The Cirk book by David Navarro and Martyna Sobecka of Zupagrafika examines permanent circus arenas built across the former Soviet Union between the 1960s and 1980s. The hardcover publication documents examples of socialist modernist architecture through photography and historical essays. It also includes five press-out paper models representing the Kyrgyz State Circus, Chișinău State Circus, Dnipro State Circus, Great Moscow State Circus and Tashkent State Circus for readers to assemble.
Each model is designed to recreate the geometry of the original building using perforated paper and glue. The featured structures highlight distinctive domed roofs, cylindrical forms and sculptural concrete architecture found across the former Eastern Bloc. Measuring 30 by 24 centimeters, the 88-page book also features a foreword by Jelena Prokopljević, presenting architectural documentation alongside a hands-on model-making experience.
Image Credit: David Navarro, Martyna Sobecka
What Makes This Trend Stand Out
- Hands-on Heritage Publishing
- Interactive books that combine historical essays, photography and buildable objects create new value for niche cultural archives through collectible, tactile learning formats.
- Paper Model Preservation
- Perforated architectural replicas translate endangered or overlooked buildings into accessible keepsakes, expanding preservation beyond museums into home-based assembly experiences.
- Socialist Modernist Rediscovery
- Renewed interest in former Eastern Bloc design reveals commercial potential for documenting unconventional civic architecture through premium print, design retail and educational products.
Sectors Adopting This
- Publishing
- Specialty publishers can differentiate physical books from digital media by embedding craft-based components that turn reading into an immersive archival experience.
- Architecture
- Architectural studios, historians and educators benefit from compact model formats that make complex geometries, regional styles and preservation narratives easier to study and share.
- Cultural Tourism
- Destination marketing around overlooked modernist landmarks gains fresh storytelling potential when iconic buildings are packaged as collectible design objects and historical curiosities.
