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Post-Soviet Construction Is Totally Weird And Futuristic [PHOTOS]
Post-Soviet Construction Is Totally Weird And Futuristic [PHOTOS]
Harrison JacobsApr 8, 2014, 02:23 IST
Frank Herfort These two golden towers flank the presidential palace in Astana, Kazkhstan. Locals call them "the beer cans."
German photographer Frank Herfort became fascinated by the oddly futuristic buildings being built in Moscow shortly after he moved there in 2006.
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As he traveled through other parts of Russia and the surrounding countries, he noticed a similar desire to put the Soviet Union in the past by constructing extravagant buildings that defied Communist ideals and signified prestige and status.
Herfort took roughly 300 photos of those buildings, some of which he allowed us to publish. You can check out the entire collection in his book, "Imperial Pomp," which was released last fall.
Over the past 15 years, numerous luxury office and apartment buildings in Moscow have replaced old historic buildings. The Aliye Parusa (or Scarlet Sails), pictured here, has 500 apartments, an indoor amusement park, and a marina for yachts.Frank Herfort
The Linkor Tower in Moscow, an office building, also houses the Veteran Palace of Military Intelligence. Frank HerfortThe Mercury City Tower in Moscow began construction in 2009. At 1,112 feet, it is now the tallest building in Europe.Frank HerfortThe Legion III Center is a business center located in the central historical district of Moscow.Frank HerfortSince Astana became Kazakhstan's capital city in 1997, the government has commissioned several futuristic buildings.
The Bayterek Tower represents a poplar tree holding a golden egg, which refers to the tree of life in Turkic mythology. The tower is 97 meters tall, corresponding to the year that Astana became the capital.Frank Herfort
The Khan Shatyr Entertainment Center is a giant transparent tent in Astana, with a shopping and entertainment complex, a boating river, mini-golf, and an indoor beach resort.Frank HerfortItalian architect Manfredi Nicoletti designed Astana's Kazakhstan Central Concert Hall, which opened in 2009 and is one of the largest halls of its kind.Frank HerfortThe Lazurny Kvartal (or Azure Quarter) in Astana is a complex of apartment buildings opened in 2011.Frank HerfortThe Ugra Chess Academy in oil boom-town Khanty-Mansiysk was designed by Dutch architect Erick Van Egeraat. It has no sharp edges and was designed to conserve energy.Frank HerfortThe Surgut School of Foreign Languages in Surgut, Russia has a clock tower that is nearly identical to London's Big Ben.
