Utopian soviet architecture, futuristic and sci-fi, photographed by Frederic Chaubin, editor of French magazine Citizen K. Interview and photos from Ping Mag. The architect who designed the building below was influenced by a sketch of an imaginary city drawn by a Russian artist. “Roads Ministry” (Tbilisi, Georgia, 1975). For more information on the others, see Ping.
Photo essay of post-war Yugoslavian monuments and architecture by Belgian artist Jan Kempenaers, from the Crown Gallery site. “Spomenik” means monument, and all of these structures were meant to commemorate WWII losses and point to progress and a generally utopian future. Thanks to the turmoil of subsequent wars in the former Yugoslavia, these brutalist monuments have fallen into disrepair. More information on Kempenaers here.
I found this item on the consistently entertaining blog deletia. It was taken from Rolcats, a site featuring fake English translations of an Eastern Bloc version of Lolcats. Rolcats makes Lolcats look very, very amateur, which granted is not difficult. Below is the translation of the caption above, and deletia’s response:
It’s pretty hard for me to express how much I love this. The men I’ve sent to death weigh heavily on my mind; but this burden is but a fist of straw compared to the strain of the republic. I can has post-Soviet irony in meme format?
It’s pretty hard for me to express how much I love deletia. The writer identifies herself only as Prolix, and she’s from Edmonton, which probably explains her command of irony.
