Culture
Coming of age in a small Polish town in the ‘90s
Memories of Goleszów — Photographers Michal Solarski and Tomasz Liboska reflect on their transition from boyhood to adulthood in a post-Soviet world.
Written by: Miss Rosen
Soviet
Culture
Otherworldy photos of former Soviet monuments
Brutalism after dark — Photographer Yang Xiao recalls travelling across Eastern Europe to capture a series of Brutalist and Soviet modernist architecture with a distinctly alien feel.
Written by: Huck
Photography
The forgotten housing estate that was once a Soviet utopia
Paradise lost — The tower blocks of Vaziani – located just outside of Tbilisi – used to be a luxurious base for Russian soldiers. Now, they’re a symbol of the region’s widespread poverty.
Written by: Eva Clifford
Photography
An eerie tour of Georgia’s forgotten Soviet bus stops
Another time — Three years ago, Nanuka Zaalishvili set out to photograph the left-behind constructions of Georgia’s Soviet Union days. Now she’s amassed over 100 shots, which were exhibited for the first time at this year’s Tbilisi Photo Festival.
Written by: Eva Clifford
Art
Uncovering the mysteries of North Korea, through design
Made in the DPRK — In his new book, Made In North Korea, tour guide Nicholas Bonner compiles the most comprehensive collection of the nation’s graphic ephemera to date.
Written by: Biju Belinky
Art
The art behind Russia’s revolutionary uprisings
Painting politics — A new show at London’s Tate Modern uncovers the history of political Soviet art – from leaflets and banners to propaganda posters and periodicals.
Written by: Dominique Sisley
Culture
A photographer's epic quest through the former USSR
Couchsurfing along the fringe — Nomadic photographer Gianluca Pardelli hitched his way around the former Soviet Union, searching for identity in a cultural vacuum.
Written by: Cian Traynor
Culture
The photographer who captured life in a country that doesn’t exist
Discovering Transnistria — What do you do for fun when you live in a country shunned by the rest of the world? Armed with a camera and a whole load of questions, Julia Autz immersed herself in Transnistrian life to find out.
Written by: Ella Guthrie