Page 24 - Studia Universitatis Hereditati, vol 13(1) (2025)

člankov smo naredili zemljevid protestov, da bi razpravljali o vlogi arhitekture pri posredovanju držav-
nih narativov.
Ključne besede: parlamentarne stavbe, postsovjetske države, nacionalistična arhitektura, prostori prote-
stov, anatomija množic

Introduction (the Soviet people), was planned within a com-
his text explores the complex interplay prehensive strategy that united all the nations,
between nationalism, architecture, and ethnicities, and communities under the umbrel-
Tmemory in the post-Soviet landscape. It la of the USSR. Through the Union’s rule of ap-
is a reflection on the iconic structures that once proximately 70 years, the provision of Lenin’s
symbolised the might and unity of the former structure transformed from national in form
Soviet Union – the parliament buildings that and socialist in content to socialist in form and
24 stood as architectural testaments to a bygone national in content (Bremmer and Taras 1993).
era. While numerous studies concentrate on the Tunbridge and Ashworth point out that the state
Lenin statues and the politics of memory asso- buildings and their spatial organisation reflected
studia universitatis hereditati, letnik 13 (2025), številka 1 / volume 13 (2025), number 1
ciated with it (Vlasenko and Ryan 2024; Forest this political manoeuvre. These structures were
and Johnson 2002; Adams and Lavrenova 2022), used to manage the multi-scaled structuring of
this particular contribution focuses on examin- the sovietsky narod as well as to demonstrate the
ing the spatial composition of the parliament ar- ability of states to ‘nationalise heritage’ (1996,
eas, comprising not only the Lenin statues and 57). The public heritage linked to multicultural-
the buildings but also the public space that sur- ism policies aimed at a universal vision, but in-
rounds them. These elements were inseparable evitably caused dissonances with those who have
in the Soviet era and played a significant role in inhabited it. The parliament buildings and the
realising mass political rituals. We propose the Lenin squares, serving as the spatial concreti-
spatialisation of five key moments in the na- sation of the central power, became symbols of
tion-building process of five post-Soviet states, nation-building, myth-creation, and nodes of
looking at how protests unfolded around par- criticism against the Soviet Union. Such places
liament buildings. What we usually call ‘iconic were shaped to exemplify the spirit of the Sovi-
moments’ of collective memory produce strong et Union in the built environment, promoting
visual landmarks at the intersection of symbolic, homogenisation while conveying identity poli-
material, and narrational spheres. tics as multinationalism and multiculturalism.
The Soviet Union was formed as a federa- The unwavering authority of centralised state
tive system of four states when it was found- power entered into the daily lives of individuals
ed, expanding over fifteen republics over time. from a wide range of cultures and geographical
The political system of the union was formulat- locations. In their respective regions, they have
ed around the critical notions of communism served as main stages for fostering memory and
and national identity. In Lenin’s strategy, which power. After the dissolution of the USSR, how-
shaped the states according to geographical, de- ever, the same landmarks became loci where so-
mographic, and cultural concentrations, the fed- cieties’ traumatic reactions intensified, fought,
erative structure of the USSR was ‘national in confronted the past, and reflected their new po-
form, socialist in content’ (Connor 1984, 513). litical identities. The state buildings of the for-
The states were dependent on the central pow- mer Soviet Union gained major visibility with
er of the Socialist Soviet Republic, while the pe- the public, while other existing sites were rein-
ripheries could maintain their national identity terpreted to fit the Soviet narrative. They high-
– though under strict surveillance. The forma- lighted themes such as resistance to oppression
tion of a bigger society, called sovietsky narod and socialist values while minimising cultural