Tired to trendy: Architects give Russian provinces urban makeover

For decades, the banks of the river flowing through the Russian city of Belgorod were in a sorry state of disrepair. "It was hard to get down to the water, and it was really filthy in places," said architect Jezi Stankevic. Now, reeds line the waterfront and teenagers lounge on wooden boardwalks that extend right across the river, overlooked by a wooden amphitheater. The idea of creating pleasant public spaces might not seem groundbreaking but it is only just taking root in Soviet-planned cities like Belgorod, some 600 kilometers south of Moscow. Such cities were built with the aim of fulfilling production targets rather than responding to the needs of residents...

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