Ivan Zholtovsky - Workshop No.1, 1932-1941

Workshop No.1, 1932-1941

In 1931-1932, the State consolidated once mosaic architectural profession. In June, 1931, Central Committee authorized three megaprojects – reconstruction of Moscow, Moscow Canal and Moscow Metro, creating thousands of architectural and engineering jobs under tight state control. A fourth megaproject, Palace of Soviets, was already in design contest stage. Zholtovsky shared contest prize with Boris Iofan and Hector Hamilton; Iofan's draft was later selected. Zholtovsky, however, refused to work for Metro, believing that the lowly underground job is not worth his time.

After the carrot came the stick: in April 1932 another Party ruling outlawed all independent artistic unions; they were replaced with state-controlled Union of Soviet architects (July 1932) and Academy of Architecture (1933).

Independent architects had to join state projects, switch to bureaucratic jobs (Victor Vesnin) or quit (like Melnikov did). Reconstruction of Moscow project was set up as 10 state architectural workshops, roughly corresponding to the radial sectors of the city. Zholtovsky was invited to lead Workshop No.1; like other old architects (Shchusev, Vladimir Shchuko, Ivan Fomin), he fitted perfectly in Stalin’s system. His educational work was in high esteem: in 1935 and 1937 Politbureau appointed him to speak on education at the forthcoming Congress of Architects (this Congress was delayed twice, and each time list of speakers was approved at the very top).

His pre-war works range from seaside resorts to industrial freezers, although his actual personal input to each project, with a few exceptions, is not clear. His most influential, undisputed work, highly praised by officials, was completed in 1934, right across the Kremlin. An apartment house at Mokhovaya Street, originally House of Engineers and Technicians (Дом ИТР) is still known as Zholtovsky House.