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I just want to say that maybe I knock on Seattle a little hard because America is a different society than Russia. The biggest aspect seems to be America and Seattle are newer, we don't have the historical legacy that Russia has. Our style of building is different and in my opinion leaves a lot to be desired. In Moscow you can see all the green spaces, the wide sidewalks and boulevards. It's very people friendly. Seattle is very different, more sterile with less green more concrete and sometimes places to walk and enjoy are more of an afterthought.
Beauty costs, especially if you're trying to create it like here in America. It Russia beauty in many forms was created and preserved over many centuries. Russian cabors are beautiful, and some very old. American churches tend to be dark, brooding piles of brick or rock not in any way inviting like a Russian church is.
I think people who've been there can understand what I'm saying. It's really a great example of one thing Russia and America could learn from one another.
Not all cities are that old in Russia, Vladivostok and Seattle were being settled around the same time.
I just want to say that maybe I knock on Seattle a little hard because America is a different society than Russia. The biggest aspect seems to be America and Seattle are newer, we don't have the historical legacy that Russia has. Our style of building is different and in my opinion leaves a lot to be desired. In Moscow you can see all the green spaces, the wide sidewalks and boulevards. It's very people friendly. Seattle is very different, more sterile with less green more concrete and sometimes places to walk and enjoy are more of an afterthought.
Well current government is destroying that city and "Americanizing" it with alarming speed. They are turning it more and more into faceless megalopolis American style, destroying parks and historical sites/buildings, while trying to replace it with more and more high-rise buildings, with no traditional "yards" in-between, constantly increasing the density of population. Moscow is all about "booming business" - so all these people on top want is more and more money. ( I saw yet another petition on-line, collecting signatures to STOP this outrageous trend. I can only wish the Moscovites "good luck," because these people on top will not stop, until like locust they won't destroy that city and its original design completely.)
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Beauty costs, especially if you're trying to create it like here in America. It Russia beauty in many forms was created and preserved over many centuries.
America is really not about "beauty" - it's about practicality first of all.
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Russian cabors are beautiful, and some very old. American churches tend to be dark, brooding piles of brick or rock not in any way inviting like a Russian church is.
This is really not about America VS Russia, but rather "New World" VS "Old World," because there are plenty of other places/cathedrals in Europe that are beautiful ( don't know about the "inviting" part))) )
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I think people who've been there can understand what I'm saying. It's really a great example of one thing Russia and America could learn from one another.
Unfortunately Russia seems to be learning only the WORST from America.
They manage to skip the good part all together ( I am talking about the current government of course.)
Well current government is destroying that city and "Americanizing" it with alarming speed. They are turning it more and more into faceless megalopolis American style, destroying parks and historical sites/buildings, while trying to replace it with more and more high-rise buildings, with no traditional "yards" in-between, constantly increasing the density of population. Moscow is all about "booming business" - so all these people on top want is more and more money. ( I saw yet another petition on-line, collecting signatures to STOP this outrageous trend. I can only wish the Moscovites "good luck," because these people on top will not stop, until like locust they won't destroy that city and its original design completely.)
America is really not about "beauty" - it's about practicality first of all.
This is really not about America VS Russia, but rather "New World" VS "Old World," because there are plenty of other places/cathedrals in Europe that are beautiful ( don't know about the "inviting" part))) )
Unfortunately Russia seems to be learning only the WORST from America.
They manage to skip the good part all together ( I am talking about the current government of course.)
Depends on your definition of beautiful. I HATE the Gothic style!
I asked this question earlier, I don't think it got answered: is there anything like a historic preservation movement in Russia, or at least--in some cities? Or is it generally believed, with the exception of churches and perhaps a few "old town" districts around the country, that "new" is better, and "old" is backward and unattractive?
Depends on your definition of beautiful. I HATE the Gothic style!
I asked this question earlier, I don't think it got answered: is there anything like a historic preservation movement in Russia, or at least--in some cities? Or is it generally believed, with the exception of churches and perhaps a few "old town" districts around the country, that "new" is better, and "old" is backward and unattractive?
A old building is protected by law only if it is recognized as a cultural heritage monument. In practice, this is used quite often.
+ A city has an urban construction plan. A building with a non-standard architecture may not allow for construction.
Maxim. Don't. Get. Me. Even. Started. Here.
There is NO LAW in Russia, where money are concerned.
The "cultural heritage monument" stops being such, as soon as some ****ty developer with "right connections" wants that prized possession - the land, the location. And this goes first of all for Moscow, with all its banks and with all its booming economy, where half of the country is moving to.
So to answer your question Ruth - yes, hypothetically speaking the law exists. It just doesn't work where potential profits are concerned. Moscow has been destroyed in that sense a great deal by the "New Russians," and this locust wanted to destroy St. Petersburg too - they were stopped ONLY by INTERNATIONAL organizations ( namely UNESCO.) Any mass protests of the citizens, their attempt to protest this barbarism is simply disregarded, and when people ( who KNOW the historic value of the buildings) demand to see the proof of permission for demolition or what's not, these thugs proceed with destruction of historic buildings at night.
