Frederic ChaubinCCCP: Cosmic Communist Constructions Photographed

I like to collect books about architecture - and especially those on Brutalist architecture. Many building of that design were built in the Soviet Union. Brutalist architecture is a style of architecture that was popular from the 1950s to the 70s - usually constructed out of huge amounts of concrete and steel. The J. Edgar Hoover FBI building in Washington is an example of the style - a bit conservative compared to the designs of the buildings in this book.This book is one that I've lusted for over the years and wanted for my collection. I finally broke down and purchased it last year. And it is worth every penny I spent. The book is filled with incredible photographs of beautiful buildings. I would recommend it to anyone interested in this style of architecture. As the old saying goes - they don't make them [buildings] like that anymore.This is a huge book,10.5"x13.5"x1.25" thick. Hardback but with no dust jacket, instead the cover is colored printed. It was published by Taschen. The book is broken down into five chapters:1. Entertainment and Culture - Variations on Monumental Lyricism2. Science and Technology - Power and the Dramatization of the Future3. Sports and Youth - The Architect's cosmic Dream4. Health and Resorts - From Seaside Phalansteries to Hidden Villas5. Rites and Symbols - Theatricality as a Vector of EmotionPlus, there is a forward by Paul Smith, and an introduction by Frédéric Chaubin.

Wow, what happens when civilizations rise and fall ?Read all about it in this amazingly well written book with huge photographs of the lost empire.It will haunt you and make you wonder: will someone write a book like this for the United States of America some day ?The images are perfect, the stories detailed and well researched, and very emotional.The most touching story was of a cutting edge science center built right before the fall of the USSR. A huge campus with dreams of conducting advanced research: but now abandoned and empty. I would hope investors would buy this book and scout out these areas of empty real estate. There is a fortune to be earned by purchasing these lost properties and rennovating them for modern use. Investors shoild try to save the history, but some areas are so large - they may need split up into businesses, apartment buildings, and shopping centers.If you love architecture, or love history, or just enjoy photography and grwat story telling - Buy This Book !

On each page, you receive what you pay for: large photographs that are well composed with a decent amount of supporting text. (Every page is almost completely covered in images) As an architecture student, I often referred to this book for some base point ideas for designs or circulation or program elements during studio and it really did aid my design style to see so many different pieces of architecture (the book is far from one note regarding architecture, even though it does have a brutalist-modernist focus). I believe this book to be a good volume for any architect's private collection.

Being a native of the USSR , I wondered what is this book about - not professionally , but rather because of nostalgia and interesting titles. The book met my expectations, it is very interesting to look at all these photos - there are pictures of Soviet architectural buildings of different periods and styles, scattered in different countries , which previously formed part of the Soviet Union. Some of the buildings are abandoned and have sad and depressing view - and it reminds us that this era is gone forever . And of course , it is interesting to see those buildings that I have seen "live" . When you read the title of the book - you realize that many of the buildings have quite futuristic look. There is no too much text in this book however the pictures speak for themselves . I recommend the book.

I really like the aesthetics of the architecture displayed in the book. The book is full color with large detailed pictures. The photos showed off the great buildings in the Soviet Union. I'm no expert but it was worth the $40 bucks I paid. The photos in the preview don't do the book justice as the photos in the preview were not near the best in my opinion. The book is thick and the pages glossy. The whole book is a work of art that encapsulates the soviet era.

About half the images in the book are a little lacking in quality/detail, as if the majority of this project wasn't shot in large format film, which is almost a requirement for the subject matter and a book this size. But except for that, I expect a majority of people will be very entertained in the crazy and incredible architecture that is portrayed in the book. Overall really cool.

Some amazing structures found in the former Soviet Union and some former Warsaw Pact countries. Big Heavy coffee table book.

This is the most unique book - great gift for artists in your life, or anyone fascinated with Soviet era history. The combination of fabulous architecture and the air of decay of many of the buildings captures the time period better than any other medium I've seen. Peek behind the Iron Curtain - you won't regret it.

Spotted this slab of hardback in my local Waterstones, quite by accident, whilst looking for bargains. Sealed in shrink-wrap and with no price visible, I was really intrigued but as it was just after Christmas, I had a budget to stick to. Twenty pounds, I told myself. After queuing for ten minutes and my arms elongated under the weight, on scanning, it came up at £35. I might as well have offended both the assistant and queue personally by muttering that it was too much and promptly put it back.Appetite wetted, Amazon, then, came to the rescue, nearly matching my price but delivered for free, too.As others have said, there's little text but enough. The photographs themselves are mostly impressive and convey the grey concrete monuments to USSR Communism well. As a photographer myself, I felt that a few were uninspired in their taking but generally it's a solid body of work and not knowing the conditions and pressures (permission, secrecy etc) the photographer faced, it's petty to criticise. Considering also their geographical spread, it's fascinating, as one would expect for all the buildings to be in Moscow or other big cities, but a good many weren't.The book has now been lent to several families who have had sons, daughters, people of all ages, from far and wide, coming home and who've found the whole topic fascinating. The size of the pages themselves almost demand respect, as if an old manuscript is being lovingly studied.I won't be thinking of buying another book on Russian brutalist architecture again. "CCCP" covers the subject amply and superbly and its interest may be more universal than you might initially think and others will want a peek. Recommended.

Ugly Russian BuildingsI must confess that I bought this expecting it to be good, a Russian twist on our current penchant for really ugly Brutalist buildings like Trellick Tower, with a dash of that decaying Detroit look. I was however really surprised by just how good these buildings actually are. Clearly they are not all entirely to Western tastes, but they are far far better than just po faced Stalinist monstrosities. It is to our shame that these buildings are not better known in the West, they are world class examples of great architecture, and it is our loss that we do not know them better.In common with other reviewers, I will add that the book is incredible value, the photos are stunning, it is slightly irritating that some of the images are marred with being double page spreads, the text is functional and the book is a real must buy. Get it now or regret it.

I've bought quite few truly brilliant architecture books from Amazon but this one is a revalation. The beauty and imagination of the buildings portrayed in this large format book are only matched by the high quality of the photos and the superb production standards employed by Taschen. I heartily recommend this book not only to fans of modern architecture but anyone with an eye for imagination and beauty 😺

If you are into architecture, photography and Soviet nostalgia you will love this enormous book

It's a TASCHEN book, do I need to go further? The central element of this book (cosmic communist constructions) is unexpected, but also a more than achieved goal. Besides that, it is shown to us on a big format and with great quality photographs, essential for feeling and studying architecture. If TASCHEN ever did a bad art book it was the opposite of this one, it's a must have, even for a science-fiction fanatic that hates architecture.