Pearls of Socialist Architecture: 5 Stunning Buildings from Around the World

When it comes to Soviet architecture, many people immediately think of Stalinist skyscrapers. However, structures that preserve memories of the socialist past can also be found in other countries. The scale of these buildings is impressive, and some even look like illustrations from science fiction. We've gathered five masterpieces worth examining down to the smallest detail.

Monument of Friendship of Nations, Georgia

The Arch of Friendship is located between the Gudauri ski resort and the Cross Pass. The massive semi-circular stone-concrete structure sits on an observation deck offering a breathtaking view of the mountains.

The inner surface of the monument features a mosaic fresco by artists Zura Kapanadze, Zura Lezhava and Nodar Malazonia depicting scenes from Russian and Georgian history. The architect behind the structure was Georgy Chakava.

Photo: matadornetwork.com

National Library, Belarus

This is the country's main scientific library. The building resembles a diamond from one side, but it also has an official name — rhombicuboctahedron standing 73.7 meters tall (about 23 floors) and weighing 115,000 tons (books not included).

Soviet architects Viktor Kramarenko and Mikhail Vinogradov designed this bold library in 1989, but it took them 13 years to complete the giant polyhedron rising above Belarus's capital. The unusual geometry of the building symbolizes the vastness of the world and the supreme importance of knowledge for those who live in it.

Photo: matadornetwork.com

House-Memorial of the Bulgarian Communist Party, Bulgaria

In central Bulgaria's mountains, on the peak of Buzludzha stands a derelict monument built in 1981 as a tribute to the Bulgarian Socialist Party. The Buzludzha Monument is shaped like a saucer with a tower bearing an image of a star.

Inside the saucer are three enormous mosaic panels covering 510 square meters each, portraying allegorical history of the Bulgarian Communist Party. After the dissolution of the Soviet Union, this memorial was abandoned.

Photo: matadornetwork.com

Institute of Robotics and Technical Cybernetics, Russia

The futuristic design of the Institute of Robotics and Technical Cybernetics — one of Russia's largest scientific centers — matches its purpose. RTC contributed to the development of spacecraft 'Soyuz', probe Luna-16, and robots used for reconnaissance and cleaning up radioactive contamination at the Chernobyl site.

The 77-meter tower is notable for its acute-angled facade and resembles a rocket about to take off, but locals in St. Petersburg nicknamed it 'White Tulip'.

Photo: matadornetwork.com

Monument to Miners, Mitrovica

In the city of Mitrovica, a huge concrete statue shaped like a mining cart was erected on a hill in honor of a group of miners from Serbian and Albanian ethnicities who united to resist Nazi occupation during World War II. The monument was meant to symbolize friendship between the Serbian and Albanian peoples, and it remains the most significant monument in the city to this day.

Photo: matadornetwork.com

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