HERITO, No. 37-38: Magical socialist realism? E-BOOK [EN]

“The realist essence of socialist architecture postulates the reflection in construction works of the entirety of life, existence, social and moral ideals, and the mental system of the nation in all its richness and concreteness. In the conditions of the existence of socialist nations with all their features, the faithful and concrete reflection of the manifestations of social life must lead to the creation of specific, original features in the architecture of each nation” – Edmund Goldzamt.

More than 160 photos and 14 texts on architecture, literature and art, offering a subjective atlas of socialist realist architecture in Central Europe, capturing the history of the construction of the famous Marszałkowska Residential District, and a story of the iconic works of Bohdan Pniewski. Authors look at the first Polish socialist realist building listed as a historic monument, they travel to Krakow’s Nowa Huta, Ostrava’s Poruba, Eisenhüttenstadt and Prievidza, and look for forgotten socialist realist monuments in the countries of former Yugoslavia. In addition, the texts offer a study of Soviet orientalism, the rhetoric of socialist optimism and contemplate the cosmos together with socialist realist artists.

The issue includes texts and essays by Greg Castillo, Bohdan Cherkes, Beata Chomątowska, Łukasz Galusek, Anna Łazar, Karol Kurnicki, Lidia Pańków, Grzegorz Piątek, Anna Syska, Katarzyna Trzeciak, Miłosz Waligórski, Michał Wiśniewski, Aleksandra Wojtaszek and Marcin Wojtaszek, as well as reviews of recommendable Central European publications.

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