Abstract

Relevance. The article investigates the changes in the urban landscape of Vinni-tsa in the 1920-1930-ies. These changes were the result of the Soviet policy. The aim of this policy was transforming the urban environment. It also symbolized a new Soviet era. Purpose. On basis of historical sources and scholarly literature to trace the Soviet urban policies in Vinnitsa in this period, which included architectural activities and the toponymical. Approach. The research is based on Vinnitsa Oblast State Archive archival sources analysis. Materials of periodicals of 1920–1930-ies ("Bolshevik’s truth", "News", "Working newspaper") are important sources. Findings. The sovietization of urban environment was the part of the Soviet pro-ject of radical social transformation. Traditional urban core of Vinnitsa was changed in the 1920-1930-ies. There were new buildings in the central part of the city: a movie theater of Kotsyubyns'kogo, a library, a building of the regional party com-mittee and others. They showed the greatness of the Soviet regime. It was a new ar-chitectural style of "Stalin’s Empire". The architectural heritage was not a value to the Soviet regime. The Soviet au-thorities destroyed monuments or changed their functional purpose (religious build-ings). Renaming streets of Vinnitsa was in the early 1920s. It was a way to rewrite his-torical memory. Only 21 of the 127 streets had retained the pre-revolutionary name in 1921. Street’s names associated with historical figures and events of the past dis-appeared, as well as religious toponymy. There were the names of streets and squares in honor of the heroes of a new era.

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