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Architectural heritage is the material memory of humanity, recording the history, culture and identity of eras. Today, thousands of unique architectural monuments around the world are threatened with extinction due to wars, climate change, urbanization, and lack of funding for restoration. In circumstances where the physical preservation of a building is impossible or delayed, the complete recording of data about the object through photography, measurements, and 3D-scanning becomes a critical task. This article presents research materials on two historical sites (the Arsk Barracks Complex in Kazan, the Church of St. Alexander Nevsky, and the village of Bol'shiye Memi), which were under threat of complete disappearance and the only chance of preserving them was to record them and subsequently passportization.
For the first site of the former military town of Arsk Barracks a comprehensive analysis of the large-scale urban development project for the comprehensive reconstruction of the territory, implemented between 2019 and 2025, is presented. The above-mentioned facility is located in the Sovietsky district of Kazan and is bounded by key city thoroughfares – Nikolay Ershov, Patrice Lumumby, and Iskra streets. The transformation of this vast area from a closed, restricted-access facility into the modern, multifunctional residential complex «Art-City» is viewed not simply as a construction process, but as a complex socio-urban development phenomenon, where what were once suburban military barracks first found themselves within the urban structure, and later were absorbed by that structure. Only the timely preservation of these structures has allowed their appearance to be preserved to this day.
For the second site, the Church of St. Alexander Nevsky in the village of Bol'shiye Memi, a comprehensive study of the building is presented, with documentation of various periods of its existence, as well as a preliminary reconstruction project. The mentioned object is located in the Republic of Tatarstan, № 1, Molodezhnaya street, Bolshiye Memi village, Verkhneuslonsky municipal district. The church was built in 1892 in the eclectic style according to a prescribed project, which was later used to build several similar churches in the Kazan Governorate. At the time of the site inspection, the building was in an extremely dilapidated condition; part of the church had collapsed, and the remaining structures were in a pre-stressed state. All the structural elements were measured and recorded at the site, and two years later, after the site was inspected, the building finally collapsed. The surviving research materials allowed for a high-quality restoration project to be completed.
The relevance of the study is due to the growing interest in preserving the heritage of Tatarstan. The work provides a detailed analysis of the chronology and sequence of management decisions, investment agreements, and urban development approvals that formed the basis of the passportization projects. The relevance of the certification and prompt recording of deteriorating cultural heritage sites (CHS) is very high and important due to the irreversible nature of the loss of historical data and material culture objects. Timely registration and monitoring serve as the only legal and practical foundation for saving the monuments.
The main goal of this study is to develop conservation processes for endangered cultural heritage sites. This goal’s relevance is underscored by the importance of listing a monument in official registers to obtain state-protected status. Key objectives of the study include: capturing an accurate «cast» of the site at the current time to track the rate of its deterioration; compiling historical, architectural, and archival data into a single standardized document; performing precise measurements and drawings for future work on the possible reconstruction of the site; determining the scale of destruction to calculate the cost of emergency and/or restoration work; creating a transparent database for potential patrons, investors, or government programs; using the recorded data as evidence when holding owners accountable for improper maintenance; and developing new design solutions for the site, taking into account the site's history.
For the first site of the former military town of Arsk Barracks a comprehensive analysis of the large-scale urban development project for the comprehensive reconstruction of the territory, implemented between 2019 and 2025, is presented. The above-mentioned facility is located in the Sovietsky district of Kazan and is bounded by key city thoroughfares – Nikolay Ershov, Patrice Lumumby, and Iskra streets. The transformation of this vast area from a closed, restricted-access facility into the modern, multifunctional residential complex «Art-City» is viewed not simply as a construction process, but as a complex socio-urban development phenomenon, where what were once suburban military barracks first found themselves within the urban structure, and later were absorbed by that structure. Only the timely preservation of these structures has allowed their appearance to be preserved to this day.
For the second site, the Church of St. Alexander Nevsky in the village of Bol'shiye Memi, a comprehensive study of the building is presented, with documentation of various periods of its existence, as well as a preliminary reconstruction project. The mentioned object is located in the Republic of Tatarstan, № 1, Molodezhnaya street, Bolshiye Memi village, Verkhneuslonsky municipal district. The church was built in 1892 in the eclectic style according to a prescribed project, which was later used to build several similar churches in the Kazan Governorate. At the time of the site inspection, the building was in an extremely dilapidated condition; part of the church had collapsed, and the remaining structures were in a pre-stressed state. All the structural elements were measured and recorded at the site, and two years later, after the site was inspected, the building finally collapsed. The surviving research materials allowed for a high-quality restoration project to be completed.
