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Anna Sokolina
Anna Sokolina 2016.jpg
Anna Sokolina, PhD, at a 2016 event for the International Archive of Women in Architecture at Virginia Tech College of Architecture and Urban Studies.
Born 1956 (age 68–69)
Nationality American
Alma mater VNIITAG, MARKHI, NYU
Occupation Architect, scholar, curator

Anna Sokolina is an American architect, writer, and art expert. She is known for her work in architecture and for supporting the work of other women architects. She helped start an important group for women in the Society of Architectural Historians and is an advisor for the International Archive of Women in Architecture.

Sokolina has written over one hundred research papers and books. Her work often focuses on the important role women have played in architecture throughout history. She studies how their ideas have spread around the world. Some of her major works include The Routledge Companion to Women in Architecture and Architecture and Anthroposophy.

Education and Early Career

Anna Sokolina studied architecture at the Moscow Institute of Architecture and graduated in 1980. She later earned a PhD, which is a high-level university degree, in the history and theory of architecture. She also studied Arts Administration at New York University School of Professional Studies.

Sokolina has worked at many famous places. She was an intern at the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum and the Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum. She also worked for many years at the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Morgan Library & Museum.

A Career in Architecture and Teaching

As an architect and researcher, Sokolina has shared her knowledge in many roles. She taught at Miami University in the Department of Architecture + Interior Design. While there, she was involved in many university groups. She also helped organize donations of important documents to university libraries to help future students and researchers.

Promoting New Ideas

In the early 1990s, Sokolina organized exhibitions of Paper Architecture in Germany and France. "Paper Architecture" refers to designs that are created on paper but are not meant to be built. These designs are often very creative and explore futuristic ideas.

She was also one of the first experts invited to lecture in a UNESCO program about building sustainable communities. This happened after a time of great political change in Eastern Europe, making her lectures very important.

Supporting Women in Architecture

A big part of Sokolina's work is making sure the contributions of women architects are remembered. The International Archive of Women in Architecture at Virginia Tech keeps a large collection of her professional records, research, and artworks.

She has also helped the archive collect the work of over 25 other women architects. This ensures that their stories and designs are preserved for history.

Art and Exhibitions

Besides her work in architecture, Sokolina is also a talented artist. Her art has been shown in nineteen exhibitions. Five of these shows were at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Today, 105 of her artworks are in 23 public and private collections around the world.

Her art often explores ideas about cities and landscapes from above, as you can see in her "Aerial Views" series.

Aerial View New York City Sokolina 2007
Anna Sokolina's artwork "Aerial View: New York City" from 2005. This piece was shown at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in 2007.
Aerial View Moscow Sokolina 2004
This piece, "Aerial View: Moscow," was created in 2004 and was also exhibited at the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
Aerial View St. Petersburg A. Sokolina 2003
"Aerial View: St. Petersburg" from 1999. This artwork was part of a 2003 exhibition at the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

Selected Books

Anna Sokolina has written and edited several important books. Here are a few examples:

  • The Routledge Companion to Women in Architecture: A major book she edited that collects stories and research about female architects from around the world.
  • Architecture and Anthroposophy: A book she edited about a special type of architecture inspired by spiritual ideas.
  • Milka Bliznakov Scholar Report: A report about the life and work of Milka Bliznakov, the founder of the International Archive of Women in Architecture.
  • Poems: A collection of her own poetry, showing another side of her creativity.
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