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(Crappy Totalitarian Art) The Weirdest Monuments Of The Communist Era That Are Still Standing
IO9 ^ | Nov 14, 2012 | Vincze Miklos

Posted on 11/14/2012 6:52:58 PM PST by DogByte6RER

The Weirdest Monuments Of The Communist Era That Are Still Standing

After the fall of the Soviet Union, many Communist statues and sculptures were destroyed, while others were moved to statue parks or museums. But many of them remained in the same place for the last 20 years, while the former Soviet areas were transformed into modern countries. Here are thirteen of the most incredible ones. Click to enlarge images below.

1. Lenin's giant head, Ulan-Ude, Republic of Buryatia, Russia

Giant Lenin's Head - Ulan Ude

The 42 ton, 25 foot tall head of former Soviet leader Vladimir Lenin is standing in Ulan-Ude. Built in 1970, for the centennial of Lenin's birth.

2. Buzludzha Monument, formerly Yugoslavia, now Bulgaria

Communist UFO Landing

The abandoned flying saucer-like Buzludzha Monument is in the middle of Bulgaria, a center of a national park. 150 years ago it was the place of the biggest battle between the Turks and the Bulgarian rebels.

Like the hundreds of other monuments in the former Yugoslavia, it was commisioned by Josip Broz Tito in the 1960s and early 1970s.

3. Makedonium (Ilinden Memorial), former Yugoslavia, now Krusevo, Macedonia

Makedonium_02

The symbol of the town is the memorial of the 1903 Ilinden rebellion. They fought "against the German, Italian and Bulgarian agressors" and won. In honor of the rebellion this monument was constructed in 1972 by Jordan Grabulovski.

4. Mitrovica Memorial, Mitrovica, Kosovo

le barbecue (monument serbe) Mitrovica

5. War Memorial, Nikšić, Montenegro

6. Monument to the Revolution of the people of Moslavina, Podgarić, Croatia

It is dedicated to the people of Moslavina during WWII. The memorial was designed by Dušan Džamonja in 1967.

7. Béla Kun Memorial, Memento Park, Budapest, Hungary

Memento Park

Created by Imre Varga in 1986. The Memento Park is one of the weirdest places on Earth. This outdoor museum is full of Communist era public statues which were removed from their original places after the fall of Communism.

8. The Great Patriotic War Memorial (or Mother Motherland Monument), Kiev, Ukraine

Kiev / Київ (Ukraine) - Great Patriotic War Memorial

Part of the Museum of the Great Patriotic War. The whole structure is 102 m tall and the sword is 16 metres long, weighing more than 9 tons. It was built in 1981, designed by Yevgeny Vuchetich.

9. Mound of Glory, near Minsk, Belarus

Belarus Mound of Glory

It's a memorial complex for Soviet soldiers who fought during WWII. It was built on the 25th anniversary of the liberation of Belarus (1944). The architect was O. Stakhovich.

10. Korenica Monument, former Yugoslavia, now Croatia

This abandoned monument near the Croatian-Bosnian border symbolizes "the new freedom" for the Yugoslavian people.

11. The Tsitsernakaberd (Armenian Genocide Memorial), Yerevan, Armenia

Parque Tsitsernakaberd memorial genocidio armenio Yerevan Armenia 05

Dedicated to the victims of the 1915 Armenian Genocide carried out by the Turks. It was designed by Arthur Tarkhanyan, Sashur Kalasyan and Hovhannes Khachatryan. There is a 44 m high stele and 12 slabs in a circle, representing the 12 lost provinces. In the center there is a 1.5 m high eternal flame, dedicated to the 1.5 million Armenians killed.

12. Weird Soviet-era statue, somewhere in Georgia

These are the most impressive horses ever, but the man driving the chariot doesn't care at all.

13: Weird Lenin Statue, Sukleia, Moldova

Years after the fall of the Soviet Union, the kids smashed the statue's head off. It stayed with a crushed head covered with plastic bag for years, but finally the local Red Party members have pleased a sculptor to restore it. Well, there is something strange now with his head.

Bonus: Saluting Robo-Lenin from Magnitorsk, 1931

In 1924 the Soviets began to erect giant monuments to Lenin, with this characteristic pointing hand and cap. Six years later, in 1930, Magnitorsk got a Lenin statue too, but a really weird one. Unfortunately the Saluting Robot Lenin was destroyed in 1932, so it is no longer standing. The photos were taken by the Life Magazine photographer Margaret Bourke-White in 1931.

Double Bonus: The Independence Monument of Turkmenistan

02_20 ASHGABAT - Monument of the Horses

The 850,000 square foot complex has a 91 m high concrete and white marble tower with 27 small, weird looking statues of Turkmen heroes. There are some water fountains, pools, arches and sculptures too, and the Turkmens are building a new one every year.

Elements of all buildings commemorate the independence date of Turkmenistan, 27 October 1991.


