apartment with a total area of ​​124 m2 (Moscow) Sergey Komlach, Alexander Shcherbakov, Dmitry Mironov, Kirill Markovsky

Passing the gallery

Interview prepared: Olga Korotkova

A photo: Konstantin Dubovec

Project author: Kirill Markovsky, Sergey Komlach, Alexander Shcherbakov, Dmitry Mironov

Lepnina: Boris Kuznetsov

Parquet works: Igor Satubaev

Woodwork: Vyacheslav Voronin

Textile: Natalia Zavyalova

Magazine: H (76) 2003

The apartment is located in a newly built house in a wonderful place in Moscow, not far from Yelokhovsky Cathedral. This part of the city has changed little over the past hundred years, and the desire of customers - a young couple - to turn a new modern apartment into a sort of Russian noble estate is quite understandable. Sergey Komlach and Dmitry Mironov tell about the classics in the interior in general and the apartment on Basmannaya in particular.SALON: What, in your opinion, is related to the undying interest in classical styles, or, more precisely, in the classical theme paraphrases? Is there a “Russian specificity” in this hobby of recent years or is it to some extent a worldwide phenomenon? Sergey Komlach: I do not presume to judge how this is typical for Europe or America. I think that for the European consciousness classic is not so much a fascination with the style or styles of long gone ages, but rather a way of life. Life in family houses, hereditary estates and even purchased old villas. There it is though not a frequent, but a common phenomenon. What is in England, that in Italy, France - and in almost all civilized countries, especially those that suffered less during World War II. Probably, partly neoclassical (let's speak correctly) in Russia is nostalgia for the lost. Just by what Europe has in abundance. You see, even very young people sometimes strive for respectability precisely in the neoclassical interpretation. This is a beautiful illusion of a family nest, an inheritance - a house that children will certainly perceive as a family legend, a manor. Let this be in some sense theatricalization, but for many people such an interior acts beneficially, soothingly, symbolizes the strength of family foundations, cultural traditions, finally. Which is also important in the end.Dmitry Mironov: It seems to me that a functional, pragmatic approach to the choice of neoclassicism is also present. First, the customers thus "predict" the durability of the interior: it does not threaten to go out of fashion, it is predictable, aesthetically reliable. Secondly, the technologies of decoration and decorative works themselves require calculation for centuries. As a matter of fact, marble or a good-quality inlaid parquet, laid using mature technology, are eternal things. Practically, it is difficult to disagree with this, so there is a reason for such an approach.S: The usual problem when creating a neoclassical interior in the scale of an apartment is just the "non-scale", the chamber nature of space. It is hardly possible, even if in miniature, to be a manor style in the urban high-rise building ...S.K: Manor in the full sense of the word, of course not. But the spirit, the atmosphere, recognizable features, certain feelings - perhaps the answer is positive: possible. After all, what is the most valuable thing in the “time-tested” styles, how often (and quite rightly) do the styles go back to antiquity? This is pure pleasure. The secret is that it is not even aesthetic pleasure - beauty, so to speak. And ideally verified proportions - that is not visible to the eye. The harmony of proportions creates a surprisingly comfortable sense of space. And in this interior, we acted exactly the same, just like a textbook of classical architecture. Therefore, not so much footage as such is important, but a competent approach to how to fit the classic proportions into a 120-meter area of ​​an apartment with three-meter ceilings. Again - and this is possible. Even in such unworldly conditions.DM: Another important point - natural materials. Marble (columns, floor), wood (parquet flooring, furniture) are all important: surrounded by natural materials and natural colors, people live “warmer”, that is, Better and easier than among the "cold" metal and glass and "synthetic" colors. As for the decor, then, according to the neoclassical "logic", there are many blends. Nowadays, this is a completely normal thing: so, you can see in this interior both ancient Greek ornaments, and much later from the historical point of view, stucco designs, and the Tuscan order, and indirect references to the Renaissance (wooden furniture), and a connection with Russian 19th century tradition, etc.S: And how did the classical "philosophy" of space affect the layout? DM: The location of the premises corresponds to the classical ideas about the house: the axial composition, firstly, distributes the space according to functions (living room, dining room, bedroom, etc.), and secondly, organizes the rooms along the enfilade - the logical and emotional center. It is comfortable and beautiful.Sergey Komlach: "We wanted in the center of Moscow to create a corner in which a person could return to natural sources. No corners. Only natural materials and natural colors. The architectural solution was suggested by the projected space. Inside the square there are open wavy lines as an idea of ​​the endless movement of waves."