23rd Annual Smithsonian Magazine Photo Contest Travel
Soviet Aesthetic: Abandoned Stadium

This photograph was taken at an abandoned Soviet-era stadium in Yerevan, Armenia, where brutalist concrete forms are revealed through time, decay, and silence. The sweeping curves and heavy structural geometry stand as remnants of a once monumental public space—now forgotten. By framing the eroded architecture against the surrounding emptiness, the image reflects the tension between past ambition and present abandonment. The composition emphasizes purity of form over narrative, highlighting the stark aesthetics of Soviet design and the emotional resonance of architectural decay.

Photo Detail
Date Taken: 09.2024
Date Uploaded: 11.2025
Photo Location: Yerevan, Armenia
Copyright: © Nanncie Zhu