Explorabilia

26/08/2023

A secret peep hole at the former NKVD (later KGB) prison cells in Tallinn
Thousands of Estonian political prisoners were incarcerated at the basement of the historic building at Pagari Street from 1940 to 1991. Arrested on phoney charges and held indefinitely to be interrogated and tortured, many of those who survived were then sent onward to longer sentences at Tallinn's infamous Patarei prison or gulags in Siberia
The pinhole eyelet was used for the secret observation of those imprisoned in the cells.

24/08/2023

Sweat and Sausages / The Veterans' Sauna at Lauttasaari
Helsinki, Finland (80°c / by invitation only)
This waterfront area on the island of Lauttasaari inside the Helsinki metropolitan area was created to thank Finland's WW2 veterans for their service. After the war, summer cabins were built in the woods, as well as a communal sauna, a short walk from this small beach and its crystal clear waters
The former comrades-in-arms, each carrying their own combat marks, visible or invisible, gathered in Lauttasaari during summertime to spend a precious few days of holiday : a proud company of missing limbs, skin burns, and grotesque wounds. After sauna, they would shuffle through crowds of sunbathers and day-tourists, making the distance towards the beach so they could cool themselves down in the chilly waters of the Baltic. They'd then shuffle back for another round of sauna, and so on - until the sun dipped. Sometimes those evenings grew longer, as memories carried them away. They roasted sausages and drank. In the morning, the children of Lauttasaari would gather any prosthetic limbs left lying around, and returned these to their owners.
As a sign of respect for the decency of the veterans, Finland's then President Mauno Koivisto ordered the old sauna demolished, and a new one built, right next to this secluded beach, enabling the old soldiers to reminisce in peace, and enjoy their ancient cleansing ritual in relative comfort

23/08/2023

A rusty observation cupola is all that can be seen from what must be former anti-tank bunker III near Joutsijärvi in Lapland. The rest of the bunker is half-buried in rubble and mangled by trees and vegetation. Nature is reclaiming the land near the river bank it once defended - let alone the fact that the bunker is now inside someone's backyard !
Just east of this position, one of the hardest fought battles of the 1939 Winter War took place. The Battle of Salla was fought in the freezing temperatures of the Arctic, and saw the Finnish defenders emerge victorious, stopping the Red Army in its tracks, then pushing them back towards the border inflicting 4 times the casualties they suffered.
My Expedition to Finland is a 10 day journey of discovery and adventure for hardy and curious individuals. For info and bookings contact me - [email protected] or follow link in comments below

22/08/2023

This Sauna bunker is a unique type of WW2 fortification that can be found among the Salpa Line structures built along the eastern border of Finland.
Built with reinforced concrete alongside a sand bank, the sauna bunker provided space for an entire Finnish infantry platoon, who were able to enjoy their traditional cleansing ritual in relative protection from bombs, mortar shells, and small arms fire.
The remains of a sauna stove can still be seen Inside the bunker. There would have been two rows of wooden benches around the stove, while the window could be used to release hot air and humidity from the sauna as necessary.
My Expedition to Finland adventure is available to book. Please contact me at [email protected] , or check link in comments below for more info

21/08/2023

This beautiful vista of a waterlogged marsh near Kuusamo in the Finnish Lapland is hiding a wartime secret.
This is one of the killzones at the Lahtela-Vanttaja section of the Salpa Line, a system of fortification spanning 1200km across the eastern border of Finland - from the Baltic Sea to Lapland. Built using local labour between 1941 and 1944, it was used to defend against Red Army incursions into Finland. This particular section is blocking the road to Kuusamo between two lakes, and used a system of bunkers, trenches, barbed wire and tank traps alongside the marshy terrain of the region to create an extremely defensible position.
Join my Expedition to Finland ! For queries and bookings, please contact [email protected] or follow the link in comments

20/08/2023

A Finnish Army platoon rests behind the Marshall Mannerheim Memorial Stone near Skogby, Finland
My 2023 Expedition to Finland is underway. For more info and bookings, contact [email protected] or follow link in comments

26/04/2023

Here's a short video I captured last year at the Slobodište Memorial Park - a striking and thought-provoking architectural monument located near Kruševac, Serbia. The park was designed by Bogdan Bogdanović, a Serbian architect and artist, who was known for his unique and experimental approach to urban design.

The park was built to commemorate the victims of the massacres that occurred in the area during World War II. An approximate 1650 partisans and civilians were executed and buried in the area by the N***s during the occupation of Yugoslavia. The park consists of a series of stone sculptures and installations, which are arranged in a specific order and intended to be viewed in a particular sequence. Bogdanović famously invited local children to roam the landscape of the memorial spaces he created, directing them to stop here and there, marking their locations with the sticks they carried. He then placed memorial objects at those locations, thus creating a carefully choreographed link involving the memory and human geography of the locality. The park's design is highly symbolic, with each sculpture representing a different aspect of the events that unfolded and its impact on the community in an abstract way, that's simultaneously heavenly and celestial in appearance. The park serves as a space for remembrance, reflection, and education, as visitors can learn about the history of the war and its impact on the local community.

