Sotsgorod: Cities for Utopia

Sotsgorod: Cities for Utopia is a 1996 Dutch documentary film about the Western European architects who were invited by the Soviet Union to construct “socialist cities” in Siberia during the late 1920s and early 30s. The film draws on interviews of some of the last survivors of this time, including Jan Rutgers, Margarete Lihotzky, and Philipp Tolziner. The film also utilizes letters, articles, and lectures written by those who have already died, including Hans Schmidt, Mart Stam, Johannes van Loghem, and Ernst May. Additionally, the film follows the daily lives of contemporary residents of Magnitogorsk, Orsk, Novokuznetsk, and Kemerovo.