As casualties mount in Vladimir Putin's war of aggression against neighboring Ukraine, the prominent Moscow-based Strelka Institute for Media Architecture and Design has issued a statement condemning the loss of life and announcing that it has suspended all academic activities until further notice.
The 12-year-old institute, which in the past has contributed to the country’s design for the 2014 Venice Biennale, is amongst the most influential architecture schools in eastern Europe and now joins several other academic and cultural institutions inside Russia in expressing their opposition to what the government still insists on calling a “special military operation.”
Strelka's Director of Education Varvara Melnikova and Program Director of The Terraforming Benjamin Bratton also shared their views via social media, joining a chorus of protests that has extended into academia and other parts of civil society.
Russia is known for having a “zero tolerance” policy on political dissent both in the street and online and is now contending with the formidable intellectual vanguard of the country as it attempts to mitigate the economic sanctions imposed by western countries in addition to the costly resistance put up by the Ukrainian Armed Forces.
It is with both sadness and resolve that we announce the suspension of The Terraforming program at Strelka Institute.
— Benjamin Bratton (@bratton) February 28, 2022
The present situation is horrific, demoralizing and unacceptable.
Our program is drawn from 20+ countries.
The full text of Strelka’s statement can be read as follows:
We consider it impermissible to carry on business as usual in the present situation while lives in Ukraine are being lost.
Since its foundation, the Institute’s work has been focused on researching cities and developing ideas for a planetary future. While this mission remains essential, for a productive conversation about the future, there needs to be peace.
Establishing dialogue and cessation of hostilities in Ukraine is the single most important goal right now.
Strelka Institute stands in solidarity with everyone pleading for an immediate end to this armed conflict.
Strelka Institute Team
Archinect will share additional updates as they become available.
4 Comments
I only hope they don't get a Kent State response.
Russia's initiative in north Greece and ecocentric Canada i.e. the nestled Ukraine for plenary resources is insane..
co valent china is a typical source of motive behind these soviets.
"Strelka Institute stands in solidarity with everyone pleading for an immediate end to this armed conflict."
Calling the situation in the official statement an "armed conflict" instead of "a war," is quite opposite of what this article suggests.
Anyone in Russia calling this a war will most likely be arrested, people living in such oppressive regimes always need to walk a tightrope when expressing their opinions if they don't want to end up like journalist Politkovskaya for instance.
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