From Amazing To Downright Scary, These 50 Design And Architecture Decisions Are Far From Boring
Socialist Modernism is an online initiative created by the Bureau for Art and Urban Research (BACU) to protect the monumental but decaying structures of central and eastern Europe erected between 1955-91.
"We aim to revitalize this heritage not only for symbolic reasons but because we believe in these elements that managed to defy some of the ideological requirements, giving the urban space a certain flavor so characteristic of those times," says Dumitru Rusu of BACU. "Boulevards, public buildings, living units, and monuments, they all are a clear reflection of the social and cultural context of the socialist period."
In the first phase of the project, BACU is documenting the architecture from the Eastern Bloc — it has mapped these socialist modernist buildings and monuments online in a community-driven tool, hoping to build a comprehensive database as well as create awareness and promote a desire to preserve them. The second phase aims to develop regulations for protection.
Overall, the project is an inspiring example of how preserving the past can also enrich the present.
More info: socialistmodernism.com | Instagram | Facebook
This post may include affiliate links.
Monument To The Conquerors Of Space Moscow, 1964
”electrification”, Stainless Steel Sculpture, Vidraru Dam 1971. Arges County, Romania
The Monument To 1300 Years Of Bulgaria
That's Prince Boris I https://www.kathmanduandbeyond.com/monument-founders-bulgarian-state-shumen-bulgaria-2/
The National "Khabar" Television Studios And Administrative Offices. Almaty, Kazakhstan, Built In 1983
The building is called "Sosulka" (meaning icicle) in the urban language due to the prefabricated elements hanging from the roof, these being created in the spirit of Islamic architecture.
Bus Stop No 37, Network Of Bus Stations, Tajikistan. Built In The Late 70s
Housing Building On Bobur Street. Tashkent, Uzbekistan Built In 1974
Slovak Radio Building, Bratislava, Slovakia, Built Between 1967-1983
Former Ministry Of Transportation, (Now: Bank Of Georgia) Tbilisi, Georgia, Built In 1974
The Former Wedding Cathedral, (It Was Used As A Private House, Now Event Place) Tbilisi, Georgia, Built In 1985
Monument To The Revolution Of The People Of Moslavina - World War II Memorial. Podgarić, Croatia Unveiled In 1967
The Aul Residential Complex, Tole Bi 286/1, Almaty, Kazakhstan Built In Stages Between 1986-2002 Architects: B. Voronin, L. Andreyeva, Yu. Ratushnyi, V. Lepeshov, V. Ve, M.rakhimbayev
The Monument To Yu.gagarin Moscow. Russia
Canteen For The House Of Recreation For The Writers’ Union Of Armenia Sevan Lake, Armenia, Built In 1967
Bas Relief Sculptural Frieze On The Facade Of The Institute Of Communications. Yerevan, Armenia. (70s)
The Hall For Lectures And Cinema Of The Institute Of Scientific And Technical Information, (Aka “Kyiv Flying Saucer”) Kyiv, Ukraine. Built In 1971
Cafesjian Art Museum - Cascade, Yerevan, Armenia. Design 1975-1980 Built 1985-2000
Nstitute Of Robotics And Technical Cybernetics, Saint Petersburg, Russia, Built Between 1973-1986
Monument On Freedom Hill By Janez Lenassi In Ilirska Bistrica, Republic Of Slovenia, 1965
Sports And Concert Complex, Aka Hamalir Yerevan, Armenia Built Between 1976-84
Military Medical Academy Complex, Banjica, Belgrade, Serbia, Designed In 1973, Built In 1981
The Monument To Yuri Gagarin Is Located On Gagarin Square In Moscow, Russia - It Was Unveiled On July 4, 1980
Experimental Residential Building In Bratislava, Slovakia, Built Between 1968-74 Architect Štefan Svetko With J. Hauskrecht
Block Of Flats, Tashkent, Uzbekistan, Built In The 80s Architect Victor Breusenko
Ilinden / Makedonium - A Monument Dedicated To The Fighters And Revolutionaries Who Participated In The Ilinden Uprising Of 1903
As well as soldiers-partisans of the Macedonia National Liberation Struggle 1941-1944.
Kruševo, North Macedonia
Built in 1974
Nova Scena Theatre, Prague, Czech Republic. Built Between 1977-1983, Architect Karel Prager
Bridge Of The Slovak National Uprising, Bratislava, Slovakia, Built Between 1967-1972
Concrete Toboggan Slide - Playground Floreasca. Floreasca Development. Bucharest, Romania. Built In 1959-1960
It looks to me like the "Toboggan of Death" for parents who don't much care for their children.
