Soviet architecture and the West

In recent decades, Soviet modernism has garnered significant global interest, challenging previous assumptions about the Soviet Union's architectural achievements. The rise of "All-Union Modernism" highlighted the complexity and innovation within Soviet architecture, particularly in the post-Soviet era when the former Soviet republics became accessible to international experts. This book investigates the relationship between Soviet and Western architecture during the 1950s and 1970s, examining how Soviet architects absorbed Western influences beyond the Iron Curtain. It explores whether Soviet architecture merely appropriated these influences or generated its own unique practices amid a policy of “self-isolation.” To clarify these exchanges, the study categorizes mechanisms of contact, including travel, tourist groups, business trips, conferences, foreign literature, competitions, fairs, educational research, and professional migration, with each category explored in dedicated chapters. This multifaceted approach aims to provide a comprehensive understanding of the interactions between these two architectural worlds.