Thursday Salute to Originals: Industrial Remix

Soviet-era living complexes inspire a series of light fixtures.

St. Petersburg designer Nikita Anokhin draws artistic inspiration from an unlikely source—Soviet-era housing complexes.

The distinctive, block-shaped Brezhnevka buildings were and are an iconic symbol of a period in Russian history. Modeling their conformist, angular design, Anokhin creates lamps from plywood and concrete that model the uniform features of each housing unit.

Adding to the historical accuracy and intricacy of each piece, colorful LED lights illuminate each rectangular window, revealing tiny, detailed scenes of home life within. Both functional and fascinating, the series of lamps pays tribute to a form of efficient design often forgotten in contemporary and expressive architecture.

This Thursday, we’re saluting Nikita Anokhin’s miniature Brezhnevka-style lamps. You can follow more construction-inspired creations on the artist’s Instagram.

Sources: Nikita Anokhin, This is Colossal