Soviet Asia: Soviet Modernist Architecture in Central Asia

by Fuel, Roberto Conte (Photographer), Stefano Perego (Photographer)

Brutalism East: majestic concrete meets ornament and color in the revelatory world of Soviet Asian architecture.

Soviet Asia explores the Soviet modernist architecture of Central Asia. Italian photographers Roberto Conte and Stefano Perego crossed the former Soviet republics of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan and Tajikistan, documenting buildings constructed from the 1950s until the fall of the USSR.

The resulting images showcase the majestic, largely unknown, modernist buildings of the region. Museums, housing complexes, universities, circuses, ritual palaces—all were constructed using a composite aesthetic. Influenced by Persian and Islamic architecture, pattern and mosaic motifs articulated a connection with Central Asia. Gray concrete slabs were juxtaposed with colourful tiling and rectilinear shapes broken by ornate curved forms: the brutal designs normally associated with Soviet-era architecture were reconstructed with Eastern characteristics.

Many of the buildings shown in Soviet Asia are recorded here for the first time, making this book an important document, as, despite the recent revival of interest in Brutalist and modernist architecture, a number of them remain under threat of demolition. The publication includes two contextual essays by Alessandro De Magistris and Marco Buttino.

Genres: Architecture, History, Nonfiction, Art, Photography, Politics, Soviet Union

191 pages, Hardcover

First published May 21, 2019

Reviews

[Anne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Perhaps having worked the past 17 years of my life in a Brutalist-style building - US state-government type (i.e. a building cocooned in a vast quantity of poured concrete but seriously lacking in visual flair) - my tastes have been influenced (lol, might I say damaged?) so much so that now I actually kinda adore these concrete monuments to cold industrialism and conformity. This book, chock full of the best examples of Soviet Modernism - Central Asian style, - is a visual treat. I can just feeeel the tension between the central state control and the delightful glimmers of regional character. I look forward to paging through the visual feast many more times.

And, seriously, I need to investigate what the Soviets(?) mean by the term palace. That term is applied to many a type of building photographed for the book but the one that seems the least like the palaces I'm familiar with is the Palace of Students (as seen on pages 124-5). Soooo? Palace is Soviet for the U.S. notion student union? TBD.

[Stu Campbell · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fascinating photo book, it deals with Soviet architecture in the Central Asian republics (now the -Stans ) Its interesting seeing the balance between the brutalist architecture sense of the Soviet Union and the aesthetic sense of the generally Islamic Central Asia. It's a niche book admittedly, but if you have interest in the subjects it's a worthy read

[Martina_H · Rating 5 out of 5]

Výborné kukátko do centrální Asie.
Nutí to člověka číst u mapy a wikipedie a hledat dál a dozvídat se.

[Richard Hakes · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you like Soviet Brutalist building you will like the book if you don't do go near it!

[Eric · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great collection. Loved this.

[‎ ‎ Isaac · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ignore the facile, virulently anti-Soviet dreck written inside and simply bask in the glory of some of the most beautiful buildings ever built! 😍