A unique artifact of Kazan was recognized as the winner of the All-Russian competition "The City in detail: a living heritage".
The Ministry of Construction of the Russian Federation announced the completion of the All-Russian competition "The City in detail: a living heritage". The aim of the project is to identify and preserve unique memorable places that form the architectural and historical appearance of cities.
The competition was held within the framework of the federal program "Creating a comfortable urban environment" of the national project "Infrastructure for Life" and demonstrated the high activity of the professional community and citizens. 1001 applications from 75 subjects of the Russian Federation were received for participation in it.
In the Cultural Code nomination with the application "Artifacts of Kazan: how the first graffiti in the city of Kazan greets the guests of the city first", Tatyana Terentyeva, head of the Author Brand Strategies communication agency, was recognized as the winner (they made a video business card together with their colleague Ksenia Kornilova). The evaluation criteria here were the architectural value and originality, the national significance and unique history of the object, which has become a symbol of its places, cultural and emotional significance for the city's population, and its impact on the urban environment.
Tatiana's professional employment is related to the branding of territories and communications, so the choice of the "Cultural Code" nomination is not accidental. "I was immediately inspired by the idea that Kazan's first graffiti would be put on the national map of Russia's local cultural brands," Tatiana said. - My application confirms that the living panel on the facade of the Volga Hotel is a historical and cultural artifact that supports and continues to shape the emotional image of Kazan. The composition leads through the past to the future, through an individual view to the collective memory. He teaches us to see behind the industrial might of the Volga the beauty of unity and peaceful living together, which the artists aspired to, creating this unique monumental message for contemporaries and descendants."
When entering Kazan, train passengers first notice the Volga Hotel. "The monumental graffiti painting on its facade is like a greeting for everyone who has arrived in this ancient city," Tatiana Terentyeva shared. "The living painting was created in the period 1961-1963 by graduates of the Leningrad Higher School of Art and Industry named after Vera Mukhina: Sergey Bubennov and Vasil Malikov, whose 100th birthday we celebrated in 2024, as well as a graduate of the Lviv Institute of Decorative and Applied Arts Rustem Kildibekov."
Tatiana Terentyeva recalled that this was the very first work in graffiti technique for Kazan, and a unique example of Soviet monumental art, which intertwined history, industry and interethnic unity. The historical significance of this artifact lies in the fact that the graffiti on the Volga is a kind of visual manifesto of the city, striving to demonstrate the industrial might and deep cultural identity of Kazan.
We sincerely congratulate Tatiana Terentyeva on her victory in the All–Russian competition - this is a very significant achievement for the city too! We wish you new beautiful triumphs! And, of course, thank you for the detailed information about the graffiti on the facade of the Volga Hotel.