IVAN ALEKSANDROVICH FOMIN

Remarkable designer and builder of practices, an excellent painter, art theorist and teacher IA Fomin, had an enormous influence on the work of many architects. Connected with his name of the architect of a thinker, aspiring to realize the architectural image of the leading ideas of the era of building socialism, knew how to boldly pursue the path of innovation, while at the same time wisely, and to preserve the artistic heritage of the past.

Ivan Aleksandrovich Fomin was born on February 3, 1872 in Orel, a mail clerk in the family. He spent his childhood in Riga, where in 1890 he graduated from high school. In the same year a young man at the insistence of his father joined the Mathematics Department of Moscow University. However, feeling a calling to the architecture, three years later left university and decided to enter the Higher Art School of the Art Academy. This attempt ended in failure: not enough prepared, Fomin not passed the test on the drawing. But he did not lose heart, the year aggressively studied drawing and passing the exam in 1894 was admitted to the academy.

It was a time of revolutionary unrest among the students. In 1897, for participating in student unrest Fomina expelled from the academy. He moved to Moscow where he became assistant to F. Shechtel and other architects, by participating, in particular, in reconstruction and interior decoration of the building of the Moscow Art Theater, the building of the former mansion Ryabushinsky Kachalova on the street, the former home of the Moscow Merchant Society at the Lubyanka. In 1902, Fomin, organized the exhibition "Architecture and art industry of the new style," which were presented and independent of his work. They were so peculiar, that they are talking in artistic circles.

In 1905 Fomin returned to the Academy of Arts and in 1909 completed thesis project in the class of Professor LN Benoit on "Kursaal on Mineral Waters. " This work confuted all the academic state-owned installations.

It was assumed that the central building of the resort will serve not only patients but also to all who would like to have fun outside the city. It was therefore necessary to design large rooms for dances, concerts, reading rooms, restaurants, snack bars. Fomin introduced the draft a huge public building.

Enormous colonnade of giant bridges garoletah have joined with each other even more festive and magnificent central hall. They resembled the ancient temples and buildings of Greece and Rome, but they sounded the motives of Russian classicism. It was a bold project to the same superbly executed.

Photo — «Ivan Aleksandrovich Fomin»

Along with the basic design drawings - facades, sections and plans - Fomin made several drawings of illustrations in the prints - etchings. Etching, he studied in the studio of Professor VV Mate.

We felt that this wizard will lead him to a generation of architects. In the future happen.

For the project "Kursaal" Fomin was awarded the title of architect and artist was sent on a business trip abroad. During this trip Fomin captured the architecture of Egypt, Greece, Italy, in a series of etchings that nominated him to the ranks of the best artists prints. Fomina ability to penetrate the very essence of architectural monuments allowed him to wonder just send in the spirit of architectural drawings of an era. In his etchings, far from the manner of stylization inherent in the art of those years, he emerges as a true realist.

Fomin, initially taught, designed and built - like everyone else. Only a healthy artistic flair, attraction to Russian art, communication with the best artists of that time did not allow him to stray from the true path. Fomin studied at the remarkable architectural creations of the architect Kazakov.

The first major of his work in St. Petersburg was a mansion on Stone Island. This building Fomin carried away himself and dragged him to their customers. It seemed that here again revived the distant past.

Here the main entrance to the lobby. All performed on modern: light bulbs in the chandelier and central heating, but inside - as in the old Russian house. Long train beautiful colonnade and portals with painted ceilings.

Inclined to large monumental forms Fomin sought to meet the challenges of a large social content. Before the revolution he created more than fifty projects, among which were public works projects and ensemble building, such as projects of the former Nicholas station, several museums, a number of banks, building islands starved complexes Tuchkova ruffian in Petrograd, the resort Sudak in the Crimea.

However, to realize such a vast urban development plans at that time was impossible. In its practical Fomin had limited private orders for the decoration of apartments and building mansions. The most significant of them built in the years buildings were Obolensky′s home in Finland, home Polovtseva and Abamelek Lazarev in St. Petersburg (1910-1914).

In an effort to popularize Russian architecture of the late XVIII - early XIX century, he spoke with articles glorifying the Moscow classicism. Enthusiastically and poetically he says of the creations of old Moscow architects, who condemns the barbaric attitude of the bourgeois society to the monuments of Russian architecture.

