10 photos of Soviet sanatoriums

Enjoy the charm of constructivist architecture, retro furnishings, and the natural beauty of the Black Sea region.

10 PHOTOS

1. In recent years, interest in the Soviet past has become increasingly popular. Fashion brands are inspired by designs from the Red Age, and its architectural heritage attracts researchers and photographers. Of course, everything related to Soviet nostalgia is very popular on social networks.

2. What explains the charm of the passing era? Probably because for decades it has been isolated from Western influences and has a truly unique aesthetic.

3. Once British photographer Maryam Omidi was vacationing in a Soviet-era sanatorium, and this strange feeling of retro beauty inspired her to invite friends from Russia, Poland, and Germany on a trip to the former Soviet Union and take pictures of those places of rest and entertainment, places of recuperation

4. The result is the book Vacations in Soviet Sanatoriums, published by FUEL, a company founded by British enthusiasts of the Soviet past who have produced other best-selling photo albums, including about Soviet bus stops and tattoos of the underworld.

5. Photographers have visited sanatoriums with different post-Soviet destinies. Some of them have been converted into wellness centers with spas, swimming pools, and a number of beauty salons.

6. Others offer medical services, but most operate as hotels. People do not come to get medical help, put to rest. Guests often grew up during the Soviet era and enjoy a stroll down Memory Lane.

7. Some sanatoriums have not changed at all since Soviet times. Just look at the red curtains and the monument to Lenin - it seems that only yesterday there were pioneers in this hall.

8. Built to make the Soviet people proud, most of the sanatoriums have interesting architecture, and some are built in an innovative constructivist style.

9. There were many sanatoriums in the Black Sea region, and almost every Soviet person dreamed of getting a doctor's referral for treatment there. With the air filled with the scent of pine trees and the salty sea, Sochi, Abkhazia, and Crimea were some of the most popular destinations.

10. The Caucasian resort Mineralnye Vody is a kind of "Soviet Karlovy Vary", where people drink mineral water, walk many kilometers along mountain paths and make new acquaintances. By the way, this resort has been popular since the 19th century. Lermontov even portrayed him in his novel A Hero of Our Time.