30 photos capturing the architecture of Soviet modernism in all its cold glory (31 photos)

Socialist modernism is an online project created by the Bureau for Art and Urban Research (BACU), which seeks to preserve and restore Central and Eastern European architecture built between 1955 and 1991; in the countries of the former USSR this style is more often called Soviet modernism. At the first stage, the project only documents architecture: here is just a small part of its huge photographic collection.





1. Monument to the Conquerors of Space in Moscow, erected in 1964



2. “Electrification”, stainless steel sculpture, at the Vidraru Dam, Arges County, Romania. Built in 1971





3. Stone flower, Croatia



4. The building of the Khabar TV channel in Almaty, Kazakhstan, nicknamed the “icicle”. Built in 1983



5. Monument to the 1300th anniversary of Bulgaria



6. Bus stop No. 37 in Tajikistan. Built in the late 70's



7. Residential building on Bobura street, Tashkent, Uzbekistan. Built in 1974



8. Slovak Radio building, Bratislava, Slovakia, built 1967-1983



9. The former building of the Ministry of Highways of the Georgian SSR (now the office of the Bank of Georgia). Tbilisi, Georgia, built in 1974



10. Former Ceremony/Wedding Palace in Tbilisi, Georgia, built in 1985



11. Monument to the revolution in Moslavin, memorial to the Second World War. Podgaric, Croatia. Opened in 1967



12. Residential complex "Aul", st. Tole bi 286/1, Almaty, Kazakhstan Built in stages in 1986-2002.



13. Monument to Gagarin on Gagarin Square



14. Bas-relief on the stylobate of the building, now owned by the ArmenTel company, in Yerevan, Armenia



15. Dining room of the Writers' Rest House on Lake Sevan, Armenia, built in 1967



16. Lecture hall and cinema of the Institute of Scientific and Technical Expertise and Information, Kyiv, Ukraine. Built in 1971



17. Cafesjian Arts Center - “Cascade”, Yerevan, Armenia. Design 1975-1980, built 1985-2000.



18. Central Research Institute of Robotics and Technical Cybernetics, built in 1973-1986



19. Monument on Freedom Hill by Janez Lenassi in Ilirska Bistrica, Slovenia, 1965



20. Sports and music complex “Amalir”, Yerevan, Armenia. Built 1976-84



21. Military Medical Academy Complex, Belgrade, Serbia, designed 1973, built 1981



22. Residential building in Bratislava, Slovakia, built in 1968-74



23. SNP Bridge (formerly the Slovak National Uprising Bridge), Bratislava, Slovakia. Built in 1967-1972



24. Residential building from the 80s in Tashkent, Uzbekistan. Architect Viktor Breusenko



25. Building of the National Theater “New Stage”, Prague, Czech Republic. Built 1977-1983, architect Karl Prager



26. “Ilinden”/ “Macedonium” - a monument dedicated to the fighters of the Ilinden uprising of 1903. Built in 1974, Krusevo, North Macedonia



27. Concrete slide at a playground in Bucharest, Romania. Built in 1959-1960



28. House of Models, Belarus, Minsk. Construction of the 60-70s



29. One of two ritual halls of the memorial and ritual complex “Memory Park”, Kyiv, Ukraine. Built 1968-1981



30. The former building of the Bulgarian Communist Party, now the Buzludzha monument house. Shipka Pass, Bulgaria; built in 1981.