«Гетто в хорошем смысле» против «бетонного гетто»: районные дискурсы и реновация в Москве

The housing renovation program in Moscow was officially announced in early 2017 and, even before the rosters of condemned buildings were finalized, created emotional turmoil. In this paper, I demonstrate how emotions were used during the pro- and anti-Renovation mobilization. An important element of this emotional work was the emotional construction of periphery: building on their different ideas of periphery, Muscovites formulated their visions of an ideal or undesirable city. The perception of past and future along with the aesthetics attached to them shape the perception of place and can become an instrument of political action. Supporters and opponents of the Renovation fought for their right not to be pushed to the periphery: supporters tried to escape the slow and abandoned existence in the socialist 5-storey buildings and maximize the intensity and the modern character of their living environment. The opponents of the Renovation resisted the encroachment of the periphery: high-rise housing full of various social problems.