Architecture

Architecture is the art and science of designing and erecting buildings. As an art, architecture is essentially abstract.

The architecture of medieval Russia was influenced by Byzantine architecture. By the eighteenth century the design of Russia's public buildings followed Western styles. Rapid social change at the turn of the twentieth century and the establishment of Soviet power after 1917 generated new bursts of architectural experimentation.

Time is an important factor in architecture. The analysis of building types provides an insight into past cultures and eras. Climate, methods of labor, available materials, and economy of means all impose their dictates.

In the 20th century new forms of building have been devised, with the use of reinforced concrete and the development of geodesic and stressed-skin light material, reinforced structures.