Ruined wooden heritage of Russia. How can we preserve our past? The case of Irkutsk

Arina Govorina

Wood was always one of the common materials to build houses in Russia. Then architects from the western part were building great palaces and houses of brick and stone during the Russian Age of Enlightenment. However, all eastern regions of Russia still used wood in architecture. Being a small town of the south-eastern part, Irkutsk was not an exception.

In the 18^th century there was a lovely place in Irkutsk near the city centre and a lot of people lived there. The district was called Sloboda which meant the independent trade place. That part of the town was filled with artisans who were dealing with silver, stone and wood. Blacksmiths and potters also had houses there. That place was home for merchants who were buying and selling different goods. Later, their children and grandchildren lived there. Irkutsk Sloboda was inhabited by people until the end of the 20^th century.

Irkutsk Sloboda, the early 20th century

Since the 1990s the building boom began in the region. A lot of new apartment blocks made of concrete were built around Irkutsk Sloboda. People started leaving their wooden houses which were already in poor condition due to frequent fires and floods. It was much more reasonable to buy a new flat rather than spend a large sum of money on wooden house restoration. That was how Irkutsk Sloboda started losing its residents and became totally abandoned and ruined by the early 2000s.

But those buildings were still there! They did not look neat and nice. They lost their original functions. Why were the ruins still in the city centre? The reason was the law which protected old wooden architecture and banned to demolish it. Why did not government do anything to conserve the buildings? The answer was pretty simple. There was not enough money in the local budget to invest in wooden architecture restoration.

Irkutsk Sloboda, 2008

Fortunately, the city 350^th anniversary was approaching. The local government adopted the new law, finally found some money and made a decision to do something with ruined Irkutsk Sloboda. The decision shocked people. They were planning to demolish the whole district and build there 16-storey apartment blocks which would ruin the historical centre view. The local community argued against that idea and in 2010 the project called 130 quarter or Irkutsk Sloboda was launched. The architects decided to keep the wooden style of the 18^th century and to develop the idea of architectural and historical heritage.

Some buildings were restored, some ruins were demolished and new buildings appeared at that place. Also, 16 houses which had been totally destroyed by that time were constructed with the help of archives and museums evidence. 8 buildings from the same historic period were transported from another parts of the city and placed in the district.

After restoration, 2011

Now Irkutsk has a nice place in the city centre with good infrastructure. There are small hotels, cafes and stores both for local people and tourists. In order to save memories about the past of this place, there are museums and cultural centre there. Also, blacksmith and pottery workshops are situated in the district.

During the warm season there is always an outside exhibition which explains the history of this place, how people lived and worked here around 300 years ago, how these buildings started been destroyed and how one wonderful idea changed everything.

The project managed both to renovate this place and save the unique architecture style of that period. Moreover, these days the district is not a nice place only but also a bridge connecting us to our past. People can enjoy the atmosphere of that time and learn more about it with museums and annual events which are holding here.

The place attracts everybody. The residents become more interested in local history when they see these buildings. People going to the cafe usually stop near big posters to read what was happening here several centuries ago. All objects here help us to understand what history and heritage we have and how important it is to preserve it.

Usually, it takes a lot of time to decide how to save and protect our heritage. Sometimes ruins can be kept in the original forms for enlightenment or inspiration. Sometimes people have to rebuild or even demolish them to create something new. It does not cancel the idea of heritage conservation. It’s just one of the ways to keep memories of our past and history in the modern world.