Mr. President, Save The Melnikov’s House!
Vladimir Belogolovsky

Architects all over the world know that modern architecture owes much of its ingenious forms and effects to the dynamic and utopian ideas of the art movement known as Russian Constructivism. They should also know that the gem of this great legacy, The Melnikov’s House (1927-1929), is now in danger of being demolished in Moscow.
Konstantin Melnikov (1890-1974) was a Russian architect and a major figure of the Constructivist avant-garde in the early 20th century. The architect’s own house-studio — an expressionist composition of two interlocking cylinders made of brick and covered in stucco with a pattern of 200 hexagonal windows — is the finest example of his influential work.
Last month, the architect’s son Viktor Melnikov, who lived in the house for the entirety of his life, passed away at the age of 92. He was the House’s devoted keeper and his father’s priceless archive preserver. His House was the number one stop for many world-renowned architects on their visits to Moscow, the city of dazzling architectural wonders. With Viktor’s death, the House’s fate hangs in a precarious limbo.
One half of the House’s ownership is in dispute in a local court; the fight for its lawful claim is between the younger daughter of Viktor Melnikov and the State. The other half belongs to the architect’s nephew. Just days ago the nephew’s share was purchased by a powerful senator, Sergey Gordeyev, who publicly announced his good cause and interest in financing the House’s preservation and establishing the great architect’s museum there.
This may sound like a fairytale in the making, but a more careful look at the senator’s past endeavors revealed recently in Kommersant, the most esteemed Russian daily newspaper, leads to other conclusions or at least possibilities. Until 2003 the senator was the founder and the director of Rosbuilding, the group that specializes in the takeover of enterprises, compulsively shutting them down and subsequently selling off the land on which they stand. And the value of the land where The Melnikov’s House stands is inordinately high — 30 to 40 million US dollars.
In the next couple of days the local court should decide whether to grant the ownership of one half of the house to the younger daughter of the architect or to the State. The State’s case is founded on Viktor Melnikov’s public denouncement of his daughter from his will, which he signed a couple of years ago. The architect’s son claimed that the daughter obtained his signature through manipulative means. There is a real danger now that the court may recognize the daughter’s claim to the property as valid, despite the deceased finalized will. If that happens, and Viktor Melnikov’s daughter gets the other half of the House, nothing will stop the senator from buying it out in the months to come. This may not directly lead to tragedy, but if such an important monument lands in private possession it can then change hands freely and no one but the owner will be able to secure its fate in the future. The fairytale can collapse with the brutal destruction of the House whose monitory value is much smaller than the cost of the land upon which it stands.
Juhani Pallasmaa, author of the 1996 book entitled, "The Melnikov House." writes about the iconic work: "In its metaphysical impact and instrument-like character, The Melnikov’s House can be compared with only a few projects and executed buildings of modernity, such as Adolf Loos’ Josephine Baker House (project, 1928), Pierre Chareau’s Maison de Verre (1928-1932), Paul Nelson’s Suspended House (project, 1936-38) and the Casa Malaparte of Adalberto Libera and Curzio Malaparte (1938-40). The combination of archaic force and utopianism, of Romantic Classicism and revolutionary avant-garde in the basic concept of The Melnikov’s House compensates for the lack of aesthetic and technical sophistication which characterize other masterpieces of modernity."
In his work Melnikov not only broke with classical traditions of architecture but also rebelled against the machine aesthetic of Le Corbusier, venturing into a more poetic form of Modernism. The architect said: "Who decides on the function of a cello? The function of that instrument might tell us that it should be made of wood, although maybe nylon cellos will be created someday. The function tells us that the cello should have four strings, though I have heard that there used to be six-string cellos. Beyond this, ‘function’ merely means a particular person’s taste. Suppose, for example, that I am designing a house for you. You are a certain age now, but in twenty years you will be that much older. Your life will have changed and the ‘functional’ needs will have changed with it, yet you will still want to live in the same house. No, function cannot provide all the answers." (S. Frederick Starr. Melnikov: Solo Architect in a Mass Society. p. 241.)