Hotel Salyut. Kyiv, Ukraine. Built Between 1976-1982
One Of The Two Halls Of Parting, Memory Park (Kyiv/Kiev) Ukraine. Built 1968–1981
Few Of The Many Imposing Statues Located In The Center Of The Monument To 1300 Years Of Bulgaria
House Of Fashion, Belarus, Minsk, Built In 60's-70's
The Former Memorial House Of The Bulgarian Communist Party, (Buzludzha Monument), Shipka Pass, Bulgaria, Built In 1981
Seems to be located in the middle of nowhere. And in urgent need of repair
Pearl Cafe, (Now Mirvari Cafe) Baku, Azerbaijan Built In 1961
Palace Of Weddings, Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, Built In 1987
Very symmetrical except for the sign above the door. They should have used a palindrome!
Memorial Monument "The Defenders Of Stara Zagora" 1977. Chadir Moghila, Stara Zagora County, Bulgaria
There’s a lot of symbolism in there. Too much for people who don’t know the history associated with it.
Monument To The Uprising Of The People Of Kordun And Banija / Spomenik Ustanku Naroda Banije I Korduna Petrovac, Petrova Gora, Croatia Unveiled In 1981
Hotel “Cosmos" Moscow, Russia, Built In 1979
To that panda who wanted to drive up the monument: in Night Watch movie (2004) a car races on this curve wall.
Bus Stop No.12, Network Of Bus Stations, Near Dushanbe, Tajikistan, Built In The Late 70s
Not much protection from the elements for the people waiting for the bus
Haludovo Resort, Malinska, Croatia, Built In 1972
Lviv Bus Terminal Stryiska 109, Lviv, Ukraine Built In 1980
Biotürme, Part Of Former Lauchhammer Coking Plant, (Decontamination Towers/Gdr-Heavy Industry.) Lauchhammer, 1957
A coking plant? Is this some kinda holocaust building? Gotta go Google coking. I just imagine pounds of cocaine
Coke is coal which has been heated in the absence of oxygen, driving off impurities and leaving a more consistent product which is important for reducing iron oxides into metallic iron during the smelting process.
Load More Replies...
East Germany was behind the iron curtain. Remember that whole wall fiasco?
Load More Replies...Apartment Building On Karowa Street, Warsaw, Poland Built In 1978
Ferant Garden Residential Quarter Ljubljana, Slovenia, Built In 1975
Pantheon To The Heroes In The Serbo-Bulgarian War, Gurgulyat, Bulgaria, Built In 1985
Museum Of The Slovak National Uprising, Banska Bystrica, Slovakia, Built In 1969
The Former Memorial House Of The Bulgarian Communist Party, (Buzludzha Monument), Shipka Pass, Bulgaria, Built In 1981
Cafe In A Railway Station - Pkp Warszawa Powiśle, (Former Ticket Booth) And Main Entrance From The Puma Building; Warsaw, Poland, Designed And Built Between 1954-1963, Architects Arseniusz Romanowicz, Piotr Szymaniak
Eastern Gate Of Belgrade, Rudo Buildings, (Istočne Kapije) Belgrade, Serbia, Built In 1976, Architect: Vera Ćirković Engineer: Milutin Jerotijević
University Of Wroclaw, Building Of The Faculty Of Mathematics And Computer Science - Facade From The Odra River, With A Mosaic By Anna Szpakowska-Kujawska. 1971. Wroclaw, Poland
National Library Building. Pristina, Kosovo Built In 1982
Housing Building On Bobur Street. Tashkent, Uzbekistan Built In 1974
The Vukovar Water Tower Vukovar, Croatia, 1963 To 1968
This was severely damaged (hit over 600 times by artillery) in 1991 during the Siege of Vukovar, part of the Croatian War of Independence, which lasted for 87 days and was at the time the worst and most protracted battle in Europe since WW2 (now superseded by the War in Ukraine). They wanted to keep the tower as a memorial, so they fixed most of the structural damage but left the holes in the brickwork. It now houses a restaurant and a museum.
The Weltzeituhr (Worldtime Clock) Alexanderplatz, Berlin, Germany Opened In 1969
Hotel Traian (Now: Hotel Roman). Built 1974-76
The hotel complex includes a museum entitled "Imperial Roman Thermal Baths" and functional Austrian Imperial Baths built in the 1850s on the roman thermal baths ruins, both located in the lower levels of the hotel. Baile Herculane, România
Are these deliberately desaturated to invoke the soulless oppression of the Soviet Union?
