Juliana Maxim s book is the first systematic architectural history of Romania under socialism. It examines the mechanisms through which modern Soviet architecture was invested with political meaning and, in reverse, how specific architectural solutions came to define city life and the socialist experience.

Each of the book s three parts spans the historical development of one key aspect of Romania s architectural culture during this period:

• the planning and construction of housing districts in Bucharest
• the creation and dissemination of a photographic...