Déjà vu STANDARD
Architectural Projects
The history of the building complex of Sevan Resort began in 1932. It was designed by architects Gevorg Kochar and Mikael Mazmanyan who were among the most prominent representatives of the early Soviet avant- garde in Armenian architecture.
Both graduates of VKHUTEIN (former VKHUTEMAS) in Moscow, and founders of the VOPRA (All-Russian Association of Proletarian Architects) and OPRA (Association of Proletarian Architects of Armenia).
Confronting the other, existing by that time, historicist approach regarding the notion of “national architecture” Mazmanyan, Kochar, their friend Karo Halabyan, and other architects of OPRA were defining true national architecture as “proletarian in substance and national in palette” which was capable to suit specific local social, economic, climatic and contextual conditions.
Mikael Mazmanyan, Karo Halabyan and Eghishe Charents were the founders and editors of STANDARD magazine published in 1924.
Figure 1 Gevorg Kochar (on the right) with a group of
VKHUTEMAS students (Georgy Krutikov - on the
left, Karo Halabyan - top right) gathered around
the poster “Long Live October in Architecture”,
1920s, (courtesy of: Artsvin Grigoryan Archive)
Figure 2 2 Mikael Mazmanyan (on the left) and Gevorg
Kochar (on the right) at the Acropolis, 1935
(courtesy of: Mikael Mazmanyan Archive)
