{"id":2006753,"date":"2026-06-23T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2026-06-22T21:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=2006753"},"modified":"2026-06-23T00:00:00","modified_gmt":"2026-06-22T21:00:00","slug":"construct-your-own-miniature-paper-brutalist-circuses-with-cirk","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=2006753","title":{"rendered":"Construct Your Own Miniature Paper Brutalist Circuses with \u2018Cirk\u2019"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"entry-content prose-colossal max-w-none\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-group alignfull is-style-default entry-header is-vertical is-layout-flex wp-container-core-group-is-layout-fe9cc265 wp-block-group-is-layout-flex\">\n<figure class=\"colo-post-featured-image wp-block-post-featured-image\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1795\" height=\"1383\" src=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/cirk-4.jpg\" class=\"attachment-post-thumbnail size-post-thumbnail wp-post-image\" alt=\"a hand touches the top of a paper model of a brutalist building\" style=\"object-fit:cover\"><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">All images courtesy of Zupagrafika, shared with permission<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<div class=\"wp-block-group post-title is-vertical is-layout-flex wp-container-core-group-is-layout-0bc941e6 wp-block-group-is-layout-flex\">\n<h1 class=\"alignfull wp-block-post-title\">Construct Your Own Miniature Paper Brutalist Circuses with \u2018Cirk\u2019<\/h1>\n<div class=\"wp-block-group alignfull post-meta is-layout-flex wp-block-group-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-post-date\"><time datetime=\"2026-06-23T09:33:07-05:00\">June 23, 2026<\/time><\/div>\n<div class=\"taxonomy-category wp-block-post-terms\"><a class=\"category-books\" href=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/category\/books\/\" rel=\"tag\">Books<\/a><a class=\"category-design\" href=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/category\/design\/\" rel=\"tag\">Design<\/a><a class=\"category-history\" href=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/category\/history\/\" rel=\"tag\">History<\/a><a class=\"category-photography\" href=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/category\/photography\/\" rel=\"tag\">Photography<\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"wp-block-post-author-name\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/author\/kmothes\/\" target=\"_self\" class=\"wp-block-post-author-name__link\">Kate Mothes<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"wp-block-group alignfull post-share-group is-layout-flow wp-block-group-is-layout-flow\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-group is-nowrap is-layout-flex wp-container-core-group-is-layout-6c531013 wp-block-group-is-layout-flex\">\n<ul class=\"wp-block-outermost-social-sharing has-visible-labels has-icon-color is-style-logos-only is-layout-flex wp-block-outermost-social-sharing-is-layout-flex\">\n<li style=\"color: #1c1e0d\" class=\"outermost-social-sharing-link outermost-social-sharing-link-facebook has-crow-color wp-block-outermost-social-sharing-link\">\n\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.thisiscolossal.com%2F2026%2F06%2Fcirk-book-miniature-paper-circus-arenas-architecture%2F&amp;title=Construct%20Your%20Own%20Miniature%20Paper%20Brutalist%20Circuses%20with%20%26%238216%3BCirk%27\" aria-label=\"Share\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"wp-block-outermost-social-sharing-link-anchor\"><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t<span class=\"wp-block-outermost-social-sharing-link-label \"><br \/>\n\t\t\tShare\t\t<\/span><br \/>\n\t<\/a>\n<\/li>\n<li style=\"color: #1c1e0d\" class=\"outermost-social-sharing-link outermost-social-sharing-link-mail has-crow-color wp-block-outermost-social-sharing-link\">\n\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/cdn-cgi\/l\/email-protection#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\" aria-label=\"Email\" class=\"wp-block-outermost-social-sharing-link-anchor\"><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t<span class=\"wp-block-outermost-social-sharing-link-label \"><br \/>\n\t\t\tEmail\t\t<\/span><br \/>\n\t<\/a>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><button class=\"simplefavorite-button preset\" data-postid=\"475249\" data-siteid=\"1\" data-groupid=\"1\" data-favoritecount=\"0\"><i class=\"sf-icon-bookmark\"><\/i>Bookmark<\/button>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>When we think of traveling circuses, the \u201cbig top\u201d tent likely springs to mind with its acrobats, clowns, tightrope walkers, and other entertainers and pageantry. Sometimes the traditions are controversial, such as the use of elephants and lions for performances. But visions of bedazzled animals or the swinging trapeze are nevertheless etched in our collective memory.<\/p>\n<p>In the former U.S.S.R., the tradition took on a whole new meaning. Circuses had been <a href=\"https:\/\/www.comradegallery.com\/journal\/polish-cyrk-posters-that-take-us-inside-the-circus\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">nationalized<\/a> in 1919, a few years before the Soviet Union was formed. Along with theater, opera, and music, the genre was also co-opted by the socialist government as a propaganda machine, turning family-friendly entertainment into a channel for Communist Party ideological messages. And with its enormous popularity, venues were in demand.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/cirk-7.jpg\" class=\"swipebox\" data-rel=\"lightbox-gallery-475249\" title=\"Great Moscow State Circus\" data-rl_title=\"Great Moscow State Circus\" data-rl_caption=\"Great Moscow State Circus\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1600\" height=\"1138\" src=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/cirk-7.jpg\" alt=\"a spread from the book &apos;Cirk&apos; depicting a round modernist building\" class=\"wp-image-475256\"><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Great Moscow State Circus<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Between the 1950s and 1980s, the U.S.S.R. commissioned dozens of arenas across the nation, conceived as year-round event venues. Their strikingly geometric, brutalist designs are eye-catching and modern, reflecting the government\u2019s fixation on expressing its power and technological progress. In the 1960s, the <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Space_Race\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Space Race<\/a> exemplified the Soviet Union\u2019s critical role on the world stage. Arena architecture was yet another way to demonstrate the nation\u2019s might, even occasionally resembling flying saucers.