The Slobodište Memorial Park is a powerful example of how architecture and art can be used to create meaningful and lasting memorials. The park's design is highly innovative, with its use of abstract stone shapes, creating a powerful sense of atmosphere and emotion. The memorial soundscape plays a pivotal role in memorializing the experience of being there : the landscaped areas an object placement create subtle audio sequences - the sounds of flora and fauna, the gentle wind sweeping the park, the sounds of visitors, and even the sound of silence where needed - cleverly created by the use of sound dampening trenches and objects. This video is created by myself utilizing a natural path through the space created by Bogdanović, and although the subtle nuances of his creation are hard to capture by technology meant to simply emulate our own human sensorium, it offers a sample of the audio-visual properties of the powerful memorial space he created with his mastery of its constituent elements, be it natural or man-made.

The park is a testament to Bogdanović's visionary approach to architecture and his deep commitment to creating public spaces that engage and inspire. The park's impact is not only limited to the local community, but it also serves as a reminder to the world about the importance of remembering the past and learning from it. The Slobodište Memorial Park by Bogdan Bogdanović is a poignant and inspiring work of art that will continue to be an important symbol of remembrance for generations to come.

The Slobodiste Memorial Park is a striking and thought-provoking architectural monument located near Krusevac , Serbia. The park was designed by Bogdan Bogda...

10/09/2022

The spectacular Dawson's Heights Estate, built atop a hill made of rubble from the Victorian Crystal Palace Railway in nearby Sydenham.
Built by Kate Macintosh in 1972, it is an estate which departed from the typical point & slab block designs of the LCC in a magnificent way. The warmth of brick and staggered design of the blocks, allowing amazing views of London from the hillside position, make Dawson's Heights a truly unique living space.
My visit was organised by the Open House Festival London. If you're around London this weekend don't miss out on visiting some of London's finest post-war architecture !!

01/08/2022

Hotel Forum
Krakow, Poland
Arc : Janusz Ingarden (1989)

The Forum is the most recognisable Socialist Modernist / Brutalist landmark of Krakow. Built between 1978 and 1989 by the city's master architect, Janusz Ingarden, it was the most modern hotel in the city, and became part of the IHG and Accor chains after Poland re-opened to the West.
It's stunning riverside location has been partly responsible for its demise. The Forum's basements fill with water every time the Vistula experiences a flash flood, causing concern about the structural integrity of the concrete behemoth. Furthermore, the ceiling of its rooms is lower than the current legal standards for a hotel in Poland.
These issues make its operation as a hotel impossible, and so recently it has been used as a huge billboard, displaying adverts from major brands to the city centre across the river. It's public areas, however, have been converted to a series of lively bars and street food canteens, with ample outdoor seats and indoor shopping and entertainment areas.
We visit the mighty, extremely photogenic Forum during my Poland Is Not Yet Lost trip

https://explorabilia.co.uk/tours/poland-is-not-yet-lost/

Two departures coming up this September. For info and bookings, visit the link, pm or email [email protected]

25/07/2022

Monument to the Polish Soldier (1978)
Katowice, Poland
Art : B.Chromy Arc : J. Pilitowski.
The Paderewskiego Estate
Arc : J. Jarecki, S. Kwasniewicz, R.Cwiklinski (1974)
The monumental Paderewskiego Estate is one of Katowice's Big Three. The architects drew on Le Corbusier's urban planning ideas to create housing for 20.000 residents to meet the needs of Katowice's post-war urban boom.
We will wander around the estate and it's monuments, experiencing Katowice's 20c urban history, art and architecture first hand during my Poland Is Not Yet Lost tour. Two departures coming up in September 2022. For more info and bookings follow this link :

https://explorabilia.co.uk/tours/poland-is-not-yet-lost/

21/07/2022

A path strewn with tombstones at Krakow's Liban quarry. The writing in Hebrew brings back terrible memories from the events that took place at the nearby Ghetto and at Plaszow concentration camp, both places of martyrdom for the local Jewish population during WW2.
The tombstones are not real - they are part of what used to be the set of the multi-Oscar award winning film Schindler's List. The story, however, is real : the N**i occupiers had paved the entrance to Plaszow camp with tombstones from Krakow's old Jewish cemetery to terrorise the inmates. The walls of the Krakow Ghetto are also shaped as tombstones, another ominous sign of the fate that was reserved for the city's substantial Jewish community.
What remains of the Plaszow camp and the site of Schindler's List set is another poignant location from my Poland Is Not Yet Lost tour, available to book on my site :

https://explorabilia.co.uk/tours/poland-is-not-yet-lost/