Socialist Modernism is an online initiative created by the Bureau for Art and Urban Research (BACU) to protect the monumental but decaying structures of central and eastern Europe erected between 1955-91.

"We aim to revitalize this heritage not only for symbolic reasons but because we believe in these elements that managed to defy some of the ideological requirements, giving the urban space a certain flavor so characteristic of those times," says Dumitru Rusu of BACU. "Boulevards, public buildings, living units, and monuments, they all are a clear reflection of the social and cultural context of the socialist period."

In the first phase of the project, BACU is documenting the architecture from the Eastern Bloc — it has mapped these socialist modernist buildings and monuments online in a community-driven tool, hoping to build a comprehensive database as well as create awareness and promote a desire to preserve them. The second phase aims to develop regulations for protection.

Overall, the project is an inspiring example of how preserving the past can also enrich the present.

More info: socialistmodernism.com | Instagram | Facebook