Hotels fit for a KGB officer: Soviet cities in the twilight - in pictures

Many modernist buildings from the Soviet period are being destroyed, but Russian photographer Arseniy Kotov hopes to preserve their memory with these shots of sloping cinemas and rooms under surveillance

Main image: Fading light ... Sipaylovo District UFA, Russia Photograph: Arseniy Kotov

  • Kazakh State Circus, Alma-Ata, Kazakhstan, Built in 1972, Architects: V Katsev, I Slonov

    In 1968, the first secretary of the central Communist party of the Kazakh SSR initiated the construction of a 2,060-seat circus. The design of chief architect Vladimir Katsev was intended to resemble a yurt, distinguished by a grand dome, covered in tessellated scales. Soviet Cities: Labour Life Leisure by Arseniy Kotov is available through Fuel publishing. A Kickstarter for the follow-up, Soviet Seasons, can be found here
    Kazakh State Circus Alma-Ata, Kazakhstan: Built in 1972 Architects: V. Katsev, I. Slonov In 1968 the First Secretary of the Central Communist Party of the Kazakh SSR initiated the construction of a 2060-seat circus. The design of chief architect Vladimir Katsev was intended to resemble a yurt, distinguished by a grand dome, covered in tessellated scales

  • Hotel-style dormitories, Vorkuta, Russia, Built in 1981

    The first mine was excavated on the right bank of the Vorkuta River in July 1932, with the subsequent extraction of coal deposits largely carried out using gulag labour. With the advent of industrial coal mining, a village was built for workers. This eventually grew into a town
    Hotel-style dormitories, Series TP-8 Vorkuta, Russia: Built in 1981 The first mine was excavated on the right bank of the Vorkuta River in July 1932, with the subsequent extraction of coal deposits largely carried out using Gulag labour. With the advent of industrial coal mining, a village was built for workers. This eventually grew into a town.

  • Sipaylovo District Ufa, Russia, Built: 1980s

    Ufa is a city in the Urals with a population of over 1 million. It is the capital of the Republic of Bashkortostan, a federal subject of Russia. It has a large industrial sector and is a centre for oil refining, as well as chemical and engineering industries
    Sipaylovo District Ufa, Russia: Built in the 1980s Ufa is a city in the Urals with a population of over 1 million. It is the capital of the Republic of Bashkortostan, a federal subject of Russia. It has a large industrial sector and is a centre for oil refining, as well as chemical and engineering industries.

  • ‘Olympus’ Swimming Pool, Tolyatti, Russia, Built in 1985

    Situated in the Togliatti car factory district, the ‘universal’ sports complex of which this swimming pool is part, is decorated with brightly coloured mosaics
    ‘Olympus’ Swimming Pool Tolyatti, Russia: Built in 1985Situated in the Togliatti car factory district, the ‘Universal’ sports complex of which this swimming pool is part, is decorated with brightly coloured mosaics.

  • ‘Prometheus’ bas-relief, Palace of Culture, Tolyatti, Russia, Designers: Y Bosco, A Fetisov

    This large decorative panel, designed by artist Yuri Bosko, was installed on the Palace of Culture belonging to the ‘Sintezkauchuk’ (Togliatti) factory in 1975. Constructed from titanium, it is 11 metres wide by 14.5 metres high
    ‘Prometheus’ bas-relief, Palace of CultureTolyatti, Russia Designers: Y. Bosco, A. Fetisov This large decorative panel, designed by Honoured Artist of the RSFSR Yuri Bosko, was installed on the Palace of Culture belonging to the ‘Sintezkauchuk’ (Togliatti) factory in 1975. Constructed from titanium, it is 11 metres wide by 14.5 metres high.

  • Museum on the

    Mountain Suleiman-Too, Osh, Kyrgyzstan, Built in 1978, Architect: K Nazarov The building is an historical-ethnographic museum. Its facade spans the mouth of a cave containing petroglyphs (ancient rock inscriptions) allowing them to be preserved in their original form. The cave is an object of cultural importance and is included on the Unesco world heritage list. The most spectacular architectural element of the museum is its concrete arch with panoramic glazing, divided by vertical ridges. Today, over 400 exhibits from the Kyrgyz Museum of Spiritual Culture are displayed here
    p93 Museum on the Mountain Suleiman-Too, Osh, Kyrgyzstan, Built in 1978 Architect: K. Nazarov: The building is an historical-ethnographic museum. Its facade spans the mouth of a cave containing petroglyphs (ancient rock inscriptions) allowing them to be preserved in their original form. The cave is an object of cultural importance and is included on the UNESCO World Heritage List. The most spectacular architectural element of the museum is its concrete arch with panoramic glazing, divided by vertical ridges. This construction essentially closes the natural entrance to the cave. The lower floor of the two-storey museum complex inside has been enlarged, while the upper floor remains in its natural state. Today over 400 exhibits from the Kyrgyz Museum of Spiritual Culture are displayed here.

