Provisional Architectures of Soviet Extractivism

Provisional Architectures of Soviet Extractivism

by Ksenia Litvinenko, associated postdoctoral researcher at the Leibniz Institute for Research on Society and Space

In the late Soviet period, expertise in architectural and urban planning and construction was mobilizsed in the state-sponsored project of transforming Western Siberia into the country’s largest extractivist region. Upon the discovery of vast oil and gas reserves, expedited construction of provisional buildings and “rotational” settlements ensured rapid accommodation for geologists, construction workers, and industry personnel. Despite harsh weather conditions and limited transport infrastructure, barracks, decommissioned wagons, and mobile living units facilitated labour migration from across the USSR to achieve state goals. Meanwhile, the region’s indigenous communities faced continued marginalizsation and spatial containment due to the legacy of collectivizsation, paternalistic state policies, exacerbated ecological challenges, and other factors. Drawing from the Blinken OSA Archivum’s archival collection, this presentation offers preliminary insights into the complex dynamics of Soviet state-led extractivism and its enduring socio-environmental consequences.