The relevance of the study is due to the growing interest in preserving the heritage of Tatarstan. The work provides a detailed analysis of the chronology and sequence of management decisions, investment agreements, and urban development approvals that formed the basis of the passportization projects. The relevance of the certification and prompt recording of deteriorating cultural heritage sites (CHS) is very high and important due to the irreversible nature of the loss of historical data and material culture objects. Timely registration and monitoring serve as the only legal and practical foundation for saving the monuments.
The main goal of this study is to develop conservation processes for endangered cultural heritage sites. This goal’s relevance is underscored by the importance of listing a monument in official registers to obtain state-protected status. Key objectives of the study include: capturing an accurate «cast» of the site at the current time to track the rate of its deterioration; compiling historical, architectural, and archival data into a single standardized document; performing precise measurements and drawings for future work on the possible reconstruction of the site; determining the scale of destruction to calculate the cost of emergency and/or restoration work; creating a transparent database for potential patrons, investors, or government programs; using the recorded data as evidence when holding owners accountable for improper maintenance; and developing new design solutions for the site, taking into account the site's history.
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9. Ilyina E.V., Muratdinova V.R. Sustainable Development and Social Integration in the Renovation of the City's Housing Stock. Economics of Construction, Housing and Public Utilities. 2025. 1 (10). Р. 5 – 14.
10. Bakhareva O.V., Azhimova L.I., Chelani A., Bolshakov N.S. Institute of public guardianship: investments within the boundaries of historical settlements and the life cycle of the urban environment. Bulletin of MGSU. 2021. 6. Р. 751 – 769.
11. Shirokova E.O. Postmodernism in the architecture of shopping centers in the regions of Russia. Privolzhsky Scientific Journal. 2022. 1. Р. 195 – 200.
12. Alekseev Yu.V., Somov G.Yu., Roitman V.M., Nikitina N.S., Topilin A.N., Strashnova Yu.G., Vasiliev O.V., Dunichkin I.V., Tyumeneva O.V., Egorov A.Yu., Trofimova T.E., Kauppila Veikko, Kaivonen Juha-Antti, Tulla Kauko, Aro Teuvo, Hakala Paavo, Toikkanen Arto, Saros Timo, Haukijärvi Matti, Aromaa Pekka, Mononen Tarmo, Pääjärvi Risto, Mäkinen Risto. Urban planning principles for the development and reconstruction of residential buildings. Moscow: ASV, 2009. 640 p.
13. Shepelev N.P., Shumilov M.S. Reconstruction of Residential Development. Moscow: Vysshaya Shkola, 2000. 271 p.
14. Musabirov T.A., Zakirova Y.A. Factors of formation and development of agglomeration growth points. News of KSUAE. 2025. 1 (71). P. 192 – 205. DOI: 10.48612/NewsKSUAE/71.16
15. Mazaev A.G. Defining the boundaries of agglomerations as an important problem of modern urban planning theory. Academic Bulletin of UralNIIproekt RAASN. 2023. 1 (56). P. 22-26. DOI: 10.25628/UNIIP.2023.56.1.004.
16. Gong, J. Simulation and prediction of land use in urban agglomeration areas. Frontiers in Environmental Science. 2023. 11. P. 1 – 12. DOI: 10.3389/fenvs.2023.1306187
17. Federal Law «On Cultural Heritage Sites (Historical and Cultural Monuments) of the Peoples of the Russian Federation» dated June 25, 2002, № 73-FZ. Consultant.ru: legal reference system «ConsultantPlus». 2002.
18. Kaznov S.D., Kaznov S.S. Improvement of residential areas of urban areas. Moscow: ASV, 2009, 221 p.
19. Jiménez-Espada M., Cuartero A., Le Breton M. Sustainability Assessment through Urban Accessibility Indicators and GIS in a Middle-Sized World Heritage City: The Case of Cáceres, Spain. Buildings. 2022. 12 (6). P. 1 – 26. DOI: 10.3390/buildings12060813
20. Patrakova S.S., Kozhevnikov S.A. Assessment of the development level of second-tier urban agglomerations in Russia. Bulletin of the Institute of Economics of the Russian Academy of Sciences. 2025. № 5. P. 81 – 104. DOI: 10.52180/2073-6487_2025_5_81_104
21. Novikov S., Tukmakova M., Khusainova D., Napolskikh A., Orekhovskaya A. The ap-proaches in the design of youth centers in the Republic of Ta-tarstan. IV International Scien-tific Conference «Advances in Sci-ence, Engineering and Digital Ed-ucation» (ASEDU-IV-2024). AIP Conference Proceedings. 2024.