  • Residential building with mosaic, Tyrnyauz, Russia

    The city of Tyrnyauz was founded in 1934, following the discovery of the Tyrnyauz tungsten-molybdenum deposit. With the collapse of the USSR and the closure of the plant, the number of residents declined rapidly. Between 1989 and 2002 the population had reduced by a third to 21,000
    Residential building with mosaic Tyrnyauz, Russia: The city of Tyrnyauz was founded in 1934, following the discovery of the Tyrnyauz tungsten-molybdenum deposit. With the collapse of the USSR and the closure of the plant, the number of residents declined rapidly. Between 1989 and 2002 the population had reduced by a third to 21,000.

  • Round buildings, Moscow, Russia, Built in 1974, Architect: E Stamo

    One of a pair of round buildings located at Nezhinskaya Street 13 and Dovzhenko Street 6, each have a diameter of 155 metres
    Round buildings Moscow, Russia Built in 1974 Architect: E. Stamo: One of a pair of round buildings, located at Nezhinskaya Street 13 and Dovzhenko Street 6, each have a diameter of 155 metres. Built using components of the I-515/9 MKD series, they are made up of 22 identical straight sections, connected together at a maximum angle of 6°.

  • ‘Russia’ Cinema, Yerevan, Armenia, Built in 1975, Architects: A Tarkhanyan, S Khachikyan and others

    The building is intended to resemble the two peaks of Mount Ararat. Originally containing two auditoriums seating 1,600 and 1,000, with a small hall accommodating 280, the complex also included exhibition areas, a dance floor and a cafe. The interior has since been destroyed and today it serves as a trade pavilion
    ‘Russia’ Cinema Yerevan, ArmeniaBuilt 1975 Architects: A. Tarkhanyan, S. Khachikyan and others: The building is intended to resemble the two peaks of Mount Ararat. Originally containing two auditoriums seating 1,600 and 1,000, with a small hall accommodating 280, the complex also included exhibition areas, a dance floor and a café. The interior has since been destroyed, and today it serves as a trade pavilion.

  • ‘Twin-towers’ on the Arbat, Almaty, Kazakhstan, Built in 1984, Architects: R Sarukhanyan, E Sholokhova, I Grave

    Almatytelekom – the urban centre of telecommunications – is located in the annex that surrounds these high-rise buildings
    p185 ‘Twin-towers’ on the Arbat, Almaty, Kazakhstan Built in 1984 Architects: R. Sarukhanyan, E. Sholokhova, I. Grave: Almatytelekom – the urban center of telecommunications – is located in the annex that surrounds these high-rise buildings.

  • Residential building complex with walkway, Tbilisi, Georgia. Built in 1976, Architects: O Kalandarishvili, G Potskhishvili

    Three typical large-panel, 16-storey buildings are nestled in a Tbilisi hillside. The two higher blocks are accessed via the lower block. Residents use the elevator in the lower block to reach the eighth floor, where a walkway pierces the two higher blocks, running through to the hill on the other side
    Residential building complex with walkway Tbilisi, Georgia: Built in 1976 Architects: O. Kalandarishvili, G. Potskhishvili Three typical large-panel, 16-storey buildings are nestled in a Tbilisi hillside. The two higher blocks are accessed via the lower block. Residents use the elevator in the lower block to reach the eighth floor, where a walkway pierces the two higher blocks, running through to the hill on the other side.