Photo — «Ivan Aleksandrovich Fomin»

In 1908 Fomin becomes a party headed by I. Grabar work on the history of Russian art. They drafted sections of the third volume of "History of Russian Art" on the classicism of the first and second quarters of the XIX century. The desire to promote the legacy of the national architecture prompted Fomina to host the Historical Exhibition of Architecture "(1911). In 1915 he received the title of academician of architecture.

Fomin was among those intellectuals who, after the Great October Socialist Revolution continued to work for the benefit of Russia. He headed one of the first public planning organizations - the architectural plan′s studio in Petrograd, where under his leadership, program design development of the city, taught at the Art Academy and the Polytechnic Institute. "Creating a new style of Soviet architecture is only possible on the basis of the classics, but classics, reflecting the modern, new building materials, new techniques and forms of life" - said Fomin young architects.

As an architect, he realized that the greatness of the events, the pace of construction and new technological advances require a completely different approach to architecture. He captured the idea of creating "new classics" or "refurbished classic. Creative search Fomina embodied not only on paper, but in concrete buildings. He did not avoid mistakes and failures, but persisted in a searching look and make new architectural solutions.

Most clearly his creative aspirations expressed in the post-revolutionary years of competitive projects, the Palace of the workers and the crematorium, creating artistic images more impressive force (both in 1919).

Fomin participated in the contest for the preparation of master plan for the agricultural exhibition in 1923 in Moscow.

In the mid 1920 ies master advanced creative concept of "proletarian classics, offering to take on the architecture of the past only its foundation, strongly simplifying classical architectural elements. Practically, this has resulted in work on a new tectonic structure of the buildings, trying to work out a new warrant in search of an extremely simple, laconic architectural forms best suited, in his view, the artistic demands of Soviet society.

His idea of the requirements that must be present for architectural work, Fomin formulated in a peculiar, almost rhymed form: "Unity, strength, simplicity, standard, contrast and novelty. " According to him, pretend to architectural perfection could only buildings that have the combination of these qualities.

Photo — «Ivan Aleksandrovich Fomin»

And the word "standard" that is included in the "formula" Fomina, understood not in its modern sense, but as a re-uniform rhythm, as if the standard compositional elements.

Among the first works, in Fomin, which developed the main provisions of his idea of "proletarian classics," he later called "the reconstruction of the classics" - projects the House of Soviets in Bryansk (1924), Industrial Bank in Sverdlovsk (1925), a complex of buildings Ivanovo Ascension Polytechnic Institute (1927), sanatorium "Drummer" in Zheleznovodsk (1927).

The most complete creative credo Fomina embodied in the architecture of the house "Dynamo" (1928). It successfully connected to the public and residential sectors. In an effort to create a single monumental ensemble, completing the term of the Kuznetsk bridge strong compositional emphasis, Fomin offered on the opposite side of the alley Furkasovskogo repeat the architectural theme of the main body of Dynamo. However, to implement this proposal failed.

Complex "Dinamo" was the first experience in the implementation of such a large scale ideas Fomina on reconstruction of classical forms as a means of creating a new grand style of architecture. The master himself, explained his compositional arrangement: "The basis of the architectural solutions of the main building along the street Dzerzhinsky taken strict discipline and order of classical solutions, but the details of the architecture contains a number of purely new elements: columns without bases and capitals, the lack of traditional entablature, the absence of wall planes (since the window opening starts directly from the column), smooth surface of the facade and paired columns. This statement reveals the basic principles of his creative method of the late 1920′s.

Simultaneously with the construction of complex Dynamo Fomin initiated project to expand the building of the Moscow Soviet. Here he was not free to choose the songs: the planned building was just an annex of the yard of the old building. New housing Fomin gave the configuration of the letter "P", creating a front yard, which became the core of the whole compositional range. Decision courtyard facade was a further development of ideas of "proletarian classics. This master was more consistent in its desire to limit laconic, even more strict in the selection of architectural resources.

Characteristic of this period of creative research Fomin noted and other features of his work (1930) - People′s Commissariat for reconstruction of the building at the Red Gates in Moscow.