I've seen so many petitions/outcries on my facebook in this regard - I've already stopped counting.
P.S. Maxim, what I've said earlier was in no way a put down for you.
It's just simply ( I'm sure) you are not aware of those things, because (as you've mentioned earlier) you are not a native Moscovite, so you are not watching for those kind of things that native Moscovites do, because living there generation after generation, THEY know the difference, and the destruction of the historic part of Moscow that started taking place under the damn Y. Luzhkov and proceeded under the current mayor as well.
And of course I have no snobbish attitude towards you as some Moscovites do towards the "newcomers."
I'm sure given the choice, you'd vote to keep the history in place.
In fact I have nothing but respect for Russian guys like you, even though I'm sure we are coming originally from different places and different upbringing.
There is NO LAW in Russia, where money are concerned.
The "cultural heritage monument" stops being such, as soon as some ****ty developer with "right connections" wants that prized possession - the land, the location. And this goes first of all for Moscow, with all its banks and with all its booming economy, where half of the country is moving to.
So to answer your question Ruth - yes, hypothetically speaking the law exists. It just doesn't work where potential profits are concerned. Moscow has been destroyed in that sense a great deal by the "New Russians," and this locust wanted to destroy St. Petersburg too - they were stopped ONLY by INTERNATIONAL organizations ( namely UNESCO.) Any mass protests of the citizens, their attempt to protest this barbarism is simply disregarded, and when people ( who KNOW the historic value of the buildings) demand to see the proof of permission for demolition or what's not, these thugs proceed with destruction of historic buildings at night.
I've seen so many petitions/outcries on my facebook in this regard - I've already stopped counting.
"Sad" doesn't quite describe it Ruth.
The way I see it - a very dangerous precedent has been set 25 years ago, where Russia was encouraged/allowed to be ruled by the profits as major force, instead of the "national interests."
This is just one of the examples of it, but there are many other consequences too, and there are more to follow I'm sure.
P.S. I love Gothic ( and Neo-Gothic) architecture in Germany, I love it in France; but I intensely dislike it in the US. Interestingly enough, there is a difference.)))
America is really not about "beauty" - it's about practicality first of all.
I don't think practicality has a lot to do with it. It's efficiency in design for the maximization of profit at the expense of quality of life. Perhaps as you pointed out the way Moscow is going. Where Greg lives (Federal Way Wa) is a victim of the same thing. The population density in the area makes life much tougher for most people. I rarely go there, the traffic is abysmal and will go to great lengths to avoid passing through it. I live on Kents west hill just NE of his city and there are apt complexes sprouting all up and down military road. The traffic will soon be just like his.
Maybe I can retire in the Altai, live in a cave and fight bears for food.
I don't think practicality has a lot to do with it. It's efficiency in design for the maximization of profit at the expense of quality of life. Perhaps as you pointed out the way Moscow is going. Where Greg lives (Federal Way Wa) is a victim of the same thing. The population density in the area makes life much tougher for most people. I rarely go there, the traffic is abysmal and will go to great lengths to avoid passing through it. I live on Kents west hill just NE of his city and there are apt complexes sprouting all up and down military road. The traffic will soon be just like his.
"Efficiency" of course, it's a much better word in this case))) ( In Russian "practicality" is a synonym of "efficiency." )
I know what you are saying about Federal Way - I used to live in those places when Seattle was still voted "the most livable city in the US."
Those times are long gone, naturally. I know what happened and why, and yes, Moscow is heading the same way, unfortunately. ( Did I mention that the bag with goodies "American version of economy is the most successful one" ( instead of European versions of mixed economy,) has been shamelessly sold to Russians 25 years ago, and I see the results, starting from the destruction of Moscow.
It's the *beauty of the market* - what "market dictates," but markets don't "dictate" anything out of nowhere.
"Efficiency" of course, it's a much better word in this case))) ( In Russian "practicality" is a synonym of "efficiency." )
I know what you are saying about Federal Way - I used to live in those places when Seattle was still voted "the most livable city in the US."
Those times are long gone, naturally. I know what happened and why, and yes, Moscow is heading the same way, unfortunately. ( Did I mention that the bag with goodies "American version of economy is the most successful one" ( instead of European versions of mixed economy,) has been shamelessly sold to Russians 25 years ago, and I see the results, starting from the destruction of Moscow.
It's the *beauty of the market* - what "market dictates," but markets don't "dictate" anything out of nowhere.
Erasure, don't start!
But you're correct that the whole self-regulating-market theory was bogus. It was a theory some conservative economists came up with to support business' push for deregulation. "Who needs regulation? The market regulates itself! *chirp* "
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