A lecture on the constructivist style in St. Petersburg’s Kirovsky district will be held on June 19 at the “Na Stremyannoy” Library. St. Petersburg historian Andrei Kulik will discuss the transformation of St. Petersburg into Leningrad and the creation of the “city of workers” in the Kirovsky district during the 1920s and 1930s. The lecture, titled “Constructivism near ‘Narvskaya’: School of Agitational Form, ‘Gigant’ and the Escaped Lenin,” will begin at 6:30 PM and is open to those 16 and older.

Kulik’s lecture will focus on the constructivist style, highlighting buildings such as the Gorky Palace of Culture, the Kirov Factory-Kitchen, the residential complex on Traktornaya Street, and the “Gigant” bathhouse. The “Gigant” bathhouse, designed by architect Alexander Nikolsky and Demkov, was considered an outstanding example of Leningrad constructivism. It was named “Gigant” because it was the largest bathhouse in the city at the time, with a capacity of 4,000 people per day.

The lecture will also delve into the rapid changes of the era and the challenges faced when the desire for a normal life surpassed the available resources. Attendees will also hear about the issues and amusing anecdotes that arose while Kulik was developing a tour near the Narvskaya metro station.

The “Na Stremyannoy” Library is located at Stremyannaya, 20. Registration for the free lecture is available on TimePad. Alexander Nikolsky also received the Stalin Prize for the S.M. Kirov Stadium in Leningrad.