TOPICS: Arts/Photography; Chit/Chat; History; Miscellaneous; Society; Travel; Weird Stuff
KEYWORDS: brutalism; brutalistart; coldwar; commies; communism; crappyart; ironcurtain; modernart; progressiveart; soviet; sovietunion; totalitarian
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As a worthy honorable mention, I would include this piece of cr@p commie designed statue that was recently added to the Washington, D.C. Mall

1 posted on 11/14/2012 6:53:05 PM PST by DogByte6RER
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To: All

I was not able to link all of the photos via HTML onto this post. if you want to see all of the photos, link over to the IO9 story at:

http://io9.com/5960467/the-strangest-monuments-of-the-communist-era-that-are-still-standing


2 posted on 11/14/2012 6:54:55 PM PST by DogByte6RER ("Loose lips sink ships")
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To: DogByte6RER

correct me if I’m wrong. But isn’t Obama the most obvious work of art still standing?


3 posted on 11/14/2012 7:02:12 PM PST by spintreebob
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To: DogByte6RER

They should add a note:

Everything in North Korea


4 posted on 11/14/2012 7:04:20 PM PST by GeronL (http://asspos.blogspot.com)
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To: DogByte6RER

Ugly Croatian building

Russian Embassy, Cuba.

The Colossus of Königsberg.

Boston City Hall. Not Communist, but almost.

5 posted on 11/14/2012 7:09:23 PM PST by martin_fierro (< |:)~)
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To: DogByte6RER; SmithL; NormsRevenge; nickcarraway; null and void

Quetzalcoatl/Great Big Turd sculpture, San Jose, CA

6 posted on 11/14/2012 7:12:57 PM PST by martin_fierro (< |:)~)
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To: DogByte6RER
Seriously creepy stuff!


7 posted on 11/14/2012 7:12:57 PM PST by mylife (The Roar Of The Masses Could Be Farts)
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To: martin_fierro

They left out Hot Plate Harry in Jakarta from the Sukarno era.


8 posted on 11/14/2012 7:15:21 PM PST by Oldexpat
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To: DogByte6RER

The Movie “Brazil” comes to mind.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7xNnRBksvOU


9 posted on 11/14/2012 7:16:19 PM PST by mylife (The Roar Of The Masses Could Be Farts)
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To: martin_fierro

Thanks! I love to hate modern art and architecture. Brutalism is especially horrifying.


10 posted on 11/14/2012 7:17:42 PM PST by St_Thomas_Aquinas (Viva Christo Rey!)
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To: DogByte6RER

Thanks for great thread.


11 posted on 11/14/2012 7:19:21 PM PST by PghBaldy (Pete Hoekstra RE: Petraeus "There's more here than meets the eye.")
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To: DogByte6RER

I swear but ‘Robo-Lenin from Magnitorsk, 1931’ is an escaped Lego minifig!


12 posted on 11/14/2012 7:21:15 PM PST by Psalm 144 (Voodoo Republicans. Don't read their lips. Watch their hands.)
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To: mylife

Actually, it reminds me of the 1984 version of 1984.

I really liked this version, but I haven’t seen it in years, because it reminds me of where I work...


13 posted on 11/14/2012 7:22:19 PM PST by The Antiyuppie ("When small men cast long shadows, then it is very late in the day.")
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To: The Antiyuppie

Gilliam’s 1984 is a cult classic and it freaks me out because I see it happening everyday.


14 posted on 11/14/2012 7:24:30 PM PST by mylife (The Roar Of The Masses Could Be Farts)
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To: PghBaldy; DogByte6RER

“Thanks for great thread.”

Indeed! What PghBaldy said!


15 posted on 11/14/2012 7:25:09 PM PST by Psalm 144 (Voodoo Republicans. Don't read their lips. Watch their hands.)
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To: DogByte6RER

Federal Court, Los Angeles (1940)--an example of Fascist Moderne. The upper floors of the building at the lower right were once a jail.
16 posted on 11/14/2012 7:29:00 PM PST by Fiji Hill (Deo Vindice!)
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To: DogByte6RER

John Lennon Park, Havana, Cuba.

17 posted on 11/14/2012 7:34:08 PM PST by BerryDingle (I know how to deal with communists, I still wear their scars on my back from Hollywood-Ronald Reagan)
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To: DogByte6RER

bttt


18 posted on 11/14/2012 7:39:47 PM PST by Liberty Valance (Keep a simple manner for a happy life :o)
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To: DogByte6RER

Most are bizzare, downright ugly, and commemorate bad things. But that Kiev War memorial is a normal large statue with a sword, and commmorates 2 battles where at least 800,000 died in the Nazi war.
Not really that weird.


19 posted on 11/14/2012 7:46:53 PM PST by DesertRhino (I was standing with a rifle, waiting for soviet paratroopers, but communists just ran for office.)
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To: DogByte6RER

The third one looks like those things the Dutch throw in the water to protect causeways and dikes from the waves.


20 posted on 11/14/2012 7:48:36 PM PST by DesertRhino (I was standing with a rifle, waiting for soviet paratroopers, but communists just ran for office.)
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