22. Ziyatdinov T.Z. Urban planning definition of urban agglomeration based on functional areas. Architecture and Modern Information Technologies. 2022. 1 (58). P. 227 – 240. DOI: 10.24412/1998-4839-2022-1-227-240
23. Shaimardanova C.A., Prokofiev E.I. Methodology of identification, formation and development of peripheral zones of the city. News of KSUAE. 2020. 2 (52). P. 128 – 134.
24. Bederson V.D., Zhelnina A.A., Zaporozhets O.N., Minaeva E.Yu., Semenov A.V., Tykanova E.V., Khokhlova A.M., Chernysheva L.A., Shevtsova I.K. Cities of diverging streets: trajectories of development of urban conflicts in Russia: monograph. Moscow; SPb.: FNISC RAS, 2021, 194 p. DOI 10.19181/monogr.978-5-89697-351-5.2021
25. Baklanov P.Ya., Moshkov A.V. Urban agglomeration as an integrated urbanized geosystem. Pacific Geography. 2022. 4. P. 29 – 37. DOI: 10.35735/26870509_2022_12_3
26. Sirina D.A. Approaches to the study of the structure of urban agglomerations. Journal of Eurasian Science. 2017. 1 (38). P. 12 DOI: 10.23932/2542-0240-2020-13-1-10
27. Smykov Yu.I. Republic of Tatarstan: Historical and Cultural Monuments. Catalogue-reference book. Kazan: Eidos Publishing House, 1993, P. 291 – 292.
28. Collection of Historical and Cultural Monuments of the Republic of Tatarstan. Institute of History of the Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Tatarstan. Dep. of the Collection of Historical and Cultural Monuments, Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Tatarstan. Main Directorate of State Control over the Protection and Use of Historical and Cultural Monuments; [Editorial board: Yu.I. Smykov et al.]. Kazan: Main Directorate of State Control over the Protection and Use of Historical and Cultural Monuments of the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Tatarstan, 1999. P. 114.
29. Lipakov E.V., Afonina E.V., Dolgov E.B. et al. Republic of Tatarstan: Orthodox Monuments (mid-16th – early 20th centuries); Editor-in-Chief Yu. I. Smykov; Main Directorate for State Control over the Protection and Use of Historical and Cultural Monuments under the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Tatarstan, Department of the Collection of Historical and Cultural Monuments of the Institute of History of the Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Tatarstan, National Archives of the Republic of Tatarstan. Kazan: Fest, 1998. Р. 107 – 108.
30. Reference Book of the Kazan Diocese. Kazan: Kazan. Spiritual Consistory, 1909. 798 p.
31. Cherenkov A.V. Orthodox Churches-Monuments of the Kazan Region. Kazan: Publishing House «Center for Innovation Technologies», 2013. P. 74.
32. Project for the Construction of a Church in the Name of the Life-Giving Trinity in the Village of Staroye Adelakovo. GART, F. 2, Op. 14, D. 261.
33. Project for a church in the village of Baybatrevo. GART, F. 2, Op. 14, D. 372.
34. Fence and holy gates at the church in the village of Burnaeva. GART, F. 2, Op. 14, D. 330.
35. Project for a bell tower at the church in the village of Bolshoye Churashevo. GART, F. 2, Op. 14, D. 674.
36. Project for a church in the village of Tetemlak. GART, F. 2, Op. 14, D. 621.
2. Mikhailyuk A.E., Zhukovsky R.S. Trends in the architecture of development of public and residential streets of regional significance in large cities. Polzunovsky Almanac. 2021. 2. Р. 106 – 123.
