yael c. agmon

Moscow: Topographies of Power
Moscow, Russia

#Urban Analysis #Urban Theory #Urban History
The Cooper Union, New York

In the past two decades since the dissolution of the Soviet Union, Moscow has experienced dramatic shifts in its structures of power, moving back and forth between remarkable extremes. The events of 1991 were the official light prism of the Russian social order: from Communism to Democracy, from nationalization to market-based economics, and from one spoken ideology to many opinions. But these shifts are not all in one direction; the Russian democracy in not really a democracy, re-nationalization or reverse privatization are common processes in this type of market-based economics, and the Russian centralized culture of authority is still dominant.   

This project is looking at Moscow through processes of transformation and displacement, the relationships between political, military and economic powers, and how they shape the urban fabric.