The ghosts of the Soviet past

• The ghosts of the Soviet past

The path to the ideal society, communist ideology had seen in the progress and industrialization. Emphasize these aspirations - and show the strength of the regime - to help large-scale architectural forms. 23 years after the collapse of communism, many of the impressive structures naturally fall into decay. British photographer Rebecca Litchfield has traveled 13 countries in search of decaying monuments of the past.

The ghosts of the Soviet past The ghosts of the Soviet past

Military unit near the town of Skrunda in western Latvia.

The ghosts of the Soviet past

The Soviet monument in Bulgaria. Set September 9, 1974 in honor of the 30th anniversary of the socialist revolution in Bulgaria. Inside the monument once burned an eternal flame.

The ghosts of the Soviet past

The house-museum of the Bulgarian Communist Party on the top of Mount Buzludzha Bulgaria.

The ghosts of the Soviet past

A Soviet submarine U-475 "Black Widow", is moored near the city of Rochester, United Kingdom. From 1957 to 1983 about 75 such boats were built.

The ghosts of the Soviet past

Closed settlement Irbene / 8-Ventspils, Latvia.

The ghosts of the Soviet past

Hospital Beelitz-Haylshtetten near Berlin, Germany. The hospital consists of nearly 60 buildings, they began to build in the late XIX century. After the Second World War, the hospital was in the Soviet zone of occupation.

The ghosts of the Soviet past

The school pilots in East Germany. This military base was built back in 1870. Abandoned since 1994.

The ghosts of the Soviet past

Tallinn Prison Patarei (Patarei Tallinn Prison). Built in 1840, it was used until 2004.

The ghosts of the Soviet past

Tallinn Prison Patara Estonia.

The ghosts of the Soviet past

Wünsdorf, Germany.

The ghosts of the Soviet past

The locomotive MÁV Class 424, Hungary. Year: 1941. Operated until 1960s.

The ghosts of the Soviet past

Skrunda, Latvia.

The ghosts of the Soviet past

Abandoned summer camp, Russia.

The ghosts of the Soviet past

Cinema, Russia.

The ghosts of the Soviet past

Soviet antiaircraft missile base in Devinska Kobyla, Slovakia. Built in 1980, it ceased to function in 1990. It is still closed to the public.

The ghosts of the Soviet past

Pripyat, Ukraine.

The ghosts of the Soviet past

Military camp Krampnits (Krampnitz) Western Group of Soviet Forces in Germany, is a suburb of the city of Potsdam.

The ghosts of the Soviet past

Sanatorium in Russia.

The ghosts of the Soviet past

Gym in Estonia.

The ghosts of the Soviet past

Gymnasium, Russia.

The ghosts of the Soviet past

Rebecca Litchfield photographs house-monument on the top of Mount Buzludzha Bulgaria.

The ghosts of the Soviet past

Rebecca Litchfield.