From Amazing To Downright Scary, These 30 Design And Architecture Decisions Are Far From Boring

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.

#1 Prefabricated Elephant Slide In Dresden, East Germany, Cca 1965 #sicmod

From Amazing To Downright Scary, These 30 Design And Architecture Decisions Are Far From Boring

Image source: lancerne

#2 Spodek (“Saucer”) Multipurpose Arena Complex In Katowice, Poland. Built In 1971

From Amazing To Downright Scary, These 30 Design And Architecture Decisions Are Far From Boring

Image source: stimmen

#3 Military Medical Academy Complex – Belgrade, Serbia

From Amazing To Downright Scary, These 30 Design And Architecture Decisions Are Far From Boring

Image source: lancerne

#4 State Museum Of History, Uzbekistan (1968-70) By Yevgeniy Rozanov And Vsevolod Shestopalov

From Amazing To Downright Scary, These 30 Design And Architecture Decisions Are Far From Boring

Image source: joaoslr

#5 Bus Stop In Kazakhstan

From Amazing To Downright Scary, These 30 Design And Architecture Decisions Are Far From Boring

Image source: _The_Professor_

#6 Sanatorium/Rehabilitation Center, 1985, Dombay, Karachay-Cherkess Republic

From Amazing To Downright Scary, These 30 Design And Architecture Decisions Are Far From Boring

Image source: lancerne

#7 The Iron Fountain – Gyumri, Armenia

From Amazing To Downright Scary, These 30 Design And Architecture Decisions Are Far From Boring

Image source: redditorpondering

#8 Pov: Soviet Chad Calling Your Girl Over Satellite Phone

From Amazing To Downright Scary, These 30 Design And Architecture Decisions Are Far From Boring

Image source: longwaytotokyo

#9 The Palace Of Ceremonies, Tblisi, Georgia

From Amazing To Downright Scary, These 30 Design And Architecture Decisions Are Far From Boring

Image source: lancerne

#10 Hala Arena In Poznań, Poland. An Indoor Sporting Arena Built In 1974

From Amazing To Downright Scary, These 30 Design And Architecture Decisions Are Far From Boring

Image source: Snoo_90160

#11 The Strange Beauty Of Soviet Bus Stops

From Amazing To Downright Scary, These 30 Design And Architecture Decisions Are Far From Boring

Image source: 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

From Amazing To Downright Scary, These 30 Design And Architecture Decisions Are Far From Boring

Image source: Grumpy_Developer

#13 When The East Meets The West

From Amazing To Downright Scary, These 30 Design And Architecture Decisions Are Far From Boring

Image source: lancerne

#14 Bodiul’s Viewpoint Platform, Near Chisinau, Moldova, Built In The 60s (C) Bacu/ Photo Bu Dumitru Rusu

From Amazing To Downright Scary, These 30 Design And Architecture Decisions Are Far From Boring

Image source: _di_ma

#15 Mosaic In Former-Soviet Central Asia

From Amazing To Downright Scary, These 30 Design And Architecture Decisions Are Far From Boring

Image source: Apart-Sky6447

#16 Sevan Writer’s House

From Amazing To Downright Scary, These 30 Design And Architecture Decisions Are Far From Boring

Image source: longwaytotokyo

#17 Rudo Skyscrapers, Just Took The Photo Now

From Amazing To Downright Scary, These 30 Design And Architecture Decisions Are Far From Boring

Image source: Firkin117

#18 Museum Of Contemporary Art, Belgrade [oc]

From Amazing To Downright Scary, These 30 Design And Architecture Decisions Are Far From Boring

Image source: hadron_enforcer

#19 Mountain Kosmaj, Serbia. Built In 1971 Architect Gradimir Medaković And Sculptor Vojin Stojić (C) Bacu / Photo By Dumitru Rusu

From Amazing To Downright Scary, These 30 Design And Architecture Decisions Are Far From Boring

Image source: _di_ma

#20 Lake Sevan Viewing Platform [oc]

From Amazing To Downright Scary, These 30 Design And Architecture Decisions Are Far From Boring

Image source: 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

From Amazing To Downright Scary, These 30 Design And Architecture Decisions Are Far From Boring

Image source: archineering

#22 Genex Tower

From Amazing To Downright Scary, These 30 Design And Architecture Decisions Are Far From Boring

Image source: Dnthaveone

#23 Tuzla Bank, (Now Nlb) Tuzla, Bih, Built In 1977, Architect V.stojanović © B.a.c.u. / Photo By Dumitru Rusu

From Amazing To Downright Scary, These 30 Design And Architecture Decisions Are Far From Boring

Image source: lancerne

#24 Abandoned Lakeside Building, Chisinau

From Amazing To Downright Scary, These 30 Design And Architecture Decisions Are Far From Boring

Image source: longwaytotokyo

#25 [oc] Fontana Complex, New Belgrade, Serbia. Built In 1968, Architect Uroš Martinović

From Amazing To Downright Scary, These 30 Design And Architecture Decisions Are Far From Boring

Image source: ssinchenko

#26 Home Furniture Store In Bucharest, Romania

From Amazing To Downright Scary, These 30 Design And Architecture Decisions Are Far From Boring

Image source: Acrobatic-Emotion-44

#27 Derzhprom

From Amazing To Downright Scary, These 30 Design And Architecture Decisions Are Far From Boring

Image source: longwaytotokyo

#28 Time Stopped

From Amazing To Downright Scary, These 30 Design And Architecture Decisions Are Far From Boring

Image source: Dnthaveone

#29 Brutal Buildings In Novi-Sad, Serbia

From Amazing To Downright Scary, These 30 Design And Architecture Decisions Are Far From Boring

Image source: ssinchenko

#30 Communal Buildings In Berlin’s Eastern Half From The Ddr

From Amazing To Downright Scary, These 30 Design And Architecture Decisions Are Far From Boring

Image source: Nickyworld45