Emmanuel Handel Soviet civil engineer Date of Birth: 20.01.1903 Country: Belarus

1. Early Career
2. Moving Buildings on Gorky Street (1936-1941)
3. Preservation and Relocation of Architectural Landmarks
4. Restoration of Historical Buildings
5. Post-War Contributions

Boris Lvovich Gendel: Soviet Architectural Engineer and Restoration Specialist

Early Career

Boris Lvovich Gendel was a renowned Soviet engineer-builder known for his expertise in moving and straightening buildings and restoring historical structures. Despite his German heritage, he dedicated his life to the preservation and modernization of architectural wonders within the Soviet Union.

Moving Buildings on Gorky Street (1936-1941)

Gendel's most notable contribution was the mass relocation of 26 buildings along Gorky Street (now Tverskaya Street) in Moscow. As the Moscow Metro system expanded, he supervised the strengthening of building foundations near the metro lines.

In 1937, Gendel oversaw the relocation of a five-story residential building on Sadovnicheskaya Street to accommodate the construction of the Bolshoi Krasnokholmskiy Bridge. This 88-meter-long structure was moved without displacing its occupants, preserving its partial existence until a 1967 gas explosion destroyed its угловые секции.

Preservation and Relocation of Architectural Landmarks

Gendel's mastery in moving buildings also extended to preserving architectural landmarks. In 1939, he relocated the Savvinsky Podvorye, a building weighing 23,000 tons, deep within the Tverskaya district without displacing its residents. This massive operation remains the largest of its kind in world history.

Similarly, in 1940, Gendel moved the Moscow City Council building further into the Tverskaya block. The following year, he oversaw the intricate relocation of the Eye Hospital, rotating the building and mounting it onto a pre-constructed first floor.

Restoration of Historical Buildings

Beyond moving buildings, Gendel also specialized in straightening and reinforcing historical structures. In 1954, he straightened the bell tower at the Bolshie Vyazemy estate in the Moscow region. Four years later, he restored the bell tower of the Church of St. John the Baptist in Yaroslavl.

In 1965, Gendel's expertise extended to Central Asia, where he straightened the minaret of the Ulugbek Madrasah in Samarkand. He repeated this feat in 1972, this time restoring the minaret of the Bibi-Khanym Mosque in the same city.

Post-War Contributions

In the post-war period, Gendel focused on restoring industrial enterprises, contributing to the reconstruction and modernization of the Soviet economy. His final work in 1988 involved straightening a nine-story building in Moscow's Bolshoi Afanasyevsky Pereulok.

Boris Lvovich Gendel's exceptional engineering skills and dedication to preserving and enhancing architectural heritage cemented his legacy as a master of his craft within the Soviet Union and beyond.