Sixteenth International Conference on the Arts in Society

Abstract

The industrialization of the 20th century affected all USSR cities and created single-industry towns. The centralization of the ideology around industry gave rise to the different forms of art and communities. During the creation of industrial clusters in the Soviet era, the spirit of working-class romanticism reigned throughout the country and brought residents together. Now the time of industrialization went decades ago, but nothing has come to replace it. Single-industry towns are shrinking, life there is monotonous, and most residents are socially and culturally excluded. However, there are some successful projects to create urban spaces using participatory design tools, where many young people were able to find themselves and learn new skills. The city of Satka in the Chelyabinsk region of Russia is gradually becoming the art capital among single-industry towns. For several years Satka has hosted the festivals “Art-Satka” and “Arch-Satka”, which combine both the visual development of the town and contribute to the creation of a community. As a result, the unified visual concept of the town was created, multiple small architectural forms were designed, and the cultural center “Hangar 18”, geographically located based on the former BelAZ (dump trucks for the mining industry) garage, was established. The revitalization of the industrial heritage led to the reimagining of society, both mentally and physically. The urban environment has become a sociocultural space beloved by the younger generation and serves as a platform for educational and entertainment events.