With the descent of the Iron Curtain after World War II, all of Southeastern Europe bar Greece and Turkey fell into the hands of communist regimes – some like Bulgaria and Romania were Soviet satellites, secluded Albania’s closest ally was, curiously, China, and the vast Yugoslavia followed its own direction as a non-aligned state.
One thing that united these countries in their (ultimately unsuccessful) pursuit of a communist society was the construction of awe-inspiring monumental buildings. The new communist architecture in the Balkans followed a radically different trend than that of the past and left behind some truly imposing buildings.
From the world’s largest civilian building to an abandoned concrete flying saucer on a mountain top, kashkaval tourist will guide you through 8 striking communist buildings in the Balkans.
1. 99 domes and some fishing net: National Library of Kosovo, Pristina
99 domes and some fishing net: National Library of Kosovo, Pristina. Photo credit: A. Dombrowski, Flickr.
Kosovo may still have some bad rep over the war in the late 1990s, but the Kosovar capital Pristina may stun you with one of Southeastern Europe’s most unique buildings. The current National Library of Kosovo was opened in 1982 and designed by a Croatian architect, since at the time Kosovo was part of Yugoslavia.
The one-of-a-kind appearance of the building owes a lot to the 99 white domes topping it… and the thick metal net which covers it entirely. Curiously, ethnic Albanians and Serbs still argue about the cultural influences in the building’s design – some find elements of Islamic art in its design, while others argue that the shapes were inspired by Byzantine traditions.
2. Administrative behemoth: Palace of the Parliament, Bucharest
Administrative behemoth: Palace of the Parliament, Bucharest
Well, Bucharest isn’t strictly in the Balkans, but being so close, it would be a shame not to include the world’s largest administrative building in this list. Enter the Palace of the Parliament, the child of infamous Romanian dictator Nicolae Ceaușescu’s megalomania. Located bang in the middle of the capital of Romania, the construction of the Palace of the Parliament required that an entire historic neighborhood be torn down in the 1980s… as well as the underlying hill!
With its well over 1000 rooms, 12 overground and 8 underground floors and nearly square shape measuring 270 by 240 metres, the Palace of the Parliament was meant to host the entire administration of Romania’s communist government. And while those plans never came to fruition, the gargantuan edifice remains one of Bucharest’s most famous attractions.
