Colonial Urban Visions? Alexei Şciusev’s General Plan for Chișinău

• In Event: Moldova between Past and Present: Experiences and Views of Soviet and Romanian Rule

Abstract

This paper explores Alexei Şciusev’s General Plan for Chișinău. It focuses on the unique positionality of Şciusev himself – born in Chișinău in 1873 but having spent the majority of his professional life in Moscow. It asks whether Şciusev should be understood as a prodigal son returning to his native city to lead its post-war reconstruction, or alternatively as a colonial architect sent from the centre to reshape power structures in the newly annexed Moldavian SSR through spatial design. Drawing on extensive archival research, the study analyses how Şciusev’s vision for the city was informed by colonial power dynamics and employed spatial strategies to shape the city’s social and political fabric. It also assesses the degree to which the plan was implemented, tracing its lasting imprint on Chișinău’s urban landscape and infrastructure.

Author

• Abigail Karas, U of St Andrews (UK)