Alexei Komech; Guardian of Russia's built heritage
Hyfler/Rosner
Guardian of Russia's built heritage
The Independent
11 May 2007
Clementine Cecil
Alexei Komech, an eminent historian of ancient Russian and
Byzantine architecture, was best known as a leading figure
in the struggle for the preservation of Russia's
architectural heritage. He had been involved in preservation
since the mid-Eighties when the movement - in setting out to
oppose official policy - was one of the catalysts of the
fall of Communism.
When Komech became Director of Russia's State Institute of
Art History in 1994, he set about restoring its elegant
19th-century mansion to a high standard. Beautifully
finished caryatids kept watch over visitors waiting to see
him. His study, piles of books and papers stacked between
the columns, became a focal point for the preservation
movement. Here, Komech would furnish journalists and
campaigners with fresh news and hair-raising statistics
about the demolitions that have swept through Moscow in
recent years: 2,000 buildings demolished in the last 10
years, at least 400 of them listed.
Komech's deep learning was evident in his sophisticated use
of Russian. A representative of the old intelligentsia, he
was described by some as "the conscience of Moscow".
Komech's voice, quiet and persistent, would command silence
at public councils with Moscow's mayor or chief architect.
When nobody else dared, he would speak out against projects
that were clearly supported by the Mayor, Yuri Luzhkov, who
branded Komech his "constant opponent".
However, Komech suffered for his frankness in 2004 when the
Manezh, a magnificent early 19th-century building at the
Kremlin walls, was burnt in a fire that destroyed its famous
60-metre roof. Komech suggested that it had been the victim
of arson and argued that the federally listed building
should be restored by the federal government, rather than
the Moscow authorities, who are known for cutting corners.
As this was a desirable piece of real estate, the city
wanted to oversee restoration and thus secure control of the
building. Luzhkov took Komech to court for defamation. The
court case, widely seen as evidence of the Mayor's morally
weak position and bullying tactics, was dropped 18 months
later but took its toll on Komech's health.
Komech understood the importance of the petit patrimoine and
was critical of the authorities' obsession with individual
monuments . He was also critical of the tendency to replace
original buildings with replicas, saying, "Soon we shall
have the newest ancient heritage in the world."
He was not against privatising architectural monuments,
since he believed that the state could not be relied on to
maintain them. In 2003 he published the three-volume Sudba
kultur naslediya Rossii ("The Fate of Russia's Cultural
Heritage") - red, white and black books that documented
which Russian buildings were under threat, which ones
restored and which ones destroyed. This was a brilliant
piece of campaigning.
In the last article that he wrote, Komech reflected on his
20 years of campaigning for Russia's built heritage and
concluded that the federal government was incapable of
protecting its architectural monuments from the mercantile
interests of the city authorities or property developers.
He listed four major landmarks in Moscow that had fallen
victim to the new market pressures, including the
18th-century palace of Tsarytsino, the desecration of which
he witnessed in his last months. He predicted that the
destruction of St Petersburg would be next, starting with
the redevelopment of its island Novaya Gollandiya (to be
completed in 2009 by Sir Norman Foster).
Komech was often offered bribes, but his reputation, despite
his high standing, was impeccable, a rarity in Russian
preservation circles. "Under the Communists, if you pushed
hard enough you could make a difference, but there's no
battle now. People either ignore you or buy you," he said.
Despite such pessimistic statements, he continued to wage
his campaign, with some notable successes, including halting
a planned 14-storey building in a central park.
Komech's activities took him beyond the capital. He
conducted expeditions into the Russian countryside to
document churches and other buildings. He spoke at
conferences within Russia and abroad, and published widely.
After graduating, in 1959 Komech went to work in the State
Scientific Research Museum of Architecture, and then served
on the Scientific and Methodical Council for the
Preservation of Cultural Monuments. In 1989 he became head
of the department of History of Ancient Russian Art at the
State Institute of Art History. From 1990 to 1991 he was the
head of the Department of the Preservation of Cultural
Heritage for the Ministry of Culture, and from 1991 to 1993
Director of the State Scientific Research Museum of
Restoration. And from 1994 until his death he was Director
of the State Institute of Art History.
Alexei Ilich Komech, art historian and preservationist: born
Plavsk, Soviet Union 8 August 1936; Director, State
Institute of Art History, Moscow 1994-2007; married Emiliya
Nikolaeva (two daughters); died Moscow 28 February 2007.