The mid-1940s through the early 1950s were, perhaps, among the most difficult years in our city’s history. As is well known, in August 1943, the liberated city of Kharkiv lay in ruins, and the postwar devastation continued to take its toll for a long time afterward.
From September 1943 through the 1950s, Alexander Mikhailovich Kasyanov served as our city’s chief architect. The name of the man who rebuilt our city after the terrible war is now familiar to only a few. However, we still encounter many of his ideas and achievements in our daily lives to this day.
Before moving on to that, it is important to understand who the authorities appointed as chief architect at that time.
Alexander Kasyanov was born in Kharkiv on February 23, 1906. From 1924 to 1930, he studied at the Faculty of Architecture of the Kharkiv Art Institute, from which he graduated with a degree in architectural design. One of his instructors at that time was the renowned Kharkiv architect Alexei Nikolaevich Beketov.
Alexander Mikhailovich worked as a draftsman, technician, and senior technician at the Gospom building. The experience he gained during that time proved very useful in his future work.
From 1928 to 1930, a vacation home near the town of Zmiiv was built based on his design, in collaboration with S. Kravets. After receiving his “red diploma,” from 1930 to 1940, Kasyanov worked as an architect, deputy director, and director of the architectural and planning workshop at Dipromist (the institute responsible for the planning of cities and urban-type settlements, the design of residential, civil, and public buildings, and research in the field of urban planning) of the Ukrainian SSR.
In 1934, Kasyanov was admitted to the Union of Soviet Architects of the Ukrainian SSR. Incidentally, he was fluent in Bulgarian, Czech, Polish, Belarusian, and English. From 1931 to 1938 and from 1943 to 1948, Alexander Mikhailovich worked with a group of architects on the preliminary and master plans for the city of Kharkiv. In the city’s urban planning, he introduced the concept of dividing urban areas into microdistricts, a concept he continued to develop until the end of his life. As an urban planner, he also participated in the preparation of urban planning projects for the cities of Chernihiv, Luhansk, Konotop, Lutsk, Kam’yanets’-Podil’s’kyi, Vitebsk, Lviv, and others.
It is precisely the grand “Project for the Socialist Reconstruction of Kharkiv” that is considered Kasyanov’s greatest achievement in the prewar period. Alongside his architectural work, he was involved in teaching in Kharkiv, lecturing to students at the Construction Technical School, the Kharkiv Technological, Engineering and Construction, and Art Institutes, as well as the Kharkiv Institute of Municipal Services, on architectural composition and urban planning, and supervised the completion of student projects.
Alexander Mikhailovich also found time to participate in numerous architectural competitions: a design for a monument to Columbus in Santo Domingo, the master plan for Stockholm, the Palace of Soviets in Moscow, a monument to T. G. Shevchenko in Kaniv, and a theater for large-scale musical performances in Kharkiv.
According to Pyotr Efimovich Shpar (chief architect of Kharkiv from 1955 to 1965), Kasyanov “was a gifted publicist and science communicator. His numerous publications were characterized by the depth of their scientific and artistic thought, as well as the clarity and accessibility of their presentation.”
In 1940, Alexander Mikhailovich was appointed chief architect of Lviv.
During World War II, Kasyanov served in the Red Army: from July to September 1941, — he served as an architect specializing in the camouflage of industrial enterprises for the USSR Ministry of Industry (Dipromist) in Kharkiv; from September 1941 to September 1943, he headed the 2nd Division of Military Field Construction. He received the following military awards: the Badge of Honor, and the medals “For Victory over Germany,” “For Valiant Labor,” and “For the Defense of Stalingrad.”
It was this remarkably talented and hardworking man who was appointed chief architect of Kharkiv in 1943.
In his article “Outlines of Kharkiv’s Future,” published in the newspaper *Socialist Kharkiv Region* on November 3, 1944, Alexander Mikhailovich succinctly articulated the main goal of his work: “To revive Kharkiv in all its glory and grandeur.”
Work began on drafting a new master plan for the city’s layout and reconstruction. The plan was completed by January 1, 1944, and finalized on January 1, 1946.
We can learn how the man who made titanic efforts toward the city’s revival viewed our beloved city and its future we can learn from his architectural and historical essays titled “Kharkiv,” published in 1949 and 1955.
