CCCP: Cosmic Communist Constructions Photographed
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- Author：Frédéric Chaubin
- ISBN：3836525194
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Summary
The fourth age of Soviet architecture
In this volume photographer Frédéric Chaubin reveals 90 buildings sited in fourteen former Soviet Republics which express what could be considered as the fourth age of Soviet architecture。 They reveal an unexpected rebirth of imagination， an unknown burgeoning that took place from 1970 until 1990。 Contrary to the twenties and thirties， no “school” or main trend emerges here。 These buildings represent a chaotic impulse brought about by a decaying system。 Their diversity announces the end of Soviet Union。
Taking advantage of the collapsing monolithic structure， the holes of the widening net， architects revisited all the chronological periods and styles， going back to the roots or freely innovating。 Some of the daring ones completed projects that the Constructivists would have dreamt of （Druzhba sanatorium）， others expressed their imagination in an expressionist way （Tbilisi wedding palace）。 A summer camp， inspired by sketches of a prototype lunar base， lays claim to its suprematist influence （Promethee）。 Then comes the speaking architecture widespread in the last years of the USSR: a crematorium adorned with concrete flames （Kiev crematorium）， a technological institute with a flying saucer crashed on the roof （Kiev institute）， a political center watching you like a Big Brother （Kaliningrad House of Soviet）。 This puzzle of styles testifies to all the ideological dreams of the period， from the obsession with the cosmos to the rebirth of privacy and it also outlines the geography of the USSR， showing how local influences made their exotic twists before bringing the country to its end。
In this volume photographer Frédéric Chaubin reveals 90 buildings sited in fourteen former Soviet Republics which express what could be considered as the fourth age of Soviet architecture。 They reveal an unexpected rebirth of imagination， an unknown burgeoning that took place from 1970 until 1990。 Contrary to the twenties and thirties， no “school” or main trend emerges here。 These buildings represent a chaotic impulse brought about by a decaying system。 Their diversity announces the end of Soviet Union。
Taking advantage of the collapsing monolithic structure， the holes of the widening net， architects revisited all the chronological periods and styles， going back to the roots or freely innovating。 Some of the daring ones completed projects that the Constructivists would have dreamt of （Druzhba sanatorium）， others expressed their imagination in an expressionist way （Tbilisi wedding palace）。 A summer camp， inspired by sketches of a prototype lunar base， lays claim to its suprematist influence （Promethee）。 Then comes the speaking architecture widespread in the last years of the USSR: a crematorium adorned with concrete flames （Kiev crematorium）， a technological institute with a flying saucer crashed on the roof （Kiev institute）， a political center watching you like a Big Brother （Kaliningrad House of Soviet）。 This puzzle of styles testifies to all the ideological dreams of the period， from the obsession with the cosmos to the rebirth of privacy and it also outlines the geography of the USSR， showing how local influences made their exotic twists before bringing the country to its end。
Reviews
Josie
，
An absolutely stunning book
Fradalla
，
Brutalismo
Rafał Derda
，
Extensive and enlightning。 。If one loves to indulge into a Soviet hauntology or is a brutalist maniac， it is by all means a purchase worth consider。
Reshid Bey
，
Found this in high school and scribbled endless notes over photocopies of the images inside。 In retrospect not much else has left such an impression。
V。 Míchkina
，
"In the vast post-Soviet world， with its diverse landscapes and uncertain， abandoned terrains， that transitional period lives on in vestiges such as these。 These buildings are happy accidents for some， and for others lapses of taste， but most of them， whether modest or not， somehow managed to dodge the norms。 Neither modern nor postmodern， like free-floating dreams， they loom up on the horizons like pointers to a fourth dimension。 The ultimate dimension of the Soviet world。"Frédéric Chaubin*** I "In the vast post-Soviet world， with its diverse landscapes and uncertain， abandoned terrains， that transitional period lives on in vestiges such as these。 These buildings are happy accidents for some， and for others lapses of taste， but most of them， whether modest or not， somehow managed to dodge the norms。 Neither modern nor postmodern， like free-floating dreams， they loom up on the horizons like pointers to a fourth dimension。 