Holidays in Soviet Sanatoriums

by Maryam Omidi, Fuel, Damon Murray (Editor)

Architecturally diverse and ideologically staunch, Soviet sanatoriums were intended to edify and invigorate.

Visiting a Soviet sanatorium is like stepping back in time. Originally built in the 1920s, they afforded workers a place to holiday, courtesy of a state-funded voucher system. At their peak they were visited by millions of citizens across the USSR every year. A combination of medical institution and spa, the era's sanatoriums are among the most innovative buildings of their time.

Although aesthetically diverse, Soviet utopian values permeated every aspect of these structures; Western holidays were perceived as decadent. By contrast, sanatorium breaks were intended to edify and strengthen visitors: health professionals carefully monitored guests throughout their stay, so they could return to work with renewed vigor. Certain sanatoriums became known for their specialist treatments, such as crude-oil baths, radon water douches and stints in underground salt caves.

While today some sanatoriums are in critical states of decline, many are still fully operational and continue to offer their Soviet-era treatments to visitors. Using specially commissioned photographs by leading photographers of the post-Soviet territories, and texts by sanatorium expert Maryam Omidi, this book documents over 45 sanatoriums and their unconventional treatments. From Armenia to Uzbekistan, it represents the most comprehensive survey to date of this fascinating and previously overlooked Soviet institution.

Genres: Architecture, Nonfiction, Photography, Art, History

191 pages, Hardcover

Published October 24, 2017

Reviews

[CarolG · Rating 4 out of 5]

This title popped up when I was searching to see if the library had a book called "The Sanatorium" (they didn't) and I was quite intrigued by the description so I put it on hold. Our libraries are currently closed again but holds can still be picked up and I consider this book to be quite a find. There's a lot of really interesting information contained in it and some nice pictures although some of the pictures are pretty small as mentioned by another reviewer. It's an odd shaped little book, wider than it is tall. For some reason I was expecting it to be about abandoned sanatoriums in the former Soviet Union but many of them are still operating and offer some really unique and bizarre treatments. We had watched some videos on You Tube posted by a vlogger who goes by Bald and Bankrupt (I believe he's from England) and he's travelled extensively in this area so I was kind of thrilled to recognize the names of some of the cities and towns mentioned in the book although I don't think he went to the sanatoriums, unless they were abandoned. Some of the sanatorium locales sound really nice but I don't think it's a holiday I'd enjoy. One thing that struck me in all the pictures was how unhappy most of the people looked, visitors and staff alike. A good book to fill in the gaps in your reading and make you appreciate how lucky we are (I should say were) to have such a wide choice of destinations for holidaying.

[Lori · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting read, however, I believe I will skip the visit there.

[Meng · Rating 4 out of 5]

A nice little picture book with lots of exotic *therapies.

[Oxalis · Rating 3 out of 5]

I decided to check out this book because of my interest in architecture. There are a good handful of architectural photos in here, but there are also just as many photos of the "treatments" offered at these sanatoria. Mud therapy is just fine but radon water? This book provides a provocative look at a part of the world still very unknown to Westeners. Includes not just sanatoria in Russia, but also in Abkhazia, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Crimea, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Latvia, Moldova, Tajikistan, Ukraine, and Uzbekistan.

[John · Rating 4 out of 5]

A delightful survey of Soviet and post-Soviet sanatorium and spa culture, revealing the enduring, persistent allure of cure-all therapies like bathing in crude oil, oxygen cocktails, and “friction and shaking with medical electrical equipment,” all within a wide range of architectural and cultural sitings.

[Matthew Royal · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book, both for its photos and explanations of the Soviet sanatorium system. It's a window into a totally unknown world, to me, and it was striking how many wellness treatments people use today were used back in Soviet times. Incredibly beautiful architecture and natural surroundings! I want to see more.

[Drew · Rating 4 out of 5]

A really fascinating glimpse into the sanatorium system. Omidi does a great job of of objectively looking at the system without overt praise or red scare histrionics, and sometimes with a touch of humor. My only criticism is the book should be much larger and treated like a coffee table book.

[Daisy · Rating 4 out of 5]

The only thing wrong is that the book is too small so the photographs are too small.

[Eric · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent book! Very cool addition to this series.