Celebrate the utopianism of Russian avant garde architecture with this silk scarf

Lithuanian design studio Baklažanas has unveiled “The Great Utopia”, a vibrant silk scarf dedicated to the utopian ambitions of Russian avant garde architectural design.

The scarf pays homage both to completed projects — namely Moscow’s iconic Shukhov Tower (1920-22), designed by Vladimir Shukhov — and celebrated architectural projects that were never realised: the Flying City by Georgy Krutikov (1928) and the Palace of Soviets by Boris Iofan (1931).

Taking pride of place on the scarf is the Shukhov Tower, a 160-metre-high free-standing broadcasting tower recognisable not least for its latticed steel beams rising upward in a diagrid structure. Georgy Krutikov’s unrealised Flying City project envisaged moving living quarters to communes floating above the city, while the Palace of the Soviets project would have seen a vast administrative centre and congress hall — the tallest building of its time — stand in Moscow as a symbol of socialist triumph.

You can purchase and find out more about the scarf here.

Based primarily in Vilnius, Baklažanas is a nomadic design studio working particularly on visual branding and design for communication. The studio often works with Russian brands and organisations and explores the use of Soviet-era imagery in contemporary design.