The ultimate dimension of the Soviet world。"Frédéric Chaubin*** I am not going to lie: I bought this book for the pictures。 It may seem pretty obvious， I know， but this statement implies that this book is （even） more rich than a photography book。 These Soviet buildings/monuments， built between 1970 and 1990， are worth a deeper look， a look that goes beyond the eye， a look that we can acquire through knowledge: Frédéric Chaubin does that beautifully in the introduction， he tries to frame this constructions under the ideology and the contingencies of those times。 Suddenly， some of these don't look so displaced， I mean， they are strange， different， otherworldly sometimes， but in context they make a lot of sense: they are means to create and maintain power within geographical areas; they are the attempt to create something in a world where artists and architects didn't had much contact with the outside realities; they end up being a reflection of the political agenda （the creation of something new， a promising and prosper future where space exploration and the evolution of science are the centerpiece）。。。I absolutely loved it， and I am sure I'll be revisiting it soon。 。。。more
Anda
，
In Estonia and Lithuania， for example， new generations are calling for certain buildings to be listed。 Rejecting ideological assumptions， they are simply realizing that it is better to preserve an ambiguous heritage than to face a historical void。 P 10 Whichever hypothesis we opt for， these buildings designed at the hinge of different worlds， in which a i-fi futurism conjoins with monumentalism， constitute one of the most disconcerting manifestations of the dying USSR。 The disconcerting effect o In Estonia and Lithuania， for example， new generations are calling for certain buildings to be listed。 Rejecting ideological assumptions， they are simply realizing that it is better to preserve an ambiguous heritage than to face a historical void。 P 10 Whichever hypothesis we opt for， these buildings designed at the hinge of different worlds， in which a i-fi futurism conjoins with monumentalism， constitute one of the most disconcerting manifestations of the dying USSR。 The disconcerting effect of a house of mirrors。 P 13 Indeed this fourth age began with "contextualism，" a rising tendency of the age， which at the very highest levels asserted the postulate that all buildings should express their environment。 All architecture must manifest it's local specificity-its "address" to use Vakhtang Davitaia's word。 As it developed， so thai vision confirmed a reality already manifest in many Republics。 Nonetheless， it was highly significant。 It reinstated the idea that all culture is specific， and not universally soviet。 Or， to put it simply， that the USSR did not constitute a single unity， which would have justified architectural uniformity， but rather a whole set of particular realities。 To take into account the heritage of history and regional diversity was to contest Soviet spatiotemporality。 P 15The fact was， on the ideological and cultural levels， that the dice had been cast ever since the American National Exhibition took place in Moscow in 1959。 It all began， precisely， with the "kitchen debate" in which khrushchev and Nixon， standing under one of Buckminster Fuller's geodesic domes， swapped jokes around a washing machine。 By showing off his colour televisions the US vice-president， playing the role of a traveling salesman， had down the seeds of doubt。 The superiority if the american model shook collectivist convictions。 From now on it's hedonistic triumph would haunt Russian minds。 This was America's most powerful weapon。 P 16 。。。 They had to find their own stimuli for the imagination， and they did so by looking to the powerfully attractive idea of the cosmos。 。。。 Weather an astronaut or a cosmonaut， the new man was breaking free of gravity。 Gagarin proudly proclaimed that he had seen no sign of God in space。 Progress was going to shed light on the great mysteries， but this triumphant rationalism did not keep men from dreaming。 On the contrary， science engendered its own mythology: science fiction。 A genre shared by both blocs。 P 18 Like religion， science fiction is concerned with the unknown source of things。 In a world that was officially atheist， it this became the vector of belief。 In a world that was officially atheist， it this became the vector of belief。 It's mythology was steeped in the irrational but had the advantage of espousing the official dogma of the day: the race to the future。 P18 Unable to offer the masses a glowing present - that of triumphant capitalism - they promised them the "bright tomorrow" of communism。 