Development On Kozia Street, Warsaw, Poland, Built In 1978
Karaburma Housing Tower Building. Belgrade, Serbia Built In: 1963
"Genex Tower" - Western Gates Of Belgrade, Belgrade, Serbia, Built In 1977
Intourist Shop Of The Hrazdan Central Bus Station, Hrazdan, Armenia, Built In 1978
Panel House With Loggias Aka Teve-Panelhaz Pecs, 1972
The Unrealized New Shumen City Center With The Post Tower. Bulgaria
The city center project was finished in 1987 and underwent a public discussion with exhibited models for the Shumen. Excavation works started. The Shumen city center should have included an ambitious group of public buildings - a trading house, a concert center, a bank, a post office, a hotel complex, a restaurant and a coffee shop, also underground parking lots, tunnels and squares with fountains.
The New Shumen City Center was built and left in uncompleted state since 1989.
Yu. A. Gagarin” Youth Center, Chisinau, Moldova. Built In 1972
Former Restaurant "Noroc", Now: "Guguta" Cafe "Ştefan Cel Mare" City Park, Chisinau, Republic Of Moldova, Built In 60-S
Entrance To Sevan City. The 70s. Sevan, Armenia
Skála Department Store. Székesfehérvár, Hungary Built In 1979
House 41 & The 1970s Hotel National, Chisinau, Moldova. Designed By Gorbuntsov & Shalagynov
Hotel Traian. Baile Herculane, România. Built 1974-76
Large Mosaic Of Ceramic Tiles Entitled “Man And Nature” On The Facade Of The The Brandenburg University Of Technology Cottbus The 1970s
Republican Center For Geodesy And Cartography Yerevan, Armenia. Built Between 1979-1980
Ostankino Tower, The Base Detail Moscow, Russia Built Between 1963 -1967 Structural Engineer Nikolai Nikitin
State University Campus Dormitory, Tbilisi, Georgia, Built In 1966
Residential Building - Bolshaya Tulskaya, (The Ship) Moscow, Russia, Design/Built: 1970-1986
“In robot appartments children scream, voices on the radio shifted through dreams: conform to the rhythm.” (From the lyrics of «Conform to the Rhythm», a song by the band Material, 1981)
National Library Building. Pristina, Kosovo Built In 1982
Hotel Forum (Not In Use) Krakow, Poland, Built Between 1978-1989
Sanatorium Rīgas Jūrmala (Now:“Baltic Beach Hotel”) Jūrmala, Latvia, Built In 1981
Olympic Mascot Mishka (1980) On An Apartment Block In Osh, Kyrgystan
Metro Station Lenin Square (Today: Republic Square Metro Station) Yerevan, Armenia Built In 1981
Hotel Zlatibor, Užice, Serbia Built In 1981
Development On Steep Slopes In Nutsubidze Street. Tbilisi, Georgia. Built Between 1974-1976
1st Pic Žižkov Television Tower Prague, Czech Republic Built Between 1985-92
I really like this. So novel, reminds me of oil rig or grain silos, rocket launcher, and other things. Extremely practical, as you can see from the number of TV dishes. Well engineered for strength, aerodynamic, everything needed for a single organisation's office in the sky.
Blok 28 - Residential Complex Aka "Televizorke" Belgrade, Serbia Built In 1970-1974
Miljevina Motel, Miljevina, Foca Municipality Bosnia And Herzegovina. Built In The 70s
Aul Residential Complex, Tole Bi 286/1, Almaty, Kazakhstan Built In Stages Between 1986-2002
"Nischelgasse" (Das Karl-Marx-Monument) Chemnitz, Germany. Unveiled In 1971
Valley Of Heroes Monument
memorial complex (with a small museum) commemorates the 1943 Battle of the Sutjeska (Serbo-Croatian: Bitka na Sutjesci), code-name Fall Schwarz.
1971. Tjentište, Bosnia and Herzegovina
This Street Lamp In Wroclaw, Poland
T Lamela Bilding - Block 61. Belgrade, Serbia, The 1970s
Hotel Uzbekistan, Uzbekistan, Tashkent, Built In 1974
The Immaculate Conception Roman-Catholic Church. Orșova, România. Built Between 1972-1976
He Former Memorial House Of The Bulgarian Communist Party, (Buzludzha Monument), Shipka Pass, Bulgaria, Built In 1981
The Former Hotel Sport Of The Former Olympic Yachting Centre, (Today: Hotel &spa) Estonia, Tallinn Built Between 1975-1980
Central Aquatic Sports Complex Named After Lenin Komsomol. ( Now: Laguna Vere Aquatic Sports Complex) Tbilisi, Georgia, Built In 1978
Doesn't look like any aquatic or other activities have taken place here in decades...