Photo — «Ivan Aleksandrovich Fomin»

Since 1932, in architecture there has been a decisive turn to the classics, which was reflected in the work of Fomin. He moved away somewhat from the asceticism of previous years, but at the same time strongly rebelled against eclecticism and decorations, while continuing to call for simplicity and conciseness. ": If we want now, after a period of asceticism - he said - to provide a rich architecture, cheerful, bright and cheerful, this does not mean that we need to overload a luxury form of our facilities; need to find simple, concise form. " The first work in which the artist has increased the number of composites used were projects of the Palace Museum of traffic engineering, the Kursk Station, the Theater of the Red Army in Moscow, home of the Red Army at the Military Academy in Leningrad Electrotechnical.

The last years of life Fomina were associated with Moscow, where he moved from Leningrad in 1929. Like other leading architects, headed one of the master organized in 1933, Architectural Design Workshops Mossovet (workshop number 3) and led it until his last days of life.

Together with his former students Leningraders P. Abrosimova, Velikanova, M. Minkus, L. Poliakov, I. Rozhin Fomin in this period has created more than a dozen projects, including projects Theater in Ashgabat, the People′s Commissariat House, the complex of the Academy of Sciences in Moscow , a government center and home of the Council of Ministers of USSR in Kiev and other

Already at the end of his days Fomin created such remarkable of will, as the underground halls of the Moscow Metro "Red Gate" (1934-1935) and "Area Sverdlov (1936-1938). These buildings have stood the test of time, entered the golden fund of the national architecture and can rightly be attributed to the monuments of architecture in 1930′s. In the underground halls of the two stations in the difficult conditions of bulky concrete structures of the first stages of underground facilities architecture overcome tremendous sense of gravity, carried by pylons. The unity of the overall composite design, clarity of rhythmic constructions, conciseness and simplicity of architectural forms, the brightness contrast and color integrity solutions - these characteristics of a creative manner of the master, add artistic images of plants of great originality.

The basic architecture of the station "Red Gate" - the unity of vision. Everything here is the lead author of the idea to give the underground halls of the features of monumentality and power. To overcome the impression of massiveness foundations of constructive support each split into three vertical elements.

Photo — «Ivan Aleksandrovich Fomin»

The two extremes are regarded as having pylons, and the middle part - as a filling between them. This helps overcome the feeling of immense gravity, the perceived dimension, and enriches the rhythmic construction of the interior: the number of supports as it increases, there is a clear series of slender piers, giving the halls of the prospects and scope.

In developing the details Fomin strongly simplified and schematized usual classical methods. This is especially true in dealing with the entablature, the overlying pylons, where the simplified maintenance of the Modeling and put the same simple elements - the shelves. Active artistic means are used color and material. In an effort to link the station with its place in the city, Fomin conceived to capture in stone the name "Red Gate", chosen as the main color is red. Pylons, lined with dark red Georgian marble shrosha look mighty monoliths.

Station Square Sverdlov - the last work of Fomin. Already at the end of his career, the wizard creates a complete work of grace, the new developmental his artistic principles. True to his methods clear and explicit composition construction, he created a plastic rich architectural forms, harmonious system of proportions, complete range of colors. Key elements of the composition of underground halls - the columns are placed at the edges of pylons. This helped to avoid the feeling of heaviness pylons, as it seems that the pillars of serve only columns. Interesting that a warrant attached to a simplified treatment. Columns are made without thinning of marble blocks. Their strong straight stems covered with large fluted, helps to overcome the impression of a certain stockiness. Capitals have the form of simple gold-plated plates.

The artistic heritage Fomina multifaceted. It is engraved in buildings and projects, in the beautiful etchings in vivid performances in the press.

Only illness prevented to complete his new designs. Fomin died June 12, 1936.

Shortly before his death, reflecting on the alleged conclusion of the book, Fomin wrote a great line, which he called "The Young":

"If you want to leave a mark on the art, if you really want to make something of value in the art of his country, above all, learn to deeply understand and appreciate the true art and distinguish it from the hack-work, vulgarity and wheeze. This is the only honest way of decency and may be one of the stones of the pyramid, which we are building collectively at the front of the Soviet art.