Arte - Red Urbex: Ghost Buildings of the Eastern Block (2019)

On 9 November 1989, the Berlin Wall fell. In Eastern Europe, the great buildings of communism were deserted, looted and forgotten. Now in ruins, these spectacular and threatening settings have remained frozen in the past. Red Urbex explores the ruins of communist constructions across Eastern Europe.

Part 1: East Germany: The Red Army Vanishes
The Russian military base at Wunsdorf near Berlin was abandoned after the Berlin Wall fell. When the Soviet soldiers returned to Russia, they left behind a ghost town of the Cold War era.

Part 2: Bulgaria: Communism's UFO
This masterpiece of brutalist architecture was built in 1981 in the middle of the Bulgarian mountains under the leadership of Todor Jivkov. It was a near-sacred place during the era of Bulgarian communism, but now it's fallen into near-ruin.

Part 3: Croatia: Tito's Last Folly
It now stands forgotten on a Croatian mountain, but this steel monument that took 7 years to build was to remember the uprising of the people against fascism in the former Yugoslavia.

Part 4: Georgia: Stalin's Secret Sanatorium
Tskaltubo, Georgia, is now a shadow of what it once was; one of the most popular Soviet spas. Stalin enjoyed coming here. But now, it's fallen into disuse and disrepair. These ruins blend classic Stalinist architecture with Georgian ethnic motifs. A haunting, melancoly trip through a piece of history that's fast disappearing.

Part 5: Albania: The Tyrant's Pyramid
In Tirana, the monument was erected in 1988 in honour of the Albanian dictator Enver Hoxha. Now, it's an empty mausoleum. After the fall of the regime, the statues were broken, and the building looted.

Part 6: Moldova: Ghosts of the Soviet Circus
Inaugurated in 1981 by the Soviet authorities, the circus of Chisinau was designed as a braided basket of concrete. It's become an iconic building in the heart of the Moldavian capital.

Part 7: Belgrade: A Brutalist Jewel
This brutalist skyscraper was built in 1977 for a large Yugoslavian company, Genex. Described as "the ugliest building in the world", this incredible brutalist skyscraper is loved and hated in Belgrade in equal measure.

Part 8: Moldova: The Colossal Communist Tower
Nicknamed the "corn cob" for its circular shape, this brutalist Moldovan tower was built in 1986 to provide temporary accommodation. It was supposed to last a hundred years but it's already decaying. People still live in this concrete rotunda which at times can feel oppressive.