Zoya Museum Complex

Architectural firm: A2M​

Year of construction: 2020

Location: Petrishchevo, Moscow region, Russia

Zoya Museum Complex is located in a huge field near the village of Petrishchevo, outside Moscow. It is dedicated to the Soviet war hero Zoya Kosmodemyanskaya, a partisan who fought against the Nazis and was captured and brutally executed by the invading forces in 1941.

A2M, the architects behind the museum project, tried to link together the history of WWII, the village, and several hectares of land around the museum.

The main building is surrounded by a circular walking route with a diameter of 150 meters. It covers the main places of interest: the monument to Zoya Kosmodemyanskaya, the place of her execution, the old museum, and the Kulik house.

The facade of the building is made of concrete panels that create a powerful play of light and reinterpret the vernacular textures of local village houses. Its uneven contour is covered by a canopy and framed by a rectangular colonnade, which gives the building the strictness and solemnity appropriate for a military museum.

The two-story building with a total area of 2500 sq. m. includes an exhibition space, a cafe, and a gift shop. Each of the eight halls has a different shape and function.

Throughout the building, there are observation points that offer views of important sites of the complex—thus the historical landscape is woven into the narrative of the exhibition.

The cafe has panoramic windows, while its space is structured around a central element stylized as a traditional Russian oven.

According to the architects, the lit and minimalist design of the space reminds us that we live in peaceful times.

Cover image: Ilya Ivanov