  • ‘Cosmonaut’ mosaic, Moscow, Russia, Built in 1968, Designer: Y Korolev

    This mosaic is situated on the wall of a school in Warsaw Avenue, Moscow. Designed by the artist Yuri Korolev, it was completed in 1968. Working in stained glass, tempera painting and mosaic, Korolev created a number of public murals in Moscow, most notably on the Central Museum of the Armed Forces, the metro stations Sviblovo and ‘Street 1905’, as well as the facade of the Palace of Youth
    ‘Cosmonaut’ mosaic Moscow, Russia Built in 1968 Designer: Y. Korolev: This mosaic is situated on the wall of a school in Warsaw Avenue, Moscow. Designed by the artist Yuri Korolev, it was completed in 1968. Working in stained glass, tempera painting and mosaic, Korolev created a number of public murals in Moscow, most notably on the Central Museum of the Armed Forces, the metro stations Sviblovo and ‘Street 1905’, as well as the facade of the Palace of Youth.

  • ‘Solidarity’ bas-relief, Minsk, Belarus, Built in 1979, Designer: A Artimovich

    This panel depicts residents of the Soviet Union, China, Vietnam, India, Palestine, Chile, Cuba and Angola, marching in defence of human rights and freedom
    ‘Solidarity’ bas-relief Minsk, BelarusBuilt in 1979 Designer: A. Artimovich: This panel depicts residents of the Soviet Union, China, Vietnam, India, Palestine, Chile, Cuba and Angola, marching in defence of human rights and freedom.

  • Final Assembly and Refuelling Hanger, ‘Buran’ Space Programme, Baikonur Cosmodrome, Kazakhstan

    In 1990, the second spacecraft in the ‘Buran’ programme, ‘Burya’ (Storm), and its full-size model were entombed here. The programme united the efforts of design offices, factories, research establishments, military builders and operational sectors of space institutions across the USSR. Work on the programme was halted due to the collapse of the USSR and the project was officially terminated by president Boris Yeltsin in 1993
    Final Assembly and Refuelling Hanger, ‘Buran’ Space ProgrammeBaikonur Cosmodrome, Kazakhstan: In 1990 the second spacecraft in the ‘Buran’ programme, ‘Burya’ (Storm), and its full-size model were entombed here. The ‘Energia-Buran’ programme united the efforts of design offices, factories, research establishments, military builders and operational sectors of space institutions across the USSR. In total, more than 2.5 million people across 1,286 individual enterprises and organisations participated on the project. Work on the programme was halted due to the collapse of the USSR and the project was officially terminated by President Boris Yeltsin in 1993.

  • Hotel ‘Cosmos’, Moscow, Russia, Built in 1979, Architects: V Andreev, O Kakub and others

    A joint project between Mosproekt-1 and the French company Sefri, this hotel was built to receive foreign guests at the 1980 Olympics. To assist the KGB in their surveillance of foreigners, many rooms were equipped with concealed audiovisual monitoring devices
    Hotel ‘Cosmos’Moscow, RussiaBuilt in 1979 Architects: V. Andreev, O. Kakub and others: A joint project between Mosproekt-1 and the French company Sefri, the hotel was built to receive foreign guests at the 1980 Olympics. To assist the KGB in their surveillance of foreigners, many rooms were equipped with concealed audiovisual monitoring devices.

  • The Motherland Calls, Volgograd, Russia, Built in 1967, Authors: E Vuchetich, N Nikitin

    A statue symbolising the Motherland calling her sons to fight the enemy. Volgograd (formerly Stalingrad) was the site of the largest and bloodiest confrontation of the great patriotic war (as the second world war is known in Russia). The fierce battle was a turning point in the conflict
    The Motherland Calls, Volgograd, Russia, Built in 1967 Authors: E. Vuchetich, N. Nikitin: A statue symbolising the Motherland calling her sons to fight the enemy. Volgograd (formerly Stalingrad) was the site of the largest and bloodiest confrontation of the Great Patriotic War (as WWII is known in Russia). The fierce battle was a turning point in the conflict.

  • Lenin Museum, Gorki Leninskiye, Russia, Built in 1987, Architects: L Pavlov, L Gonchar

    Pavlov worked on this museum project for a decade, creating a monumental structure with a sacred quality – a temple for the leader. Its halls house a unique exhibition that incorporates automatically operated audio-visual equipment
    Lenin MuseumGorki Leninskiye. Russia, Built in 1987, Architects: L. Pavlov, L. Gonchar: Architect Leonid Pavlov worked on this museum project for a decade, creating a monumental structure with a sacred quality – a temple for the leader. Its halls house a unique exhibition that incorporates automatically operated audio-visual equipment.
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