Moscow's Architectural Struggle

the Seven Sisters stand above all other buildings in Moscow, a decision made that crippled the socio-economic status of citizens due to constrained government budgets

Moscow’s collection of gargantuan buildings adopting the Stalinist design traits categorizes the city as one in the mold of influential capitalist centers in the 20^th century. Adopting the imposing architecture of New York in the 20^th century, Joseph Stalin intended for the Seven Sisters Project to dominate the landscape’s space and direct focus to the grandness of the buildings. Moscow, during its battle with the West for the soul of global identity, decided to adopt the architectural trends of the West to construct an identity of physical strength. This adoption of the West’s architectural identity ultimately did more harm than good in the grander scope of history. Russia and Moscow are indeed renown for being 20^th century pioneers in advancing technology from space to nuclear arms but are less revered in their architectural decisions. The government’s budget was constrained by the construction of the Seven Sister buildings for decades before any return on investment occurred. In addition, the citizens of Moscow have not substantially benefitted from the construction of these buildings. While the employment of thousands occurred over the course of time in the maintenance of these buildings indeed is a positive factor, the economic situation of much of these people has not ascended new heights. In this case, the connected identity of architectural design impeded the advancement of one city’s economic situation for non-white-collar workers. This struggle between balancing the adoption of shifting identities of global powerhouses and ensuring the success of all citizens has muddied Moscow’s fight for global influence for decades.

            Marlen Khutsiev’s I Am Twenty captures a snippet of the youths’ culture that closely mirrors the identities of young Westerners. Throughout the film, the grand imposition of Stalinist buildings surrounds the adventures of the film’s young characters as they search for meaning in their lives. The juxtaposition of the architecture that represents the foundational roots of the city with the occurrences between the youth and the mirroring of Western cosmopolitan culture signifies the very identity of Moscow being fought for by forces separated through different temporalities and spaces. Today, Moscow, because of its competition with the West to maintain global control though technology and economic strength, has stagnated the socio-economic progress of many of its citizens who are also at a crossroads with their cultural identity.