The Soviet world was one big construction site for the future， and it was against this background that the "flying saucers" first appeared - within the specific register of public monuments， the only kind of building with a licence and vocation to be spectacular。 P 18 For some practitioners the Soviet chaos gave access to a surprising freedom。 Unconstrained and unguided， they came up with architecture that is as naïve as it is extraordinary。 An architecture of solitary pleasures。 P 23 This profusion of forms marks a return to expressionism， as an uninhibited phantasmagoria gives free reign to a glowing palette， evoking the "speaking architecture" of the French utopian architects， and in particular the credo articulated by Eriene-louis Boullee in his Essay on the Art of Architecture （1797） : "。。。our buildings - and our public buildings in particular - should be to some extent poems。 The impression they make on us should arouse in us sensations that correspond to the function of the building in question。" P。 24It is as if， during the twilight of the regime， architects found fresh inspiration， and freedom， in the unbuilt utopias of their elders - in the founding myths。 P 25 Visible from afar and unfailingly spectacular， they are effectively monuments， ideological markers endowed with an almost mystical aura by their positioning in space and expressive power。 "by it's incongruity， by it's inhuman stature，" writes the philosopher Jaques Derrida， "the monumental dimension serves to empathize the non-representable nature of the very concept that it evokes。" This concept， wether in Grodno， Kiev， or Dushanbe， is might。 The might of power。 A power that would soon become illusory and whose crumbling is indeed manifested by the growing stylistic diversity of this Architecture。 P 25 Neither modern nor postmodern， like free-floating dreams， they look up on the horizons like pointers to a fourth dimension。 The ultimate dimension of the Soviet world。 P 25 。。。more
Brian Kovesci
，
Just enough context and a healthy variety of subject， material， location and scale。 Fascinating that under communist leadership there weren't churches， so the former USSR is littered with ceremony palaces， which were elaborate wedding venues sans deity。 Fascinating that the state juxtaposed crap living conditions for the average person with lavish resorts。Fascinating that these structures are so out of the ordinary and thoughtful， but there are elements to each one that screams cheap; shitty vis Just enough context and a healthy variety of subject， material， location and scale。 Fascinating that under communist leadership there weren't churches， so the former USSR is littered with ceremony palaces， which were elaborate wedding venues sans deity。 Fascinating that the state juxtaposed crap living conditions for the average person with lavish resorts。Fascinating that these structures are so out of the ordinary and thoughtful， but there are elements to each one that screams cheap; shitty visible welds， overbuilding supports， visible fasteners， sloppy construction， etc。 While those are distracting to the overall unearthly quality of the overall gesture， those flaws are very much a part of the aesthetic。 The form may be out of this world， but the evidence of human hands are everywhere。 。。。more
Pontus Alexander
，
In the vast post-Soviet world， with its diverse landscapes and uncertain， abandoned terrains， that transitional period lives on in vestiges such as these。 These buildings are happy accidents for some， and for others lapses of taste， but most of them， whether modest or not， somehow managed to dodge the norms。 Neither modern nor postmodern， like free-floating dreams， they loom up on the horizons like pointers to a fourth dimension。 The ultimate dimension of the Soviet world。 – Chaubin
Mark Donaldson
，
Fascinating book！
Nick Chantarasak
，
Great images of a much under documented subject
Jay Cresva
，
The librarian gave me a look of pity when I checked this one out。 It was the last day to borrow this book and I had so much stuff in my back that I was already walking with a hunch。 She tried to say something like "Heavy book。。。carry with your hands" in broken English but I took this enormous large print book and shoved it in right in my backpack。 I'm glad now that I had decided to borrow this because。。the Soviet Architecture is probably the only thing humans managed to build that resembles some The librarian gave me a look of pity when I checked this one out。 It was the last day to borrow this book and I had so much stuff in my back that I was already walking with a hunch。 She tried to say something like "Heavy book。。。carry with your hands" in broken English but I took this enormous large print book and shoved it in right in my backpack。 I'm glad now that I had decided to borrow this because。。the Soviet Architecture is probably the only thing humans managed to build that resembles some fantasy land tied with history。 I don't know A of Architecture， but something tells me every building portrayed in the book is some bold attempt， and I'm sure the bolder it was the more money and deaths were thrown at it to make them a reality。 Overall a great compilation。 。。。more