The Melnikov’s House is not only a great masterpiece but also the place where he lived with his family for many years after being banned from architectural practice in 1937. Despite the fact that his work influenced so many architects in the world the architect was only recognized in his own country two years before his death in 1974.
The influence of Constructivism is greatly felt in projects being built all over the world by such leading contemporary architects as Rem Koolhaas, Zaha Hadid, Daniel Libeskind and Bernard Tschumi, to name just a few. The legacy of Constructivism is alive and well, and it will be told and retold by future generations of the profession’s best adversaries. Still, we must act swiftly to make sure this unique work — an integral part of world heritage – is saved and preserved physically, and not just virtually.
The following text is the open letter addressed to the President of Russia, Vladimir Putin. Why Putin? Because traditionally Russia has lived under a tremendous, centralized power and this is where it turns to plead for the mercy of its top official as the very last reserve in seeking justice. The forces allied with the architect’s younger daughter will try to sway the court’s decision in securing her rights over the remaining half of the house. There is hardly any doubt that the script is already written and the roles are assigned: she will be paid a fraction of the real cost of the house — a princely sum for an average Russian – and than dismissed.
The future of The Melnikov’s House will fall into the hands of one private owner. This should not happen. The international community of architects should voice their protest and force the government to step in and preserve the House and then turn to the Culture Ministry of the Russian Federation to place The Melnikov’s House on its most urgent agenda for preservation. Please read the following text and, if it is in your power, distribute it among your colleagues and friends to set the precedent for saving an architectural treasure in Moscow, a city where hundreds of monuments have fallen victim in the unrivaled real-estate development frenzy of the past ten years.
OPEN LETTER TO HIS EXCELENCY, PRESIDENT OF RUSSIA VLADIMIR PUTIN
Mister President,/
We consider it our duty to draw your attention to the untenable situation that is developing around the remarkable Melnikov House in Moscow. The international cultural community is filled with misgivings about the future of this architectural masterpiece.
The Melnikov House, built in 1929, by the great Russian architect Konstantin Melnikov (1890-1974) immediately became a global icon of Twentieth Century Architecture. The Melnikov House is one of the most important tourist sights of Moscow and one of the most important buildings in Russia. It is the cultural property of the whole of mankind. The Melnikov House was included and published in the 2006 World Monuments Fund Watch List of the world’s most important threatened landmark buildings, the fate of which demands the participation of all international society. In this list there are only six buildings of the 20th century, of which two are in Russia.
The only guardian of the Melnikov House for the last 32 years was the son and heir of the great architect, the artist Viktor Melnikov. It is well known that Viktor Melnikov saw his life as a mission and that he preserved the house practically untouched. He did not sell a single of his father’s works despite their great value and his own modest material situation.
During his heroic life, Viktor Melnikov did everything in his power to protect the cultural legacy of his father from many encroachments. During his life, the Melnikov House functioned as an informal museum visited by a huge number of people from all over the world including many leading figures in the arts. Viktor Melnikov died on 5th February of this year at the age of 92, leaving behind a legally irreproachable will to the Russian State. He willed the house and everything in it to become a State Museum. He personally promulgated this document at a press conference in March 2005 attended by the world press.
From publications in the world press it has become known to us that on the day of Viktor Melnikov’s death an attempted seizure of the house was made. At the present time, influential Russian persons with seats in the Federal organs and famous for their success in the business of ‘unfriendly expropriations’ of properties in Moscow are attempting to pervert the course of justice and posthumously deprive Viktor Melnikov of his property.
Mr. President, we hope that your personal active participation in the future destiny of this invaluable masterpiece will allow the execution of Victor Melnikov’s will and the creation of a museum of world value in full conformity with the expectations of the international community.
Yours sincerely,
http://www.kommersant.ru/doc.html?DocID=656518&IssueId=30039
http://www.maps-moscow.com/index.php?chapter_id=149&data_id=169&do=view_single
http://www.compromat.ru/main/mix/rosbldngmeln.htm