3. Alekseev Yu.V., Somov G.Yu., Roitman V.M., Nikitina N.S., Topilin A.N., Strashnova Yu.G., Vasiliev O.V., Dunichkin I.V., Tyumeneva O.V., Egorov A.Yu., Trofimova T.E., Kauppila Veikko, Kaivonen Juha-Antti, Tulla Kauko, Aro Teuvo, Hakala Paavo, Toikkanen Arto, Saros Timo, Haukijärvi Matti, Aromaa Pekka, Mononen Tarmo, Pääjärvi Risto, Mäkinen Risto. Urban planning principles for the development and reconstruction of residential buildings. Moscow: ASV, 2009. 640 p.
4. Puzanov A.S., Popov R.A., Polidi T.D., Gershovich A.J. Urban agglomerations in modern Russia: problems and prospects for development. 1st edition. Moscow: Foundation «Institute of City Economy», 2023. 192 p.
5. Baragamyan B.O., Rusnak A.A. Identifying the need for restoration of historical buildings of educational institutions. Young researcher of the Don. 2023. 2 (41). Р. 7 – 9.
6. Ageeva V., Novikov S., Bibikina A., Yao L. The Typology of Kazan Estates: from Origins to Modernity. AIP Conference Proceedings. 2024. Р. 1 – 8.
7. Lisitsyna A.V. Exhibition potential of the historical and architectural environment of small and medium-sized cities of the Nizhny Novgorod Volga region. Volga Scientific Journal. 2025. 2 (74). Р. 200 – 208.
8. Panasyuk M.V., Shaimardanova V.V. Features of the functional organization of the space of the Kazan urban agglomeration. Geographical Bulletin. 2025. 2 (73). Р. 57 – 66.
9. Ilyina E.V., Muratdinova V.R. Sustainable Development and Social Integration in the Renovation of the City's Housing Stock. Economics of Construction, Housing and Public Utilities. 2025. 1 (10). Р. 5 – 14.
10. Bakhareva O.V., Azhimova L.I., Chelani A., Bolshakov N.S. Institute of public guardianship: investments within the boundaries of historical settlements and the life cycle of the urban environment. Bulletin of MGSU. 2021. 6. Р. 751 – 769.
11. Shirokova E.O. Postmodernism in the architecture of shopping centers in the regions of Russia. Privolzhsky Scientific Journal. 2022. 1. Р. 195 – 200.
12. Alekseev Yu.V., Somov G.Yu., Roitman V.M., Nikitina N.S., Topilin A.N., Strashnova Yu.G., Vasiliev O.V., Dunichkin I.V., Tyumeneva O.V., Egorov A.Yu., Trofimova T.E., Kauppila Veikko, Kaivonen Juha-Antti, Tulla Kauko, Aro Teuvo, Hakala Paavo, Toikkanen Arto, Saros Timo, Haukijärvi Matti, Aromaa Pekka, Mononen Tarmo, Pääjärvi Risto, Mäkinen Risto. Urban planning principles for the development and reconstruction of residential buildings. Moscow: ASV, 2009. 640 p.
13. Shepelev N.P., Shumilov M.S. Reconstruction of Residential Development. Moscow: Vysshaya Shkola, 2000. 271 p.
14. Musabirov T.A., Zakirova Y.A. Factors of formation and development of agglomeration growth points. News of KSUAE. 2025. 1 (71). P. 192 – 205. DOI: 10.48612/NewsKSUAE/71.16
15. Mazaev A.G. Defining the boundaries of agglomerations as an important problem of modern urban planning theory. Academic Bulletin of UralNIIproekt RAASN. 2023. 1 (56). P. 22-26. DOI: 10.25628/UNIIP.2023.56.1.004.
16. Gong, J. Simulation and prediction of land use in urban agglomeration areas. Frontiers in Environmental Science. 2023. 11. P. 1 – 12. DOI: 10.3389/fenvs.2023.1306187
17. Federal Law «On Cultural Heritage Sites (Historical and Cultural Monuments) of the Peoples of the Russian Federation» dated June 25, 2002, № 73-FZ. Consultant.ru: legal reference system «ConsultantPlus». 2002.
