[3] Such a response allowed paper architects to retreat into their imaginations and defy uniform Soviet architecture through vivid depictions of constructivism, deconstructivism and postmodernism.

[4] According to Anna Sokolina, paper architects rose to prominence within the Western world as many of their works won prestigious awards in professional competitions[5] and helped to shape an understanding of Russian modern and postmodern architecture.

Scholarship has shown that the whimsical and constructivist etchings of Brodsky and Utkin translate mere illustrations into narratives through the introduction of human characters.

[7] Brodsky won his first architectural award in 1989 and was invited to New York by East Meets West, a not for profit organization established by Anneke van Waesberghe.

In 1999 Brodsky created Palazzo Nudo in Pittsburgh, a 16-metre-high (52 ft) house shaped skeleton with the crumbled ruins of the metropolis heaped in the centre.

Painted white and forming the structure of the pavilion, the window frames create a sense of Russian tradition from the industrial heritage that defined 20th century Moscow.

[15] A literally ephemeral project, Brodsky produced a pavilion on the Klyazma Reservoir in 2003 from water sprayed over a metal mesh attached to a wooden structure.

His architectural style combines local and reused materials in such a way that creates buildings that feel both traditional and modern but remain inventive and original.

He maintains a global presence, achieved in collaboration with Ilya Utkin, as well as his built projects that display Brodsky's specific style, referred to as "New Russian Architecture" by architects in his own studio.

His buildings have been applauded for their tendency to incorporate traditional elements of Soviet architecture, such as form, material and techniques, into modern and unique structures.

[26] Whilst his earlier etchings and installations are an obvious reaction against the dehumanising nature of Soviet approved architecture and the lack of care for traditions, the anxiety and chaos of these works are not apparent in his built projects.