Is it too late for Lissitzky’s Ogonyok?

Is it too late for the only building built by EL LISSITZKY? A so-called "monument of architectural and cultural significance" - Ogonyok is being converted into a hotel, while pretending to undergo a restoration project. Everything that the Moscow Department of Culture is saying is protected under monument law, it is in fact being destroyed (and simply very casually being thrown out). To complicate matters, the address of Ogonyok has changed several times since the building was uncovered in 2007 which raises eyebrows and makes one wonder, what exactly is going on here? When the dust settles from this heavy-handed "restoration", can this even be a called a work of the great El Lissitzky? Read more here: El Lissitzky's Ogonyok Printing Plant Under Threat

PARTIES INVOLVED Lissitzky’s Ogonyok Printing Plant: Regional landmark of historic and cultural significance Zhurgaz Residential Journalist Housing: Regional landmark of historic and cultural significance Кино-7 (Kino-7): Developer; Кино-7 belongs to the Cinematographers Union, led by Nikita Mikhalkov Inteko: Investor, construction company; Inteko previously an enterprise of Elena Baturina, the wife of former Moscow Mayor Luzhkov MAIN ISSUES OF CONCERN • Inteko is building in two historical zones (XVIII century estate and Ogonyok/Zhurgaz plot), and only 5-7 meters from Ogonyok; Lumiere is 12 storys while the tallest neighboring buildings are 3-5 stories • undisclosed restoration project, with clear violation of what is allowed as restoration work • activities at Ogonyok have been going on for several years already, without any accountability • Ogonyok’s change of address from 17 (which included all buildings on the territory) to being split as several different address TIMELINE Plain - Lissitzky / Bold- Ogonyok / Italics - Lumiere 1914 Graduated from the Riga Polytechnic Institute 1919-1921 Taught at Vitebsk Art School with Kazmir Malevich 1922 Moved to Germany, illustrated the magazine Veshch 1920’s Lived in Holland, Switzerland 1930’s Taught at VKHUTEMAS March 2, 1930 Lissitzky asked to design a printing house for Ogonyok 1931-1933 Construction of Ogonyok 1933-34 After worsening of Lissitzky’s health condition, M. Barshch completes the construction 1934-1938 Ogonyok printing plant 1938-1990s NKVD, MGB, KGB, FSB (security services) 1990s- early 2000s Ogonyok abandoned (lost) 1994 Plot of land (17Б) given to Cinematographers Union 2003 Plans for Lumiere residential building with underground parking, not approved 2005 Inteko joins the project, project gets approval 2006 Plans for Ogonyok's demolition July 26, 2007 Included into the Register of Cultural Heritage of the city of Moscow April 30, 2008 Building permit approved Aug 21, 2008 Recognized as a cultural heritage landmark of the city of Moscow Oct 12, 2008 Put up a fence for the construction site, construction begins Oct 12, 2008 Fire on the roof of Ogonyok (arson suspected) Dec 2009 Attempt to remove Ogonyok from the list of monuments June 2011 Work halted by the Moscow government to correct the design plans (make adjustments to the entrance to underground parking which had been planned on Ogonyok territory) Dec 4, 2012 Assigned status of a regional landmark of historic and cultural significance April 19, 2013 Received approval to continue with construction work LAWS The entire area of the printing house and surrounding buildings belongs to a 17th-century layer of the historical Troitskaya Sloboda settlement, and represents a cultural heritage site at the federal level (as per presidential decree #176 of 02-20-1995), a zone of strictly regulated development, and territory of protected cultural layer #001 (as per Moscow city ordinance #545 of 07-07-1998). Appendix 4 to the decision of the Government of Moscow on December 4, 2012 N 691-ПП Mode of use of the land located within the boundaries of a cultural heritage site of regional significance "Printing Plant Joint Stock Company "Ogonyok", 1930-1933, architect L.M. Lissitzky, 1933-1934, architect M.O. Barshch" address: 1 Samotechny Lane, 17, c1 (Scheme 2 N) - The prohibition of capital construction, distortion of the traditional characteristics of evolutionarily current composition of the historical site, introduction of changes in the characteristics of the natural landscape making the single composition pattern with the object of cultural heritage; - The restoration of cultural heritage, and ensure the continued appearance of the interior of an object of cultural heritage in accordance with the characteristics of the object (the object of protection), the elimination of discordant objects, gardening and landscaping in accordance with the agreed project in due course of restoration and adaptation; accessibility of cultural heritage to their exposure to ensure the preservation of the traditional visual perception of an object of cultural heritage from the main view points and lookouts, ensuring the safety measures of cultural heritage, its fire safety, protection from dynamic effects; - Reconstruction of utilities and roads without violating the integrity of the cultural heritage and creating the threat of causing their damage, destruction or demolition. http://www.garant.ru/products/ipo/prime/doc/70176042/ LINKS news report on Ogonyok under threat http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YBWVTZyX7d4 21.10.08 Avant-Guard “on Somateke” http://realty.lenta.ru/articles/2008/10/21/print/ 19.1.10 El Lissitzky Printing Plant and Zhurgaz house, Money and Power Against Architecture http://www.oginoknauss.org/blog/?p=1170 3.10 Moscow authorities’ campaign of ‘cultural vandalism’ continues apace http://www.oginoknauss.org/blog/?p=1635 2.4.10 Printing Plant “Ogonyok” is no longer an object of cultural heritage http://www.vesti.ru/doc.html?id=350788 20.12.11 Threatened El Lissitzky’s Printing Plant http://www.oginoknauss.org/blog/?p=2497 15.1.12 Star by the name of El http://www.snob.ru/profile/16181/blog/45194 17.11.12 The FSB moves into the architectural complex of Lissitzky’s Printing Plant http://frondetv.ru/article/v-arkhitekturnyi-kompleks-tipografii-lisitskogo-pereedet-fsb 4.12.12 "El Lissitzky's Printing Plant" recognized as an architectural monument http://dkn.mos.ru/presscenter/news/osnovnoy_razdel/624484/#.UdiJ8pwl9PJ 4.12.12 The Former Printing Plant Ogonyok will become a hotel http://www.vmdaily.ru/news/tipografiya-zhurnala-ogonek-stanet-arhitekturnim-pamyatnikom1354619023.html 27.2.13 Demolition of a prototype of a "horizontal skyscraper" is banned http://vmdaily.ru/news/2013/02/27/prototip-gorizontalnogo-neboskreba-snosit-zapretili-185053.html 24.4.13 The logic does not fit, The authorities have recognized both the presence and absence of landmarks in the 1st lane Samotechny http://www.newizv.ru/society/2013-04-24/181624-logika-ne-vystraivaetsja.html 18.6.2013 Ogonyok Printing Plant: Survey on June 18, 2013 [photos] http://old.theconstructivistproject.com/ogonyok-printing-plant-survey-on-june-18-2013