This 1957 postcard features a view of residential buildings constructed in Zaporizhzhia for the workers of the local Electrode Plant. These buildings are a characteristic example of post-war Stalinist Empire style, which defined the architectural appearance of main streets in USSR cities.
What is shown on the postcard
The postcard captures an urban landscape with a wide street, featuring tram tracks, and a row of multi-story residential buildings. The architecture of the houses is in the Stalinist Empire style, characterized by monumentality, the use of pilasters, cornices, and decorative elements on the facades. The street is lined with rows of poplars. In the distance, a moving tram and a car are visible.
Historical note
The construction of residential complexes for workers and engineers of large industrial enterprises was a common practice in the USSR, particularly during the post-war period. The Zaporizhzhia Electrode Plant (now “Zaporizhvohtryv”) was one of the city’s key industrial facilities. Its development required providing housing for thousands of workers, leading to the creation of entire neighborhoods of monumental buildings. These houses, built in the 1950s, symbolized the revival and prosperity of industrial Zaporizhzhia.
Present day
Currently, these buildings continue to be used as residential homes. Many of them have retained their original architectural appearance, despite various repairs and modernizations. They constitute an important part of the historical development along Sobornyi Avenue (formerly Lenin Avenue) and bear witness to the architectural heritage of the mid-20th century in Zaporizhzhia. The area around them remains a busy urban thoroughfare.
Location (map)
Address: Sobornyi Avenue, 175-177, Zaporizhzhia, Ukraine
Coordinates: 47.834070, 35.152860
(Google Maps)
Coordinate source: Coordinates determined by the characteristic Stalinist-era architecture of residential buildings on Sobornyi Avenue, 175-177, Zaporizhzhia, identified as ‘Residential buildings of the Electrode Plant’..
Questions and answers
- What buildings are depicted on the postcard? The postcard depicts residential buildings constructed for the workers of the Zaporizhzhia Electrode Plant.
- What architectural style are the buildings in? The buildings are designed in the Stalinist Empire style, characteristic of the post-war period in the USSR.
- Why were these houses built? These houses were built to provide housing for workers and engineers of the Zaporizhzhia Electrode Plant, which was a typical practice in the USSR.
See also
The «Old Postcards» archive includes other views of Zaporizhzhia from 1957.
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