18. Kaznov S.D., Kaznov S.S. Improvement of residential areas of urban areas. Moscow: ASV, 2009, 221 p.
19. Jiménez-Espada M., Cuartero A., Le Breton M. Sustainability Assessment through Urban Accessibility Indicators and GIS in a Middle-Sized World Heritage City: The Case of Cáceres, Spain. Buildings. 2022. 12 (6). P. 1 – 26. DOI: 10.3390/buildings12060813
20. Patrakova S.S., Kozhevnikov S.A. Assessment of the development level of second-tier urban agglomerations in Russia. Bulletin of the Institute of Economics of the Russian Academy of Sciences. 2025. № 5. P. 81 – 104. DOI: 10.52180/2073-6487_2025_5_81_104
21. Novikov S., Tukmakova M., Khusainova D., Napolskikh A., Orekhovskaya A. The ap-proaches in the design of youth centers in the Republic of Ta-tarstan. IV International Scien-tific Conference «Advances in Sci-ence, Engineering and Digital Ed-ucation» (ASEDU-IV-2024). AIP Conference Proceedings. 2024.
22. Ziyatdinov T.Z. Urban planning definition of urban agglomeration based on functional areas. Architecture and Modern Information Technologies. 2022. 1 (58). P. 227 – 240. DOI: 10.24412/1998-4839-2022-1-227-240
23. Shaimardanova C.A., Prokofiev E.I. Methodology of identification, formation and development of peripheral zones of the city. News of KSUAE. 2020. 2 (52). P. 128 – 134.
24. Bederson V.D., Zhelnina A.A., Zaporozhets O.N., Minaeva E.Yu., Semenov A.V., Tykanova E.V., Khokhlova A.M., Chernysheva L.A., Shevtsova I.K. Cities of diverging streets: trajectories of development of urban conflicts in Russia: monograph. Moscow; SPb.: FNISC RAS, 2021, 194 p. DOI 10.19181/monogr.978-5-89697-351-5.2021
25. Baklanov P.Ya., Moshkov A.V. Urban agglomeration as an integrated urbanized geosystem. Pacific Geography. 2022. 4. P. 29 – 37. DOI: 10.35735/26870509_2022_12_3
26. Sirina D.A. Approaches to the study of the structure of urban agglomerations. Journal of Eurasian Science. 2017. 1 (38). P. 12 DOI: 10.23932/2542-0240-2020-13-1-10
27. Smykov Yu.I. Republic of Tatarstan: Historical and Cultural Monuments. Catalogue-reference book. Kazan: Eidos Publishing House, 1993, P. 291 – 292.
28. Collection of Historical and Cultural Monuments of the Republic of Tatarstan. Institute of History of the Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Tatarstan. Dep. of the Collection of Historical and Cultural Monuments, Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Tatarstan. Main Directorate of State Control over the Protection and Use of Historical and Cultural Monuments; [Editorial board: Yu.I. Smykov et al.]. Kazan: Main Directorate of State Control over the Protection and Use of Historical and Cultural Monuments of the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Tatarstan, 1999. P. 114.
29. Lipakov E.V., Afonina E.V., Dolgov E.B. et al. Republic of Tatarstan: Orthodox Monuments (mid-16th – early 20th centuries); Editor-in-Chief Yu. I. Smykov; Main Directorate for State Control over the Protection and Use of Historical and Cultural Monuments under the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Tatarstan, Department of the Collection of Historical and Cultural Monuments of the Institute of History of the Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Tatarstan, National Archives of the Republic of Tatarstan. Kazan: Fest, 1998. Р. 107 – 108.
30. Reference Book of the Kazan Diocese. Kazan: Kazan. Spiritual Consistory, 1909. 798 p.
31. Cherenkov A.V. Orthodox Churches-Monuments of the Kazan Region. Kazan: Publishing House «Center for Innovation Technologies», 2013. P. 74.
32. Project for the Construction of a Church in the Name of the Life-Giving Trinity in the Village of Staroye Adelakovo. GART, F. 2, Op. 14, D. 261.
33. Project for a church in the village of Baybatrevo. GART, F. 2, Op. 14, D. 372.
34. Fence and holy gates at the church in the village of Burnaeva. GART, F. 2, Op. 14, D. 330.
35. Project for a bell tower at the church in the village of Bolshoye Churashevo. GART, F. 2, Op. 14, D. 674.
36. Project for a church in the village of Tetemlak. GART, F. 2, Op. 14, D. 621.
Novikov S.V., Baltusova O.A., Bibikina A.R., Bashirova E.I., Sobirov T.R., Razetdinov I.M. Passportization and digitalization as a tool for preserving endangered cultural heritage (using the example of the Arsk barracks and the Alexander Nevsky сhurch in the village of Bol'shiye Memi). Construction Materials and Products. Construction Materials and Products. 2026. 9 (5). 9. https://doi.org/10.58224/2618-7183-2026-9-5-9