Gabriel Benitez
，
Excelente libro de fotografías que se centra en toda aquella arquitectura soviética de los años 70's y 80's que parecen inspirados en una visión del futuro。 Retrofuturismo soviético le llamaríamos ahora。 Edificios que parecen naves espaciales， construcciones que retan a la física， interiores casi surrealistas que parecen arrancados de una novela de ciencia ficción de los Hnos。 Strugatsky。。。 y ahora que el tiempo que ha erosionado parte de su belleza dejando a la vista el acero y el concreto de s Excelente libro de fotografías que se centra en toda aquella arquitectura soviética de los años 70's y 80's que parecen inspirados en una visión del futuro。 Retrofuturismo soviético le llamaríamos ahora。 Edificios que parecen naves espaciales， construcciones que retan a la física， interiores casi surrealistas que parecen arrancados de una novela de ciencia ficción de los Hnos。 Strugatsky。。。 y ahora que el tiempo que ha erosionado parte de su belleza dejando a la vista el acero y el concreto de sus huesos se convierten también en la metáfora de una utopía futurista que quiso ser， pero nunca fue。。。 Un deleite verdadero que no se limita a una sola mirada。 。。。more
Александр Шушпанов
，
Не трогай， это на Новый год！"Вскоре после моего дня рождения я встретил @girl_with_a_necktie， и она подарила мне эту книгу。 Книги， как третий вид подарка， всегда привлекали меня - другое дело， что достаточно трудно подарить что-то такое， что безусловно привлекло бы внимание и обрадовало， не прислушиваясь к человеку。 Здесь всё получилось， я был растроган， польщён - ну， отличный подарок， я вновь благодарен。Действительно， первые дни нового года располагают к медитативному возлеганию и рассматривани Не трогай， это на Новый год！"Вскоре после моего дня рождения я встретил @girl_with_a_necktie， и она подарила мне эту книгу。 Книги， как третий вид подарка， всегда привлекали меня - другое дело， что достаточно трудно подарить что-то такое， что безусловно привлекло бы внимание и обрадовало， не прислушиваясь к человеку。 Здесь всё получилось， я был растроган， польщён - ну， отличный подарок， я вновь благодарен。Действительно， первые дни нового года располагают к медитативному возлеганию и рассматриванию чего-то такого， богато иллюстрированного и пробуждающего отклик в душе。 Быстренько проскочив вступительное эссе， полное хорошо оплаченного дискурса， я приступил к рассматриванию иллюстраций и сам не заметил， как на улице уже стемнело и ещё один день превратился в вечер。Чему может научить нас архитектура？ А тому， что воспринимать её следует， совершенно как мелодию， её не просто так называют "застывшей музыкой"。 Как и любой сложный мотив， качественная архитектура сложна для восприятия， и кажется не от мира сего - не зря слово "космический" было выбрано для заголовка книги。 Через осколки когда-то огромной страны， от холодных от балтийских ветров граней к сейсмоустойчивым азиатским куполам - и обратно， как путешествие в пространстве。 Но， в некотором роде， это и путешествие во времени - большей частью заброшенные， эти "мелодии" вопиют от несправедливости， ведь их строили， чтобы они были наполнены смыслом。И вот эти эссеисты пытаются наполнить бетонные остовы идеологией。 。。。more
Claudia
，
Uno dei migliori libri di fotografia d'architettura， di sicuro il migliore sull'architettura brutalista sovietica。 Adoro。 Uno dei migliori libri di fotografia d'architettura， di sicuro il migliore sull'architettura brutalista sovietica。 Adoro。 。。。more
Jeff
，
Much like a lot of other things about the former Soviet Union， turns out the architecture was really weird and cool and it's actually us who put a shitty brown box on every corner and put， like， a Chipotle in it。 Much like a lot of other things about the former Soviet Union， turns out the architecture was really weird and cool and it's actually us who put a shitty brown box on every corner and put， like， a Chipotle in it。 。。。more
Sarah
，
Fantastic photographs of fascinating buildings。
Tim Robinson
，
The main defect of late Soviet architecture is not enough windows。 And there is rarely any exterior texture。 The result is hulking， slabby and inhuman buildings。 Surprisingly， the best work is in Central Asia。 The monuments （which don't NEED windows） are impressive， though。 The main defect of late Soviet architecture is not enough windows。 And there is rarely any exterior texture。 The result is hulking， slabby and inhuman buildings。 Surprisingly， the best work is in Central Asia。 The monuments （which don't NEED windows） are impressive， though。 。。。more