Since the topics of urban beautification (landscaping) in Kharkiv and Freedom Square are currently the most relevant and pressing, we will focus on them, as described by Alexander Mikhailovich.
Kasyanov devotes considerable attention to the topic of urban beautification and landscaping in postwar Kharkiv:
…The master plan places special emphasis on the city’s green spaces. It is anticipated that the area of public green spaces will be increased fivefold, and, in addition, a protective green belt will be created around the city. During the years of socialist construction in Kharkiv, extensive work was carried out on greening and urban beautification: existing parks and gardens were significantly expanded, and new ones were created, and trees were planted on a massive scale along most of the city’s streets. During the capitalist period of Kharkiv’s development, in the bourgeois neighborhoods, alongside fine houses and mansions equipped with running water and electric lighting, paved streets with sidewalks and green spaces also appeared. However, the city essentially had no green spaces for public use at all. Apart from two or three small public squares and the University Garden—which was closed to the public—the city had only one suburban park (now Central Park), which was ill-suited for mass recreation. Residents usually used the forests surrounding the city for this purpose…
…It was only during the years of socialist reconstruction that the area of green spaces began to expand rapidly. A clear example of this can be seen on streets such as Sumska, Pushkinska, Sovnarkomovska, Volodarska, and Sverdlov, as well as Stalin and Lassalle Avenues, the green belt around the tractor factory, the forest park, and many others. Recently, major work has already begun on creating a protective green belt around the city—several hundred hectares of land adjacent to urban development have been landscaped. The combination of buildings of varying heights—mostly painted in light colors and spaced apart, with green spaces within the blocks often visible— along with well-planted trees along the roads—gives Kharkiv the appearance of a beautiful, well-maintained southern city…
…In 1951, on the slopes of Universitetska Hirka, on the site of the former Old Passage building, a new park was created, laid out in terraces, with beautiful staircases, a fountain, and cascades. Incidentally, this was the first time in Kharkiv’s history that mature trees (linden trees) were planted here during the summer. Kharkiv’s park designers brilliantly succeeded in this challenging endeavor of transplanting mature trees under unusual conditions…
…Shevchenko Park is home to the Zoological and Botanical Gardens. Shevchenko Park is one of the most beloved recreational spots for Kharkiv residents. Recently, major work has been carried out here to improve the green spaces and enhance the park’s amenities; a permanent musical fountain and an outdoor summer cinema have been built, and a permanent flower exhibition featuring a rose garden has been established…
The vast green spaces—Gorky Park of Culture and Recreation, located on the northern outskirts of the city, and the adjacent Forest Park, covering an area of 2,000 hectares—are also beloved by the people of Kharkiv. Within this complex are the Dynamo Stadium, a children’s railway (“Malaya Yuzhnaya”), and numerous sanatoriums, vacation homes, summer cottages, and Pioneer camps.
In addition to these green spaces, many other parks, gardens, and public squares were created in the city during the Soviet era. Among them are Krasnozavodsky Park and the new public square adjacent to it, located in the district of Kharkiv’s industrial giants; Zdorovye Park on Kholodna Hora; the new park on Lysa Hora; Kvitka-Osnovyanenko Park; and others. Kharkiv’s system of green spaces is to be complemented by continuous boulevards and waterfronts, which have been designed and are already partially constructed along the banks of Kharkiv’s rivers. Along with the city’s greening efforts, major landscaping projects are carried out annually in Kharkiv…
…With the participation of the local community, major projects are underway to improve and green residential neighborhoods, and numerous playgrounds, sports fields, and recreational areas are being built. The expansion of green spaces and the creation of healthy sanitary and hygienic conditions for residents, along with massive housing construction, will transform Kharkiv into one of the most beautiful and well-developed cities in the Soviet Union.
…In this regard, it is worth mentioning the planned relocation outside the city of certain industrial facilities that pose a health risk to the population and are currently located in the heart of Kharkiv’s residential neighborhoods.
