Recovering of Missing Historical Areas (on the Example of the City of Kaliningrad)

Abstract

The modern state of architectural spaces of big and small Russian historical cities and towns, suffered by multitude destructions during XX century happened by different reasons including military activities, raises the question of using the method of recreation of missing historical monuments, complexes, and whole areas.

"Recovering" as method need to become one of the paths of a broad program of modernization of historical cities, that will help to save cultural and historical heritage and to develop the travel industry.

From all the cities of Russia and the former Soviet Union, the fate of the city Kaliningrad (the former capital of Prussia Koenigsberg) may be the most dramatic and interesting.

After the end of military actions, when European states and the Soviet Union started the reconstruction of ruining quarters, Kaliningrad appears to be most extraneous  enemy military trophy, where all hate to the military fascism was transposed to the architecture of the city.

The article describes results of experimental MARCHI projects, made during the last several years, starting from 2007, connected with recovering of the historical center of former Koenigsberg with including of necessary functions of modern Kaliningrad.

The main positions of MARCHI conception on the recovery of the historical center of Kaliningrad are:

• recovery of destroyed historical quarters;
• recovery of King Castle in transparent constructions;
• reorganization of the city center transport with the relocation of Moscow avenue underground;
• realization of a broad program of allocation in the city center theaters and concert halls, that will transform Kaliningrad to the West center of Russian culture and art.

At the end of the article is given an observation of many advantages in case of realization of proposed conception.