Soviet architects could dispel sadness indeed. They were trying to put meaning in life and death and display it in their works. Some of the Soviet structures are still standing and look very weird.
This one is the Kiev crematorium named after Herostratus. An amazing building is towering over the old Kiev cemetery and makes people think about eternal life. They want to live forever and never get to the place like this…
This must be the gloomiest building in all post-Soviet space – the House of Soviets in Kaliningrad. The architect was inspired by the Coronation palace of the Prussian kings.
This one was built in 1977. The plan of the construction is crazy in the intelligent Baltic way. It is not towering but spreads out on the lawn. What does it symbolize?
This one is the Institute of Robotics and Technical Cybernetics in Saint-Petersburg.
The Ukrainian architects didn’t wish to stay behind and constructed this camomile on the shore of the Black Sea.
They had already had some experience though. This hotel “Salute” had already been in Kiev to give some inspiration.
And the Ministry of Roads and Transport of Georgia looks this alien on foggy days.
Armenian architects built their own weird hotel.
The registry office in Tbilisi resembles constructions from the gloomy future.
The Georgian platform for plungers sooner resmbles some giant walking robot so needed to guard the borders.
“Are we the only ones in the Universe?” – this question has always troubled minds of people. This building in Karachayevsk is another proof.
In 1988 Soviets Belorussians made this and called it “an exhibition center”.
Azerbaijani colleagues were also rather creative, this hotel said much about their talent. It does not matter you don’t see much in the window, it’s cool anyway to stay in such a hotel.
How do you like the Kazakh planetarium? It’s strange it was allowed in the Soviet times.
Another Kazakh wonder project is such a fountain at the National radio of Almaty.
Do you like Soviet modernism?
Inspiring!
There is a legend saying that Ivan the Terrible blinded the architects that built St Basil’s so they could never construct such a masterpiece again. I believe this danger to architects greatly influenced their work for centuries up through the Soviet period. Mediocrity could be pushing the envelope so it was safer to create drek.
Much better than IKEA
Disurbanism; scientific socialism. (it’s not weird, it’s realism over capitalistic fantasies/delusions of grandeur)
I was more thinking of how many of these buildings were expressions of Brutalism than anything else. Still, were it not for communism, the world would likely never have experienced the artistic movement known as constructivism. It was influenced by (or maybe it influenced) the Bauhaus movement which was quashed by the Nazis during the 1930′s, and which seems to have also influenced some of these structures as well.
That’s a good observation. I just like the geometry and disurbanism. And I detest skyscrapers.
I believe that building in Karachayevsk is actually Matti Suuronen’s design.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Futuro
Yup, it’s one of the finer things from Finnish design. Or as I call it, my dream house!
I also recognized this! I rememeber seeing this kind of “house” near Turku in mid 90′s???
Obviously this kind of weird crap is all over the west too, from basically the same era.
ex: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boston_City_Hall
congratulations to the successful launch of north korea rocket! O(∩_∩)O
If the surrounding areas were kept properly, some of the stuff presented would look much better (not that atrocity in Koenigsberg). BTW, RIP, Oscar Niemeyer.
Some good, some bad, most mediocre – as with all modern and contemporary architecture. All of these and many more are in Frédéric Chaubin’s book “CCCP: Cosmic Communist Constructions Photographed”, a perfect illustration of the particular Soviet flaw of a kind of self-conscious striving for grandiosity which ends up looking pompous and ridiculous. The Ministry of Roads and Transport building in Tbilisi, Georgia, has been refurbished, now houses the Georgian Central Bank, and looks terrific! It appears in many architecture books.
ad no 2: the architect could well have been inspired by prussian traditions as the house of soviets stands in the very place where koenigsberg castle was standing, till it was brought down through miners’ supported community action in brezhnev’s times
‘course i meant engineer corps not miners
I love these odd buildings, Russia, preserve them please!
Constructivist rocks. If vladimir tatlin designs was materialised it is gonna be cool
I would trade any of those for the soulless, class monoliths like the Pan Am building in NYC that were built about the same time.
Is the Institute of Robotics and Technical Cybernetics in Saint-Petersburg abandoned or is it a functioning building?
http://englishrussia.com/2012/06/12/debunking-myths-of-the-tower/
Very good and timeless
If they built these in America, it would be called “inspired”. Biased hypocrites.
They did build them in America. And today they look like outdated ’70s crap too. The ones that haven’t been demolished yet that is…
They actually look quite good.
Some a bit brutal. but at least they had an idea!
Im Russian and like the majority of my compatriots cannot stand Soviet architecture, especially social blocks of flats. SU has been established and leaded by Russian jews who didnt have anything common with slavic spirit and taste. If one is interested in real Russian style google ru temples and wooden architecture.