Ukrainian Modernism

Ukraine’s overlooked modernist buildings are under threat from development, decommunization and war. Photographer Dmytro Soloviov has crossed Ukraine documenting them to form the most comprehensive publication available on the subject. What does Ukrainian Modernist architecture look like and why isn’t it better-known in the west? Photographer and architectural tour guide Dmytro Soloviov is fighting to preserve the disappearing modernist heritage of his native Ukraine.

These innovative buildings are an extraordinary blend of function, avant-garde aesthetics and ingenious design, but despite these qualities, they remain largely unrecognised. This is a result of several factors, including the stigma of belonging to the Soviet era, corruption, neglect, as well as the ongoing threat of destruction from both unscrupulous developers and war. From masterpieces such as the Kyiv Crematorium and Salut Hotel, to previously undocumented examples like the Uzhhorod Airport Terminal and the Novoarkhanhelsk Police Station, Soloviov has traversed Ukraine photographing the exteriors and interiors of these important buildings and their monumental art (mosaics, stained glass and sculptures).

While the nation’s attention is consumed by more existential matters, he has documented the unique identity of one of the least catalogued periods of Soviet architecture, his images forming a singular record of an unexpected and rapidly disappearing legacy. An introduction by renowned architecture critic Owen Hatherley, complete with historical images, cements these buildings in a cultural and political context. With over 120 examples across 240 pages, this publication is the most comprehensive available on the subject.