Alex Bykov: Searching for Modernism - Lecture Series at the Faculty of Architecture CTU
Soviet modernist architecture is the new hit on social media, with advertisements and music videos being filmed in these settings. Kyiv architect, photographer, and curator Alex Bykov will lecture at the Faculty of Architecture of ČVUT about the research on heritage that has become a part of pop culture in recent years. The series, aimed at supporting Ukrainian artists and researchers, will take place on April 25, May 2, and May 9. The lectures will be held in English, starting at 6 PM in lecture hall 155 Gočár, FA ČVUT, Thákurova 9, Prague 6.
Alex Bykov is currently one of the leading Ukrainian experts on post-war modern architecture. He focuses on the heritage of Soviet urbanism, the latest Ukrainian official and DIY architecture, with special attention to sacred architecture. He was among the first researchers to identify, popularize, and preserve the heritage of Soviet modernism in Ukraine.
Alex Bykov obtained his master's degree in 2008 from the Kyiv National University of Construction and Architecture and has been running his own architectural studio since 2012. He is a co-founder and member of the activist group "Savekyivmodernism," which fights against the demolition of modernist buildings in Kyiv. In 2019, he published a book entitled "Soviet Modernism, Brutalism, Postmodernism. Buildings and Structures in Ukraine 1955–1991" in collaboration with Yevgenia Gubkina.
In three lectures, Alex Bykov will present research he has been conducting since 2010. The presentations will be supplemented with archival materials, his own photographs, and videos.
Lecture April 25
Searching for Modernism - Part 1: History
In recent years, international teams of researchers have regularly visited Soviet modernist architecture, admiring the uniqueness of its forms and the contemporary urban context surrounding it. Even at the time of their creation, these buildings attracted the attention of experts, while the general public struggled to accept their originality. After the collapse of the Soviet Union, modernist buildings and their creators were forgotten. Alex Bykov will present a sequence of research processes, from the initial interest in the early 1950s to the present.
Lecture May 2
Searching for Modernism - Part 2: Personality
Alex Bykov embarked on his research primarily due to a lack of information. His main source of knowledge was personal acquaintance and informal conversations with architects active from 1955 to 1991. Alex not only worked as a journalist but also became a close friend of these architects, living with them in the last days of their lives, scanning and systematizing their archives. Many of these interviews have been published in architectural magazines and presented at exhibitions. Alex Bykov will tell the stories of iconic Kyiv architects, focusing on their professional careers and the ambiguous fates of their projects.
Lecture May 9
Architecture. Community. Time
In historical areas and on the outskirts of Ukrainian cities, uncontrolled urbanization is taking place. At the same time, post-Soviet urban landscape waste has reached the peak of global visual mainstream. In connection with the urban development of the last 30 years in Ukraine, a number of questions arise: What is an urban community and what impact does it have on city development? Who is an architect and what is their role in the rapidly changing face of the city? Who is a developer and why do they often act in violation of the law? In his concluding lecture, Alex Bykov will focus on modern folk and official architecture and its reflection in public, political, and cultural everyday life.
More information >
Alex Bykov is currently one of the leading Ukrainian experts on post-war modern architecture. He focuses on the heritage of Soviet urbanism, the latest Ukrainian official and DIY architecture, with special attention to sacred architecture. He was among the first researchers to identify, popularize, and preserve the heritage of Soviet modernism in Ukraine.
Alex Bykov obtained his master's degree in 2008 from the Kyiv National University of Construction and Architecture and has been running his own architectural studio since 2012. He is a co-founder and member of the activist group "Savekyivmodernism," which fights against the demolition of modernist buildings in Kyiv. In 2019, he published a book entitled "Soviet Modernism, Brutalism, Postmodernism. Buildings and Structures in Ukraine 1955–1991" in collaboration with Yevgenia Gubkina.
In three lectures, Alex Bykov will present research he has been conducting since 2010. The presentations will be supplemented with archival materials, his own photographs, and videos.
Lecture April 25
Searching for Modernism - Part 1: History
In recent years, international teams of researchers have regularly visited Soviet modernist architecture, admiring the uniqueness of its forms and the contemporary urban context surrounding it. Even at the time of their creation, these buildings attracted the attention of experts, while the general public struggled to accept their originality. After the collapse of the Soviet Union, modernist buildings and their creators were forgotten. Alex Bykov will present a sequence of research processes, from the initial interest in the early 1950s to the present.
Lecture May 2
Searching for Modernism - Part 2: Personality
Alex Bykov embarked on his research primarily due to a lack of information. His main source of knowledge was personal acquaintance and informal conversations with architects active from 1955 to 1991. Alex not only worked as a journalist but also became a close friend of these architects, living with them in the last days of their lives, scanning and systematizing their archives. Many of these interviews have been published in architectural magazines and presented at exhibitions. Alex Bykov will tell the stories of iconic Kyiv architects, focusing on their professional careers and the ambiguous fates of their projects.
Lecture May 9
Architecture. Community. Time
In historical areas and on the outskirts of Ukrainian cities, uncontrolled urbanization is taking place. At the same time, post-Soviet urban landscape waste has reached the peak of global visual mainstream. In connection with the urban development of the last 30 years in Ukraine, a number of questions arise: What is an urban community and what impact does it have on city development? Who is an architect and what is their role in the rapidly changing face of the city? Who is a developer and why do they often act in violation of the law? In his concluding lecture, Alex Bykov will focus on modern folk and official architecture and its reflection in public, political, and cultural everyday life.
More information >
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