On May 30 at 17:00, at the Ligamus Book House, Assistant Professor and historian Maria C. Taylor (Cornell University) will deliver a public lecture titled “Green Friends and Garden-Factories: Industrial Landscapes Across the USSR.” The event is organized by the Research Center for Anthropology and the Doctoral Program in Anthropology at Ilia State University.

The lecture is financially supported by the academic exchange program of the American Research Institute of the South Caucasus (ARISC).

This event will appeal to those interested in the history of urban environments, landscape design, Soviet heritage, and anthropological research.

Professor Taylor will explore the history of industrial and urban landscape design in cities across the USSR. In these landscapes, trees were regarded as the “green friends” of citizens. The presentation will examine the “garden-factory” model and the integration of green zones into industrial spaces, which served not only aesthetic but also ecological and social purposes. Taylor’s research, covering the years 1930 to 1970, illustrates how unique socialist landscapes emerged at the intersection of environmental protection, politics, and industrial pollution.

Maria C. Taylor is a historian and theorist of landscape design, environmental relations, and international urban planning. She was awarded her PhD at the University of Michigan. Taylor also earned a Master of Landscape Architecture at the University of Washington and an MA in Russian, East European, and Eurasian Studies at Stanford University. She has worked at Princeton University and the University of Washington, and currently teaches at Cornell University.

Working language: English

Date & Time: May 30, 17:00

Location: Ligamus Book House, 32 Ilia Chavchavadze Avenue

Everyone interested is welcome to attend.