Havsko-Shabolovskiy residential block, Rationalist housing estate in Danilovsky District, Moscow, Russia.
The Havsko-Shabolovskiy residential block is a rationalist housing estate in Moscow's Danilovsky District composed of multiple buildings rotated at a 45-degree angle to the street grid. The facades feature red brick walls with white stucco sections at corners, bay windows, and entrances, creating a structured geometric pattern.
The estate was built in 1927 as part of Moscow's modernization program, replacing wooden structures with contemporary residential designs. The project embodied the experimental approaches of the Russian avant-garde and their impact on everyday living spaces during the early Soviet period.
The design reflects a blend of Russian and Western architectural approaches through the contributions of Bauhaus professor Hinnerk Scheper, visible in the geometric clarity and functional details throughout. Visitors can observe how these different traditions come together in the facade treatment and spatial organization.
The site is located between Shabolovka, Lesteva, and Khavskaya streets plus Serpukhovsky Val, with good access via public transportation. Visitors should walk around the perimeter of the complex, as the courtyards belong to residents and are reserved for their use.
The complex was designed by the ASNOVA group, a leading movement in Soviet architectural modernism whose experiments with angled arrangements were rarely attempted in residential buildings. The rotation of the structures against the street grid was a bold concept intended to reshape residents' daily experience.
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