workersunit 2
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workersunit 2 *
Soviet-era architecture has seen a resurgence in popularity on social media. Brutalist aesthetics are trending, “Soviet Wave” nostalgia is spreading, and picturesque remnants of decaying USSR architecture is clickbait.
Have I been immune to the influence my generation is steeped in? The skybridge in Tibilisi marked my second striking encounter with old Soviet-era workers' housing in Georgia. We stumbled upon this architectural icon—almost by accident—while exploring north of the city.
Two instant realisations: First, the encounter felt strangely natural—almost fated—because of the sheer coincidence, which made me feel allowed be to take fetishist photographs myself. Second, I realized that what’s imagined and shared through the lens of the internet’s Soviet Wave is entirely different from the nuances present here.
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Constructed in 1976, Tbilisi’s legendary Skybridge buildings consists of three identical-looking apartment blocks built on the challenging terrain of the Nutsubidze Plateau in the northern part of the city. To this day, the skybridge functions as vital infrastructure for the entire neighbourhood—connecting the upper road via the metal bridge to the middle tower, where an elevator is providing access down to the residential area at the bottom of the hill. To activat elevator ride for this commute costs 20 tetri (the Georgian “cents”). The coin needs to be thrown in grey automate inside the cabin.
Residents have separate internal elevators, which cost 10 tetri per ride. Inside the buildings are one- to three-room apartments. Each tower is in a different state of repair. The first building—the one farthest from the hillside—is in a severe state of dilapidation: non-functional elevators, missing doors, crumbling staircases, and visible holes in the walls. It seems to have been scavenged for materials, perhaps functioning as a kind of parts depot for the other towers.
In contrast, the other two buildings are fully inhabited, with balconies that have been gradually extended over time.