The topography of the urban area consists of five broad, elevated plateaus and five low-lying river valleys. The high banks of these valleys provide ample opportunities to highlight the city’s skyline. It is already enriched by a group of high-rise buildings located in the old city center, featuring the bell tower of the former cathedral and the complex, distinctive silhouette of the architectural complex on Dzerzhinsky Square. The landscape along the eastern and western edges of the Nagorny District, where these architectural complexes are located, is particularly interesting. The presence across the vast territory of Kharkiv of alternating valleys and plateaus with fairly significant differences in elevation, as well as large areas within the city limits but which are used for agricultural purposes or, for various reasons, are unsuitable for construction, provide urban planners with rich opportunities to create a fully-fledged urban architecture and develop a beautiful cityscape. One of the distinctive features of this landscape will undoubtedly be the already noticeable “spaciousness” of the architectural ensembles, the breadth and multifaceted nature of the perspectives, and the sense of unity despite the great diversity of its elements—ranging from the intimate and miniature ensembles of single-family residential neighborhoods to grand urban complexes such as Dzerzhinsky Square…
…Kharkiv’s green space system should be complemented by continuous boulevards and waterfronts, which have been designed and partially constructed along the banks of Kharkiv’s rivers.
In 1944, the people of Kharkiv competed with those of Kyiv and Dnipropetrovsk to rebuild and beautify their city. The patriots of Kharkiv put a great deal of effort into rebuilding their hometown…
…This is by no means a complete list of new construction projects in Kharkiv in the coming years. In accordance with the city’s master plan, these projects are being located to maximize their impact on the development and enrichment of the urban landscape.
Freedom Square
…Although Kharkiv has monuments of significant historical and artistic interest that characterize certain stages in the development of its pre-revolutionary architecture, the city’s true architectural history began during the years of Stalin’s five-year plans, as the Dzerzhinsky Square complex convincingly demonstrates. Construction of this square began on land belonging to the University, which had previously served as a landfill.
Dzerzhinsky Square has a somewhat unusual shape on the map: it consists of a rectangular section adjacent to one of the city’s main—but excessively narrow—arteries, Sumska Street, and a circular section joined to the rectangular one in such a way that the center of the circular section lies approximately on the extension of the red line along the northern side of the rectangular section. The square is 750 meters long, the rectangular section is 130 meters wide, the circular section has a diameter of 350 meters, and the square covers an area of over 11 hectares, and the difference in elevation along the longitudinal axis is over eleven meters. The State Industry Building is located at the lowest point of the square, while the beginning of Sumska Street is at the highest point…
…The architectural complex of Dzerzhinsky Square in Kharkiv is one of the most remarkable and interesting urban ensembles from the early Stalinist Five-Year Plans. This architectural complex is of immense significance to Kharkiv. Occupying a highly prominent position in the city’s layout and skyline, Dzerzhinsky Square, as one of the main elements of the urban landscape, must be considered in the design and construction of many other architectural complexes…
…The square’s irregular shape and the location of the House of State Industry in the lower part of the square are also commonly cited as drawbacks. There is no doubt that once the square’s development is complete, and it has been landscaped (in particular, there are plans to plant large trees in the center of the circular portion of the square), and the completion of Lenin Avenue, the square’s architecture will be more fully integrated with the architecture of the entire city and the major thoroughfares adjacent to the square: Lenin Avenue, Sumska Street, Klochkovska Street, Shevchenko Park, etc. The specific features of the city’s layout and the nature of its topography will contribute to this. When discussing Dzerzhinsky Square, one cannot fail to mention the significant role it plays in the life of the entire city. This square has become a traditional venue for public celebrations, demonstrations, and military parades, as well as a place where Kharkiv residents go for walks and relaxation. There are few other cities where the central square plays such a vital role as Dzerzhinsky Square does in Kharkiv…
In 1951, Alexander Mikhailovich Kasyanov left our city and moved to Kyiv, where he took up the position of director of the Research Institute of Urban Planning at the Academy of Architecture of the Ukrainian SSR. Together with architect V. M. Orekhov, he participated in a closed competition for the reconstruction of Khreshchatyk, the main street of Ukraine’s capital. In 1955, Alexander Kasyanov was elected acting member of the Presidium of the Academy of Architecture of the Ukrainian SSR. His death on September 23, 1961, at the age of 55, cut short the life of this talented architect.
Here in our city, the Mirror Fountain and the beautiful Victory Square next to it—created with Alexander Mikhailovich’s involvement—continue to delight residents to this day, serving as a living monument, as it were, to the architect, who literally raised our city from the ashes and thought about the future…
