Lost architecture: 40 structures that we can only see in the photo

Throughout its history, humanity has created many outstanding architectural structures. Unfortunately, we are not destined to see a huge part of them live today. Bombings, natural disasters, vandalism and just time erased even the strongest monuments of the past from the face of the planet. From some there were only records and memories, others were more lucky — they managed to capture them in photos.

The Lost Architecture community on Reddit is dedicated to such photos. It has more than 100 thousand participants, and they regularly share pictures of interesting and spectacular historical buildings, which, for various reasons, were not destined to survive to this day. We invite you to get into the spirit of history and look at a selection of 40 masterpieces of bygone times.

Original view of the bridge over the North Elbe in Hamburg. Germany, 1887-1959

Bamiyan Buddha statues of the 6th century. Bombed by the Taliban in March 2001

The Moscow Swimming pool is one of the largest outdoor swimming pools in history. Closed in 1994, the Cathedral of Christ the Saviour was restored in its place

The Gillender Building, one of the first skyscrapers in New York. Built in 1897 and voluntarily demolished in 1910

Cincinnati Public Library 1871-1955

The medieval city of Hildesheim, Germany. It was one of the most picturesque cities in Europe. Destroyed on March 22, 1945, a month before the end of the war

2000-year-old pyramid in Sudan. It was destroyed in the 1800s by an Italian treasure hunter who, unwilling to dig out the entrance in the sand, blew up the tops of the pyramids to get inside

The old library in Detroit, Michigan. Opened in 1877 and demolished in 1931

Saltair Pavilion I, USA. Existed in 1900-1925, destroyed by fire

Historical Warsaw, 1939. No need to explain what is going to happen here soon

Hamburg's oldest house. Built in 1504, demolished in 1910

A late 3rd‑century tetrapylon in ancient Palmyra. Destroyed by ISIS in 2017

The ruins of an Indian temple and how it looked in its prime

Times Square before the numerous alterations and the dominance of billboards, 1919

Lost homes of Native American Villages in the Pacific Northwest, late 1800s

An old Dutch house in Bristol, England. Built in 1676, destroyed during the Bristol Blitz by the Luftwaffe in 1940.

The Armenian cemetery in Julfa. There were about 10 thousand elaborate tombstones called "khachkar", dating from the IX-XVII centuries. In 1998 and 2006, the Azerbaijani government destroyed them all

Huge wooden building Sibley Breaker, Pennsylvania, USA. Built in 1886 and destroyed by fire in 1906.

Petrikirche in Berlin. Built in 1853, destroyed in 1945 as a result of bombing

Color photo of Dresden before the bombing of the Second World War

The Waldorf-Astoria Hotel in New York City, demolished in 1929. The Empire State Building was built in its place

Towers of Bologna, Italy. Built in the 12th century. Over time, many of them were demolished, and the rest collapsed. Today there are only two towers left

Hotel Netherlands, New York. It was built in 1905 and destroyed in 1927.

Great Shrine of Izumo, Japan. The building, built on a platform with a height of 48 meters, existed in 900-1200 years

The Imperial Palace in Constantinople, XII century

Chittorgarh Fort Ruins, Rajasthan, India

St. Peter's Church St. Nicholas, Hamburg. Until 1877, the tallest building in the world. Destroyed by Allied bombing in the summer of 1943

Royal Opera House in Valletta, Malta. Built in 1866, destroyed during World War II

Elizabeth Bridge, built in 1903 in Budapest. Previously, it was the longest single-span bridge and a real miracle of engineering. Blown up by the Germans during the retreat

Interior of the restaurant on the ship Normandy (1935-1942). Destroyed in an accidental fire

St. Ludwig's Monastery, the Netherlands. Completely dismantled in 2015.

Hotel Russia in Moscow. Built in 1967, dismantled in 2006 due to a large-scale fire

Trocadero Palace, Paris, 1878-1936

The main entrance to the Universal exhibition. Paris, 1900

Krestovsky water towers, Moscow. Built in the late 19th century, demolished in 1939 to widen the motorway

Castelin­ho De Ipane­ma. Built in 1904 and demolished in the 60s. One of the few Moorish-style buildings in Rio de Janeiro

Hollandischer Brook warehouses in Hamburg, Germany. Previously, they were part of the largest complex of commercial and residential buildings in Europe

Kaliningrad, Russia. Apart from the main church, nothing else remains of the buildings in this photo

Kowloon Fortress City. A former military base has turned into China's most populous city. Dismantled in 1994

Coudenberg Palace in Brussels, Belgium. Built in 1100, demolished in 1774