Kris McCracken
，
A fantastic collection of photographs by Frédéric Chaubin that features 90 buildings sited in fourteen former Soviet Republics which express what he considers to be the fourth age of Soviet architecture。 This wonderful book reveals a creative burgeoning that took place from 1970 until 1990。 Contrary to the 1920s and 1950s， no “school” or main trend emerges here。 These buildings represent a chaotic impulse brought about by a decaying system。 The fact that so many of these interesting buildings ha A fantastic collection of photographs by Frédéric Chaubin that features 90 buildings sited in fourteen former Soviet Republics which express what he considers to be the fourth age of Soviet architecture。 This wonderful book reveals a creative burgeoning that took place from 1970 until 1990。 Contrary to the 1920s and 1950s， no “school” or main trend emerges here。 These buildings represent a chaotic impulse brought about by a decaying system。 The fact that so many of these interesting buildings have now themselves been left to decaying is a poignant commentary on the 'modern' states left in the wake of the Soviet collapse。 The images themselves are stunning and include enough interior views of the buildings and spaces and they give a good experience of the atmosphere。 The book is huge， and offers a great opportunity to get a real sense of the details of the architecture。 。。。more
Gareth Evans
，
I wonder how small the market is for picture books on the 4th age of Soviet architecture is？ It must be a fairly decent size for this huge bokm to justify the print run， although a trilingual text must help to reduce production costs。 The 4th age of Soviet architecture is full of weird and wacky concrete buildings generally found in the peripheral republics。 Many buildings are poorly repaired （all the swimming pools are empty）。 Some are downright ugly， others have a strange beauty。 A fascinating I wonder how small the market is for picture books on the 4th age of Soviet architecture is？ It must be a fairly decent size for this huge bokm to justify the print run， although a trilingual text must help to reduce production costs。 The 4th age of Soviet architecture is full of weird and wacky concrete buildings generally found in the peripheral republics。 Many buildings are poorly repaired （all the swimming pools are empty）。 Some are downright ugly， others have a strange beauty。 A fascinating book which needs a little more text。 。。。more
Bill H
，
No student of architecture （or the USSR）， I had to approach this book as a spectacle – and what a spectacle！ The photography is superb， the subject buildings astonishing。 And， in many cases， pathetic in an Ozymandian sort of way， as their concrete crumbles and weeds grow in their plazas。
Luce Sibilla
，
really good
JBP
，
Huge collections of photographs by Chaubin of numerous buildings across the former Soviet Union with an emphasis on concrete。 I happen to really like brutalist architecture and this book not only has that， it has some out there， futuristic， sci-fi looking structures。 Needless to say， I'm into this kind of stuff in a big way。 Huge collections of photographs by Chaubin of numerous buildings across the former Soviet Union with an emphasis on concrete。 I happen to really like brutalist architecture and this book not only has that， it has some out there， futuristic， sci-fi looking structures。 Needless to say， I'm into this kind of stuff in a big way。 。。。more
Tamsin
，
Phwooar
Laura
，
You know your boyfriend loves you when he buys you a book about Soviet Architecture for your birthday！ Aside from feeding my obsession with Russia， this book is beautifully presented and fascinating。
Hugh Darcy
，
Amazing vision of the future from the past。 Magical
Justin Lynn
，
Mesmerizing photographs of monumental， otherworldly， and innovative architecture。 The shots have a melancholy beauty of lost grandeur。
D。 Ennis
，
Such a strange and fascinating topic。 Leaves you wanting to know more， much more 。 。 。 in a good way。
Simon
，
Knowing next to nothing about architecture， I was impressed by the accessibility and context provided by the introduction， but obviously a book like this lives or dies on its visual content， and the photos are fantastic。 Monstrous 1960s-style science fiction buildings loom out of the mist or squat in town centres like invading spacecraft。 Makes me want to book a flight on the next plane to Tashkent。
Daisy
，
I saw an exhibit of some of these in a tiny gallery just up the street from me and now they're published in a book which I Must Have。 I saw an exhibit of some of these in a tiny gallery just up the street from me and now they're published in a book which I Must Have。 。。。more
Natalie
，