Hidden treasures, quietly tucked away behind the Iron Curtain. That's the story of Soviet design—a story largely unseen in the West yet rich with the echoes of bold constructivism and the elegance of late modernism. Can design be both revolutionary and restrained? Martial yet delicate? These pieces say yes.
This book dives headfirst into seventy years of Soviet interior design, uncovering an innovative and unexpected legacy. Thanks to once-inaccessible archives, it lays out a timeline of creativity—constructivism’s sharp defiance giving way to late modernism’s sleek pragmatism. It’s more than a book; it’s an artifact. A definitive reference. A must-read, honestly, for any design enthusiast or curious historian.
And the visuals? Imagine a pop art whisper, not a shout. Lime green. Pale blue. A Pantone warm red—vivid but calm, like a neon pressed pause. The gallery wanted something airy, alive. The result is 448 pages of lightness. Not monolithic, not heavy. Just... inviting.
Typography? Empire carries the weight of history, its authority grounding the narrative. Calicanto steps in as the playful counterpart—modern and nimble, lifting the designs off the page and into the present.
It’s reflective. It’s Soviet design, finally in full view. How does one describe the sensation of flipping through it? Start with this question: What does a legacy look like when it’s finally allowed to shine?
