Constructivism of Ivanovo-Voznesensk: Vicissitudes of the Ivselbank Building Construction

Abstract

This article examines the vicissitudes of the design and construction of the Ivanovo-Voznesensk Provincial Agricultural Credit Union (Ivselbank) in the city of Ivanovo-Voznesensk in 1927–1928. It was built according to the design of the Soviet constructivist Vesnin. Studies of urban heritage traditionally focus on the activities of project authors, neglecting the role of customers and contractors in the realization of the architectural plan. The approach implemented in this article seeks to remove this asymmetry. The article traces all the phases of the construction from the competition of architectural projects and fundraising to the approval of the building. It also traces the network of relations between the client, the architect, financial institutions, contractors and local press, focusing on the cooperation between the Chairman of Ivselbank, Spiridonov, and the architect Vesnin, a future classic of Soviet constructivism. The research was carried out on the basis of archival documents, including those introduced into scientific circulation for the first time.