13 Facts About Nikolai Ladovsky

Nikolai Alexandrovich Ladovsky was a Russian avant-garde architect and educator, leader of the rationalist movement in 1920s architecture, an approach emphasizing human perception of space and shape.

In 1915, when the School celebrated its 50th birthday, Nikolai Ladovsky became a speaker for a group of students demanding change in their training program.

Nikolai Ladovsky graduated from the School in the year of the economic collapse that accompanied the Russian Revolution of 1917.

In December 1920 Nikolai Ladovsky became a regular speaker at the Institute of Artistic Culture ; here in the course of a five-month convention of architects he forged the doctrine of "rationalism," an approach emphasizing human perception of space and shape, and placing art of architecture above bare engineering.

Nikolai Ladovsky triumphantly presented his program of training at VKhUTEMAS and joined the faculty.

Nikolai Ladovsky's amended doctrine of "rationalism" called for implementing these rules of perception in practical architecture and city planning.

Nikolai Ladovsky further alienated himself from the Constructivist majority by emphasizing the need to assist human orientation in the cities, a concept disregarded by Constructivists:.

However, Nikolai Ladovsky lost the race to constructivists as early as in 1922, during the contest for the Palace of Labor in Moscow.

Nikolai Ladovsky anticipated that the conservative members of the jury would fail avant-garde entries, and persuaded his group members to boycott the contest.

Nikolai Ladovsky realized that ASNOVA represented VKhuTEMAS faculty rather than practical architects, and in 1928 set up ARU, composed of VKhuTEMAS students.

This, according to Nikolai Ladovsky, reduced the need for high-rise construction in the center and traffic congestion.

Nikolai Ladovsky proposed converting narrow Bolshaya Ordynka Street into a wide avenue, replacing all historical buildings and the existing street network with monotonous rows of new high-rise buildings similar to later, 1970-s, Soviet designs.

Nikolai Ladovsky took part in the first and third rounds of the Palace of Soviets contest.