Architect Aleksandr Skokan, head of Ostozhenka, talks about the rules of etiquette governing how architects behave in historical cities. Skokan believes it would be better not to build in old city centres at all. But new construction is unavoidable. He is firmly opposed to the practice of creating modern copies of old buildings and likewise to construction in the classical style, given that the old skills and craftsmanship have been lost. “There are things which are handed down from hand to hand. It’s like babushka’s recipe for pancakes: were you to read the recipe from a book, you would also make pancakes, but they’d come out wrong. But if you cook pancakes by your babushka’s side, then you’ll get them right.” Skokan takes a negative view of the district of Ostozhenka, an area of Moscow which he has himself helped to develop and which he considers an open-air museum for the new Modernism. “Ostozhenka is a dead spot. With real estate in it costing $20,000 per square metre, this district cannot be brought back to life. It’s empty of people. There’s no one there except security guards with wires in their ears.” Skokan is convinced that modern architecture has nothing to say to the city; it should therefore, he thinks, be as inconspicuous as possible.