Utopian voyages in the postpolitical era: analyzing the visions of the Russian paper architects

The works of the Russian Paper Architects - etchings of unbuilt designs produced illegally during the Brezhnev era - remain the subject of conflicting interpretation as either utopian constructs or architectural fantasies. The delineation between these categories has traditionally been supported by political arguments that classify the former as ideologically motivated and the latter as diversionary or whimsical. In order to analyze this disagreement, this paper considers a selection of works produced by two of the most prominent members of the Paper Architecture movement; Brodsky and Utkin. Finally, the paper proposes an altemative reading of their work inspired by the post-political philosophy of Rancière.