The Phenomenon of Contemporary Architecture in Yoshkar-Ola

Abstract

The article is dedicated to the latest architecture of Yoshkar-Ola, for the first time, it professionally analyzes the formation of the architectural environment of the capital of Mari El at the beginning of the 21st century. The implementation of a large-scale plan – the transformation of the city center into a collection of adapted copies of architectural monuments of the past of various countries – is defined as a “phenomenon” and is considered from the point of view of binary oppositions. The following questions are raised about the origins of the declared phenomenon: historical analogues or author's decisions, theatricalization or authenticity, dematerialization or integrity, destruction or creation. The article deliberately does not contain unambiguous conclusions, but it provides detailed author's answers to the questions posed, confirmed by reliance on the theoretical works of leading Russian scientists. The article is accompanied by the author's photos.