PRAGMATIKA.MEDIA has repeatedly studied this issue from different angles and at one time devoted a whole cycle of materials to it. The editor-in-chief of our platform, Kostyantyn Kovshevatsky, gave a lecture about outstanding women who left a noticeable mark in the history of architecture, and how during the last hundred years they had to fight against chauvinistic views and misunderstanding of the public, defending the right to assert themselves in the profession. And then the participants of the discussion shared their personal experience.
Kateryna Vasylieva, architect
"If a person in the profession identifies himself as a professional, then, regardless of his position, gender affiliation, he will establish himself as an architect, and he will be heard. Everything depends only on the individual. Both a man and a woman can put an opponent in their place with their professional knowledge, skills, experience, charisma, and finally, conviction in their own rightness.
Respect for another lies within the person himself. If there is no inner core of respect for oneself as a person and a professional, then it is not worth expecting it from an outsider. And I am absolutely convinced of this.
Kateryna Vasylieva, architect
Many thanks to Olena Fateeva, a young woman who is fighting a fierce battle with the governing bodies, aunties, and the rest (it is about the protection of the "Gorbachykh" nature reserve. — Editor's note), as well as Yulia Kononenko. They defend the "green lungs" of the city, and the fact that they are women does not hinder them at all. This is inner strength, character and absolute conviction in the rightness - in the fact that this is how it should be.
I am a woman by birth, and this cannot be changed, but I am an architect by life and by vocation. Because in the world you are who you are at every single moment, and then choose yourself how and with whom you like to interact more.
I am absolutely convinced that every person has both masculine and feminine qualities. Based on how flexible it can be in a particular situation, it reveals certain qualities. Because of this, I as a person do not become more of a man or a woman. Depending on how I perceive the situation, I choose the model of behavior that will be decisive for a specific task. Of course, I'm a living person, I can make mistakes, I can miscalculate my opponent, but, I repeat, I have both one and the other."
Antonina Kaplya, Architectural group CEH
"I encountered ageism in my very first project. 15 years ago, we accidentally entered a tender for a serious object and won it. Back then, I was still a very young, skinny girl in jeans and sneakers, with a baby face. You can imagine how I was perceived by the foreman and construction workers at the facility. However, I decided that such a chance at the beginning of my career comes once in a lifetime, and I will definitely see the project through to the end, no matter what it costs.
That's when I learned to raise my voice, defend my rightness, force people to do what they need to at the facility, while wearing heels, not to appear on the site without makeup — and 50% of the pressure suddenly disappeared. I drew conclusions and came to the next projects already with a certain baggage.
Antonina Kaplya, Architectural group CEH
For a long time, women were not allowed to enter this profession, and, in comparison, the percentage of successful female architects is still critically low - only 6%. In both men and women, the idea that an architect is a man's profession has been left in the subconscious. And if a woman wants to succeed in the modern world, she has to try on the role of a man. It is certain that over time this situation will radically change.
First, women today have the opportunity to get an appropriate education, as well as to make their family life much easier. Secondly, let's not forget about technological progress: now an architect is a computer, brains, education and talent, regardless of gender. In some ways, men are inferior to us: we, for example, are multitaskers. Maybe that's why they fear us in the profession.
You need to learn to use the fact that you are a woman, within conscious limits. In some ways, we are smarter and more cunning, and we can lobby for some issues more gracefully and easily. If purely female methods do not work, press with arguments and professionalism. For this reason, on a global scale, I do not see a problem of chauvinism in the architectural environment. Our girls are smart, everyone is in their place. The most important thing is to be able to make responsible decisions."
Olena Fateeva, Fateeva Design
"The pressure I feel on myself begins at the moment when we approach making serious decisions at the city level. The issue of the life support of the urban environment, its functioning in our country is decided by men who are "stuck" on making money, and it doesn't matter at what cost. At the same time, we as architects, as mothers, who are forced to deal with the ecological conditions in which our children should live and breathe, for some reason continue to remain silent.
Olena Fateeva, Fateeva Design
Let's do something together in order to to secure the future
When I am asked why I waste time on things that do not bring me profit, but only problems instead, and eat up part of my life, I explain this way: at a certain moment I clearly realized that life is short, and I came to the thought that I can and must do something for two reasons. The first is because I can't not do it. The second is because I can't live without it. That's what I do. Family, a loved one, interior design — that's what I can't live without, it's a part of me. And I don't need to be persuaded here. If we talk about "Horbachykha", about our social projects, these are important things that I can't avoid doing, simply because I don't see on whose shoulders to put them. Let's do something together to secure our future."
