preferred straight lines to natural and smooth ones. In Rostov-on-Don, many beautiful examples of this style have been preserved: the Stepanovs gymnasium, the Yablokovs house, the building of the Vladikavkaz railways department and others.
Functionalism and Constructivism
The rapid development of Art Nouveau in Europe and Russia was abruptly interrupted by the First World War. In the 20s of the last century, functionalism began to develop, and then constructivism. The basis of these two areas - a clear rigor and conciseness of forms, geometry and massiveness (monolithic) of the appearance of the building.
The most valuable architectural monument of Rostov-on-Don, made in the style of constructivism, is the building of the Gorky Rostov Academic Theater. An awkward giant made of concrete, glass and metal grew up on the Theater Square of the city in 1935. The basis of its architectural forms was the first Soviet tractor Kommunar. It is interesting that today the theater building looks quite modern.
Post war architecture
In the late 40s in the Soviet Union they returned to classicism for a short time. Architectural orders, columns, scalloped cornices, pilasters and magnificent stucco molding - all this is reviving again in the Soviet post-war architecture. Almost all administrative, cultural and residential buildings of the 50s are made in the style of neoclassicism (or the "Stalin Empire", as it was also called in the USSR). The yellow building of the Rostov Circus is one of the many examples of this style in the city.
In the 70-80s, Soviet architecture finally and irrevocably departed from the so-called "architectural excesses." Typical construction is developing rapidly. A quite successful example of such development is the Northern housing estate of Rostov-on-Don, designed for 200 thousand inhabitants. In these years, such a direction in architecture as brutalism is also developing. Perhaps the most striking example of this style in Rostov-on-Don is the Sunshine Department Store. Externally, the building is a huge cubic volume, broken by numerous aluminum "knives", the surface of which is completely covered with silver-matte enameled glass.
Modern architecture
The historical agrarian mentality of Rostovites did not favor the construction of high-rise buildings. But the active processes of urbanization did not pass by the "southern capital". At the beginning of the XXI century, the city began to grow with its mini-skyscrapers.
Today, Rostov-on-Don ranks fifth in the ranking of the highest cities in Russia. It has about two hundred buildings, whose height exceeds 50 meters. The highest city building was and remains the Rostov TV Tower (195 meters). If we talk about residential buildings, then the 32-storey LCD “White Angel” will be the absolute leader, with a maximum height of 145 meters. The completion date of the residential complex is scheduled for the end of 2018.