Communism
'Free': a memoir about coming of age in communist Albania
Academic and author Lea Ypi talks to writer Diyora Shadijanova about her vital book documenting a pivotal moment in history and coming to terms with family secrets.
Written by: Diyora Shadijanova
The radical album art of revolutionary Cuba
Latin rhythms — Gilles Peterson discusses a new book he helped co-edit about Cuban record sleeve design, which traces the country's rich cultural Latin musical legacy, as well as the political and aesthetic influence of revolutionary Communism.
Written by: Miss Rosen
The underdogs and vagabonds of Romania's underworld
Falling on blades — Photographer Mihai Barabancea captures life on the fringes of post-communist Bucharest, with unflinching images that interrogate social stereotypes.
Written by: Miss Rosen
A visual history of Chinese propaganda
From the 1920s to today — Striking posters – taken from the 1920s to the present day – chart the country’s emergence as an economic powerhouse.
Written by: Cassidy George
A portrait of womanhood in the Soviet Bloc
Agony and ecstasy — Dana Kyndrová’s portraits chronicle the highs and lows of life in former Czechoslovakia, from Communist rule to the Velvet revolution.
Written by: Cassidy George
Could fully automated luxury communism ever work?
An investigation — Do we allow technological innovation to be directed towards profit and social control? Or can we somehow re-route towards emancipation? We talk to Novara Media’s Aaron Bastani about his vision for the future.
Written by: Luke Coughlan
Is the age of monogamy finally over?
Talking about adultery — In her new documentary, filmmaker Bara Jichova Tyson probes the ever-changing relationship between infidelity, sex and marriage.
Written by: Hannah Clugston
A look at the complex personal life of Che Guevara
The man behind the myth — A new book promises to reveal the true story behind the face that launched a thousand t-shirts, drawing from journal entries and sketches to letters and poetry.
Written by: Miss Rosen
Uncovering the mysteries of North Korea, through design
Made in the DPRK — In his new book, Made In North Korea, tour guide Nicholas Bonner compiles the most comprehensive collection of the nation’s graphic ephemera to date.
Written by: Biju Belinky
The art behind Russia’s revolutionary uprisings
Painting politics — A new show at London’s Tate Modern uncovers the history of political Soviet art – from leaflets and banners to propaganda posters and periodicals.
Written by: Dominique Sisley
The mysterious quest to find the world’s lost soviet statues
Looking for Lenin — Photographer Neils Ackermann travelled across Ukraine – scouring forests, homes, and nuclear power stations – to locate all of its lost Lenins.
Written by: Cristian Angeloni
Surfin’ USSR: The troublesome evolution of skateboarding in Russia
This is our revolution — The Cold War may have initially stagnated skateboarding in Russia but, over time, it encouraged Russian skaters to develop a style and aesthetic that is totally unique from its American roots. This is a first-person account of how the contemporary generation is beginning to capture the world’s imagination.
Written by: Kirill Korobkov