Recreational Complexes for the Communist Elite: Eastern Europe
The booklet analyses the origin and ambiguity of recreational architecture built for the ruling class in the communist period of Eastern European states as part of the Eastern Bloc. The problematic comes from the ambiguous concept that in a system that promotes a classless society where every citizen has equal access to goods and opportunities actually has a privileged class called the ‘nomenklatura’ who lived in better conditions than the majority of the population. This manifested also in the way of recreating as sanatoriums which in communism was the preferred system to get the working society healthy and rested, were divided in examples for the masses and examples for the elite. These facilities built for the ruling class are modernist icons that were inaccessible to the public and were built in remote locations that have special natural sources such as mineral water, clean air and healing mud.
The booklet analyses the origin and ambiguity of recreational architecture built for the ruling class in the communist period of Eastern European states as part of the Eastern Bloc. The problematic comes from the ambiguous concept that in a system that promotes a classless society where every citizen has equal access to goods and opportunities actually has a privileged class called the ‘nomenklatura’ who lived in better conditions than the majority of the population. This manifested also in the way of recreating as sanatoriums which in communism was the preferred system to get the working society healthy and rested, were divided in examples for the masses and examples for the elite. These facilities built for the ruling class are modernist icons that were inaccessible to the public and were built in remote locations that have special natural sources such as mineral water, clean air and healing mud.
The booklet analyses the origin and ambiguity of recreational architecture built for the ruling class in the communist period of Eastern European states as part of the Eastern Bloc. The problematic comes from the ambiguous concept that in a system that promotes a classless society where every citizen has equal access to goods and opportunities actually has a privileged class called the ‘nomenklatura’ who lived in better conditions than the majority of the population. This manifested also in the way of recreating as sanatoriums which in communism was the preferred system to get the working society healthy and rested, were divided in examples for the masses and examples for the elite. These facilities built for the ruling class are modernist icons that were inaccessible to the public and were built in remote locations that have special natural sources such as mineral water, clean air and healing mud.