Soviet Cities. Labour, Life and Leisure

The Soviet dream of modernist architecture for all, on the brink of obliteration In recent years, Russian cities have changed markedly. The significance of the architectural heritage of the Soviet period has not been fully recognized. As a result, many unique modernist buildings were destroyed or changed beyond recognition. Russian photographer Arseniy Kotov intends to document these buildings and their surroundings before they are lost forever. He likes to photograph during the winter, during the blue hour, which is just after sunset or just before sunrise. At this time, warm yellow tones inside the windows of apartment buildings contrast with the twilight darkness outside. For Kotov, this atmosphere reflects the Soviet period that exists in his imagination. His impression of this time is unabashedly idealistic: he imagines a great civilization built on the principle of social justice for a people who hope to explore nature and conquer the cosmos. From the Baikonur Cosmodrome in the desert steppes of Kazakhstan to the grim monolithic high-rise dormitories in the center of Volgograd, Kotov’s shots capture the essence of the post-Soviet world.