Exhibition Soviet Modernism 1955 – 1991, Unknown Stories

The Austrian architecture museum in Vienna (Architekturzentrum Wien) is holding an exhibition focusing on modernist soviet architecture in non-Russian republics, during the period they were under the control of the USSR (1955-1991).

Although Constructivism and Stalinist architecture has been included in western architecture history, these "unknown stories" comprise buildings that have never been shown to the general public, many of which are still awaiting appraisal.

There is an "urgent" need to tell their stories because the poor materials and shoddy construction used at the time means these buildings are aging rapidly and there is a lack of resources available for their upkeep or renovation. The research team from Vienna interviewed the eyewitnesses of the period, working closely with local experts and architects, and mainly focusing on the architecture of Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Estonia, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Latvia, Lithuania, Moldova, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, the Ukraine and Uzbekistan.

(Agnese Bifulco)

Title: Soviet Modernism 1955 – 1991, Unknown Stories
Dates: 08.11.2012 – 25.02.2013
Location: Vienna, Austria
Gallery: courtesy of  Architekturzentrum Wien

www.azw.at