Olga Novikova, Martin's
"Many years ago, having won another domestic competition, we were standing with Igor (Ihor Martin, architect, co-founder of Martin's studio, husband of Olga Novikova. — Editor's note), satisfied and with diplomas in our hands, and then a woman approached us designer and congratulated her husband on his victory, although we did the project together. Turning to me, she asked: "Are you a muse?".
In principle, yes. Despite the fact that I was the author of 85% of the ideas in that project. I am a certified architect and have been working since the 2nd year of university. And I am by no means just a muse for my husband and partner. Having three children, she was not actually on maternity leave, but instead continued to lead projects, deeply immersing herself in each of them.
Olga Novikova, Martin's
In our company, the directions are divided: Igor deals more with architecture, and I am responsible for design. For some time, I actively promoted the Martin's brand, engaged in PR, writing articles, and publications, but when I realized that it was affecting me personally, I began to loudly declare that I was doing the project."
Olga Bogdanova, Bogdanova Bureau
"The struggle for the right to exist begins with our family. As soon as we get married, men decide that, they say, since she is my woman, she will be the keeper of the family hearth, a housewife, will give birth to children. For 8 years I fought with my husband for the right to work. We exchanged passports, I threatened divorce. He understood all the inevitability of the moment and stopped stuttering about my work. So we have been happy together for 14 years.
Olga Bogdanova, Bogdanova Bureau
You need to follow yourself, listen to yourself. It's not always easy and sometimes you really need to dig deep inside yourself to understand what you want. But I would very much like that we do not bend the stick and do not go to extremes. It is important to maintain a balance between men and women. As a wife and mother, I like to feel sometimes like a small fragile girl next to a strong man, and I don't want to choose between a man and a job, between white and black, stupid and smart. I want to choose those with whom I want to work based on my inner feeling. The main thing is to stay true to yourself."
Zhanna Kiselyova, JK Lab Architects
"I think that the most important thing that those 20% of women lack (statistics from the lecture read by PRAGMATIKA.MEDIA editor-in-chief Kostyantyn Kovshevatskyi before the discussion. — Ed. note) who "dived" somewhere from the profession, having received the education of an architect, is courage , bravery, a certain boyishness. We are all little boys and girls inside, and this inner child is important to remember.
I also think that the problem of Slavic women is their inability to share their responsibilities with men. I wouldn't be here at this meeting if my husband didn't sometimes take over my functions and I take over his. We ourselves do not let them wash the dishes, clean, that is, help us in everyday life, with the children, because we think that we should do it exclusively ourselves. This is how we take away the opportunity to relax and be the same little girl who is being cared for.
Zhanna Kiselyova, JK Lab Architects
In our company, we divide all the main functions in half. My husband turned out to be a genius financier, so he handles everything related to money. I am responsible for the creative side of projects. And I believe that, if he did not exist, it would be much more difficult for me.
I have a favorite couple of architects that I admire: the authors of stunning design objects, Ray and Charles Eames. They are together in all the photos! They were probably the first to show the world that it is possible to be successful architects and at the same time be a happy couple. This is the vector that should be chosen."
Rina Lovko, Rina Lovko Design
"When I realized that life is short and the number of projects that I can do with quality is limited, I decided to do only what I know how to do well, where I can bring benefit. It's character. Someone will call him masculine. Not that I chose it - you are born this way, then you are brought up, including your opponents.
Rina Lovko, Rina Lovko Design
I always believed that if the world was ruled by women, we would not have wars at all
Overall, I don't see any problem at all. Everything depends on you. Our profession is a lot of work. This is a calling. If you have the strength, work. You are either an architect or you are not. I don't believe that you can come home and turn off your head. Or I still have to learn. That's probably why I was afraid of getting pregnant at one time: it meant leaving all my affairs, leaving projects. But then it turned out that you would not find time for motherhood at all!
And my biggest wish for those who remain in the profession and do not have children yet is not to be afraid to give birth. Because the work will not go anywhere, and children just stimulate you to be more conscious about everything. I always believed that if the world was ruled by women, then we would not have wars at all. It is unnatural for us to kill the environment. We know how to create and at the same time "juggle" two-sided affairs at the same time.
/The material is published on the pages #32 volume PRAGMATIKA.MEDIA/
