There are many different branches of modernist architecture, from Art Deco and constructivism to expressionism and metabolism. However, not all 20th-century buildings get the care and attention that they might deserve. Enter, stage left, what’s known as socialist modernism—brutalist buildings that were erected in Eastern Europe during the Cold War, right up to the fall of the Soviet Union.
Imposing grey monoliths. Functional yet also possessing gorgeous but deeply bizarre designs. These are just some of the ways that you can describe these buildings. We’ve collected some of the most impressive examples of socialist modernism designs from the r/SocialistModernism and r/SocialistModernism1 online communities to share them with you. Scroll down, upvote the pics that impressed you the most, and let us know if you’ve seen any of these architectural marvels in person.
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#1 Prefabricated Elephant Slide In Dresden, East Germany, Cca 1965 #sicmod
Image credits: lancerne
#2 Spodek ("Saucer") Multipurpose Arena Complex In Katowice, Poland. Built In 1971
Image credits: stimmen
#3 Military Medical Academy Complex - Belgrade, Serbia
Image credits: lancerne
#4 State Museum Of History, Uzbekistan (1968-70) By Yevgeniy Rozanov And Vsevolod Shestopalov
Image credits: joaoslr
#5 Bus Stop In Kazakhstan
Image credits: _The_Professor_
#6 Sanatorium/Rehabilitation Center, 1985, Dombay, Karachay-Cherkess Republic
Image credits: lancerne
#7 The Iron Fountain - Gyumri, Armenia
Image credits: redditorpondering
#8 Pov: Soviet Chad Calling Your Girl Over Satellite Phone
Image credits: longwaytotokyo
#9 The Palace Of Ceremonies, Tblisi, Georgia
Image credits: lancerne
#10 Hala Arena In Poznań, Poland. An Indoor Sporting Arena Built In 1974
Image credits: Snoo_90160
#11 The Strange Beauty Of Soviet Bus Stops
Image credits: anticafard
#12 Hotel "Vrbak", Novi Pazar, Serbia. Built In 1976 With A Bit Of An Oriental Touch To Suit The Ethnicity That Lives In This Area
Image credits: Grumpy_Developer
#13 When The East Meets The West
Image credits: lancerne
#14 Bodiul's Viewpoint Platform, Near Chisinau, Moldova, Built In The 60s (C) Bacu/ Photo Bu Dumitru Rusu
Image credits: _di_ma
#15 Mosaic In Former-Soviet Central Asia
Image credits: Apart-Sky6447
#16 Sevan Writer's House
Image credits: longwaytotokyo
#17 Rudo Skyscrapers, Just Took The Photo Now
Image credits: Firkin117
#18 Museum Of Contemporary Art, Belgrade [oc]
Image credits: hadron_enforcer
#19 Mountain Kosmaj, Serbia. Built In 1971 Architect Gradimir Medaković And Sculptor Vojin Stojić (C) Bacu / Photo By Dumitru Rusu
Image credits: _di_ma
#20 Lake Sevan Viewing Platform [oc]
Image credits: longwaytotokyo
#21 Trade Fair Center, Accra, Ghana, Designed By Vic Adegbite, Jacek Chyrosz, And Stanislaw Rymaszewski In 1967. One Of Many Collaborations Between African And Eastern European Planners From This Era
Image credits: archineering
#22 Genex Tower
Image credits: Dnthaveone
#23 Tuzla Bank, (Now Nlb) Tuzla, Bih, Built In 1977, Architect V.stojanović © B.a.c.u. / Photo By Dumitru Rusu
Image credits: lancerne
#24 Abandoned Lakeside Building, Chisinau
Image credits: longwaytotokyo
#25 [oc] Fontana Complex, New Belgrade, Serbia. Built In 1968, Architect Uroš Martinović
Image credits: ssinchenko
#26 Home Furniture Store In Bucharest, Romania
Image credits: Acrobatic-Emotion-44
#27 Derzhprom
Image credits: longwaytotokyo
#28 Time Stopped
Image credits: Dnthaveone
#29 Brutal Buildings In Novi-Sad, Serbia
Image credits: ssinchenko
#30 Communal Buildings In Berlin's Eastern Half From The Ddr
Image credits: Nickyworld45