'alfa' Retail And Office Complex, Poznan, Poland, Built Between 1963-72. Architect: Jerzy Lisniewicz
Institute Of Organic Chemistry “C. D. Nenitescu”, Romanian Academy, Bucharest, Romania, Built In The 70s
One Of Three Apartment Buildings In Vojvode Stepe Bd. Belgrade, Serbia Built In 1973
some of these buildings would look nice if they weren't grey! paint it white, blue, maybe light silver and cover the two parts without windows with murals or something like that and done
Kotva Department Store (Od-Obchodní Dům Kotva), Prague, Czech Republic Built Between 1970-1975
Housing Buidling In Didube District Tbilisi, Georgia, Built In The 70s
Restaurant Cosmos, (Initially Built As A Canteen For The Hotel Cosmos) Eforie-Sud, Romania. Built In The 60's
Oh yeah, this was before they rebuilt it last year. Unfortunately, while it's good it's not a ruin any more, the rebuilding is kind of hit-and-miss, so now it just looks... banal. I hear their pizza is good though. https://www.google.com/maps/uv?pb=!1s0x40badfb381c06d2d%3A0xc9e7d6dd719ccfac!3m1!7e131!4s!5sRestaurant%20Cosmos%20Pizza%20!15sCgIgAQ&%20Biliard&hl=en&imagekey=!1e10!2sAF1QipMF_51VYQ0WCXnzKUvLNrNBkb8EpXY0SWQmjOBU
Zvartnots Air Terminal, Yerevan, Armenia, Built In 1980
Lower Cable Car Station, Park "Butoias" Chisinau, Moldova, Built Between 1986
Monument Of Yugoslav Partisan Squad Of Mountain Kosmaj, 1971
Hotel Pomorie, Pomorie, Bulgaria. Built In (1976)
This building was demolished at least 30 years ago, as I expect many others from this post too.
Any Thoughts ? What's The First Thing On Your Mind When You See A Picture?
Institute For Studies And Power Engineering Building, Bucharest, Romania. Built In The 70s
Apartment Building, ("House On Chicken Legs") Moscow, Russia, Built In 1968
Nine-Storey Large-Panel Housing Building On The Basis Of III-46 Series. Dushanbe, Tajikistan. Built In 80s
The Former V. I. Lenin Palace Of Culture And Sports ( Now:linnahall Culture And Sports Palace) Tallinn, Estonia, Built In 1980
Ddr Pankow/East Berlin Swimming Pools During Late 1960s
Upper And Lower Cable Car Stations, Park "Butoias" Chisinau, Moldova, Built Between 1986
Livezeni Coal Mine ( Mina Livezeni - E.m. Livezeni)
One of the largest underground mining exploitation in Romania located in Petroşani - one of six cities in the Jiu Valley mining exploitation region of Hunedoara County.
It was built in 1980.
C.e.t. Sud Power Station, Bucharest,romania Built In 1963
Winery Laboratory And Production Building Of "Yaloveni" Research And Production Association, Moldova Construction Began In 80s
Development On Novy Arbat Street, Moscow, Russia. Built 1962-1968
Looks very inviting, yeah right. — The neighboring little church is quite pretty tho’.
Tower Bloks 67-68, (Modified Type Series Bs-69-Sf-Ud) Druzhba 1 Development, Iskar District Sofia, Bulgaria Built Between 1977-1983
Experimental Residential Building In Bratislava, Slovakia, Built Between 1968-74
Metsamor Nuclear Power Plant, Armenia
Telecommunication Office, Detail Skopje, North Macedonia 1972-74. Urban Planning By Kenzo Tange (1960s)
Halls Of Parting, Memory Park. Kyiv, Ukraine. Built 1968-1981
Round Building, (Blocul Rotund) Lujerului Square, Militari Neighborhood, Bucharest, Romania, Built In The Late 1977-78
I mean it doesn't actually look that bad anymore: https://www.google.com/maps/@44.4341253,26.0351461,3a,49.8y,253.9h,104.35t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sXVudFCBxyvkpnu-lWbnJbA!2e0!7i16384!8i8192?hl=en
Terraced High-Rise Apartment Building In Kaulsdorf-Nord Residential Area Berlin, Germany Built In 1985
The Former Tuzla Bank, (Now Nlb) Tuzla, Bih, Built In 1977
All Saints' Roman Catholic Church, Farkasrét Budapest , Hungary Designed And Built Between 1974-1977
Institute Of Robotics And Technical Cybernetics, Saint Petersburg, Russia, Built Between 1973-1986
Haus Des Lehrers, (House Of The Teachers), Berlin, Germany, Built Between 1962 And 1964
The Former Headquarters Of Sarajevo-Based Daily Newspapers Oslobodjenje Sarajevo, Bosnia And Herzegovina Built In The 80s
Housing Building, Cottbus, Germany Built In The 70s
Yes, which is found all over the world during this time period, not just Eastern Block countries.
