Kursaal in Livadia. The Forgotten Monument of the Stalin Era

Abstract

The article aims to eliminate the knowledge gap and draw attention to a remarkable architectural monument of the mid-20th century, which is under threat of destruction. The object of the research is the park complex and the building of the open-air theater of the Soviet time, which became a worthy and organic continuation of the imperial palace and park ensemble of Livadia. The project name of the architectural monument, "Kursaal", was established, in addition to the later fixed definition of a Summer cinema. According to the archival documents the dates of the construction, which started when the Livadia ensemble was Stalin's state house and completed after its transfer to the trade union sanatorium, are determined. For the first time the reconstruction of the town-planning composition, structure, and layout of the complex is undertaken, and the degree of preservation is determined. The artistic style and plastic decoration of the work are analyzed.

The work is based on searching for archival documents, in field and restoration studies. The system of data is formed, and justifications for taking urgent measures to preserve the valuable monument of Soviet neoclassicism and assigning it the official status of a heritage object are presented. The practical significance of the scientific restoration of the Kursaal and its introduction into the display objects of the Livadia Palace Museum is emphasized, as well as the reserves for the introduction of the structure into the public life of Bolshaya Yalta.