Karra Alexander Yakovlevich (1904-1944)

Soviet architect.

He was born in 1904 in Moscow. He began to work when he was 15 years old. Having had secondary education Alexander entered VHUTEMAS in 1922. While studying he was one of the best students so he was awarded the trip to Italy. He took part in many architectural competitions. Totally he did about 30 projects. Some of them were published in periodical press. He was awarded prizes for many of them or some of the projects were bought by the organizers of the competitions.

One of his first work was a residential house in Moscow (together with Shvidkovsky A.). Later some apartment buildings were built on the base of his projects in Dangauerovka. In 1937 Alexander and Reizerova Z.  designed the stadium of steelworkers for 30 thousand people in Dnepropetrovsk.

Before the World War II he worked on the plan of Park of Culture and Leisure “Sokolniki” in Moscow and on the buildings in Sokolniki community as well. Karra worked as a teacher at Moscow Forestry and Architecture Institutes. Apart from teaching he did research on architecture of theatre buildings, sports and park ones. He worked out different types of parks of culture and leisure, stadiums and halls of culture. Also he worked in the field of easel painting and book illustrations.

Karra was an active member of “ASNOVA”, “VOPRa” and the Union of architects of USSR. His works were published in periodical press. From 1929-1940 more than 20 articles were published in the magazine “ Stroitelstvo of Moscow”.

In 1941 Alexander worked as the main architect of APU Mosgorispolkoma. In July, having left his wife and three children, he went to war as a volunteer. On 25 October 1941 he missed in action. Later he became a guerrilla in Belorussian forests. He fell in August 1944 during the capture of the fortress Osovets.