Load More Replies... Some interesting (futuristic) architecture in these posts... Shame that many of the buildings and structures have been poorly maintained (or stopped being maintained altogether).
I was thinking the same thing! So many interesting designs but most look completely abandoned, and those clearly still in use look filthy if they're not also crumbling :(
Load More Replies...
It's like they used all of their creativity on these building and therefore had to build the depressing concrete slabs to House the people
The soviets razed entire villages and city blocks to erase all traces of national history and culture in a bid to create the fever dream of the soviet union. Then replaced with housing projects that look exactly the same no matter where in the former satellite states you go. Soulless concrete monstrosities, built on the backs of hundreds of thousands of displaced people and the millions who have been killed or disappeared without a trace.
Load More Replies... Not many blue skies or sunny days to show off these pieces. Shame that concrete and steel don't come in more colors. These could be incredibly beautiful. Shades of gray emphasize the bland. If these were anything less than monumental structures, they would be invisible.
They certainly had a lot of imagination in the Soviet bloc - curious, given that they were all indoctrinated to think the same. Perhaps this was their only creative outlet.
This one's my fave. It's massive. Still stands. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Worker_and_Kolkhoz_Woman
I'm from the eastern part of Germany, some of the structures feel strangely familiar. But today there isn't much left of the brutalist architecture and monuments in our cities.
These were cool. And I now have the locations to shoot my indie sci-fi/fantasy movie!
Interesting examples, but many of them are not located in eastern Europe, as I mention few times.
You know the former Soviet Union and Eastern Block countries extended well into Asia, right?
Load More Replies... They weren't afraid to push the limits of the possible. Very aggressive style of monumental building, ugly but impressive
Most of the buildings here are located at East Europe, what does this imply?
Wicked architecture! Reminds me of dystopia futuristic sci-fi art from the 70's. So cool!
Several of these are war memorials, known collectively as " Sponeniks". You'll find the database here : https://www.spomenikdatabase.org/ they're in various states ranging from well kept to completely destroyed.
Yes, which is found all over the world during this time period, not just Eastern Block countries.
Load More Replies... Some interesting (futuristic) architecture in these posts... Shame that many of the buildings and structures have been poorly maintained (or stopped being maintained altogether).
I was thinking the same thing! So many interesting designs but most look completely abandoned, and those clearly still in use look filthy if they're not also crumbling :(
Load More Replies... It's like they used all of their creativity on these building and therefore had to build the depressing concrete slabs to House the people
The soviets razed entire villages and city blocks to erase all traces of national history and culture in a bid to create the fever dream of the soviet union. Then replaced with housing projects that look exactly the same no matter where in the former satellite states you go. Soulless concrete monstrosities, built on the backs of hundreds of thousands of displaced people and the millions who have been killed or disappeared without a trace.
Load More Replies... Not many blue skies or sunny days to show off these pieces. Shame that concrete and steel don't come in more colors. These could be incredibly beautiful. Shades of gray emphasize the bland. If these were anything less than monumental structures, they would be invisible.
They certainly had a lot of imagination in the Soviet bloc - curious, given that they were all indoctrinated to think the same. Perhaps this was their only creative outlet.
This one's my fave. It's massive. Still stands. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Worker_and_Kolkhoz_Woman
I'm from the eastern part of Germany, some of the structures feel strangely familiar. But today there isn't much left of the brutalist architecture and monuments in our cities.
These were cool. And I now have the locations to shoot my indie sci-fi/fantasy movie!
Interesting examples, but many of them are not located in eastern Europe, as I mention few times.
You know the former Soviet Union and Eastern Block countries extended well into Asia, right?
Load More Replies... They weren't afraid to push the limits of the possible. Very aggressive style of monumental building, ugly but impressive
Most of the buildings here are located at East Europe, what does this imply?
Wicked architecture! Reminds me of dystopia futuristic sci-fi art from the 70's. So cool!
Several of these are war memorials, known collectively as " Sponeniks". You'll find the database here : https://www.spomenikdatabase.org/ they're in various states ranging from well kept to completely destroyed.