<\/p>\n<p><em>Cirk<\/em>, a new book from David Navarro and Martyna Sobecka of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/tags\/zupagrafika\">Zupagrafika<\/a>, highlights the wide range of permanent circuses still standing around Eastern Europe, Central Asia, and further afield. \u201cThese arenas combined socialist modernism, experimental engineering, and choreographed spectacle,\u201d the publisher says, adding: \u201cTogether, they reveal a lesser-known chapter of postwar modernist architecture shaped by ideology and mass entertainment.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>One of <em>Cirk<\/em>\u2018s more playful features is a series of pop-out paper models of actual buildings including state circus buildings in Bishkek, Chi\u0219in\u0103u, Dnipro, Moscow, and Tashkent. Find your copy on Zupagrafika\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.zupagrafika.com\/shop\/cirk\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">website<\/a>.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/cirk-1.jpg\" class=\"swipebox\" data-rel=\"lightbox-gallery-475249\" title=\"Kyrgyz State Circus, Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan\" data-rl_title=\"Kyrgyz State Circus, Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan\" data-rl_caption=\"Kyrgyz State Circus, Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1900\" height=\"1352\" src=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/cirk-1.jpg\" alt=\"a modern, round arena building surrounded by greenery\" class=\"wp-image-475250\"><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Kyrgyz State Circus, Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/cirk-6.jpg\" class=\"swipebox\" data-rel=\"lightbox-gallery-475249\" title=\"Press-out models\" data-rl_title=\"Press-out models\" data-rl_caption=\"Press-out models\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1423\" src=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/cirk-6.jpg\" alt=\"paper models of round brutalist buildings\" class=\"wp-image-475255\"><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Press-out models<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/cirk-8.jpg\" class=\"swipebox\" data-rel=\"lightbox-gallery-475249\" title=\"Dnipro State Circus, Ukraine. Photo by Artem Baidala\" data-rl_title=\"Dnipro State Circus, Ukraine. Photo by Artem Baidala\" data-rl_caption=\"Dnipro State Circus, Ukraine. Photo by Artem Baidala\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1900\" height=\"1352\" src=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/cirk-8.jpg\" alt=\"a brutalist arena in the winter\" class=\"wp-image-475257\"><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Dnipro State Circus, Ukraine. Photo by Artem Baidala<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/cirk-5.jpg\" class=\"swipebox\" data-rel=\"lightbox-gallery-475249\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1423\" src=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/cirk-5.jpg\" alt=\"two hands manipulate a folded paper element that&apos;s part of a small building model\" class=\"wp-image-475254\"><\/a><\/figure>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/cirk-2.jpg\" class=\"swipebox\" data-rel=\"lightbox-gallery-475249\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1383\" height=\"1126\" src=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/cirk-2.jpg\" alt=\"the cover of the book &apos;Cirk&apos; featuring a photo of a round brutalist arena building\" class=\"wp-image-475251\"><\/a><\/figure>\n<aside class=\"after-entry\" role=\"complementary\" aria-label=\"After Entry\">\n<section id=\"block-16\" class=\"widget widget_block widget_text\">\n<p><mark style=\"background-color:#88caf0\" class=\"has-inline-color\"><strong>Do stories and artists like this matter to you?<\/strong><\/mark> Become a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/members\/\" data-type=\"page\" data-id=\"118516\">Colossal Member<\/a> now, and support independent arts publishing.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<section id=\"block-17\" class=\"widget widget_block\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns are-vertically-aligned-top is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-28f84493 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-vertically-aligned-top member-benefits is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\" style=\"flex-basis:50%\">\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Hide advertising<\/li>\n<li>Save your favorite articles<\/li>\n<li>Get 15% off in the <a href=\"https:\/\/colossal.shop\/\">Colossal Shop<\/a><\/li>\n<li>Receive members-only newsletter<\/li>\n<li>Give 1% for art supplies in K-12 classrooms<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-vertically-aligned-top member-options is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\" style=\"flex-basis:50%\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-group is-vertical is-layout-flex wp-container-core-group-is-layout-fe9cc265 wp-block-group-is-layout-flex\">\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Join us today!<\/h3>\n<div class=\"wp-block-buttons is-horizontal is-layout-flex wp-block-buttons-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-button\"><a class=\"wp-block-button__link has-crow-color has-verdigris-background-color has-text-color has-background has-link-color wp-element-button\" href=\"https:\/\/colossal.memberful.com\/checkout?plan=113464\">$7\/month<\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"wp-block-button\"><a class=\"wp-block-button__link has-crow-color has-verdigris-background-color has-text-color has-background has-link-color wp-element-button\" href=\"https:\/\/colossal.memberful.com\/checkout?plan=113463\">$75\/year<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"wp-block-buttons is-layout-flex wp-block-buttons-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-button\"><a class=\"wp-block-button__link has-crow-color has-chalk-background-color has-text-color has-background has-link-color wp-element-button\" href=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/members\/\">Explore membership options<img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"20\" height=\"21\" class=\"wp-image-327872\" style=\"width: 20px\" src=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/arrow-left.svg\" alt><\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n<\/aside>\n<nav class=\"navigation post-navigation\" role=\"navigation\">\n<div class=\"nav-links\">\n<div class=\"nav-next\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/2026\/06\/lenka-clayton-art-21-film\/\" rel=\"next\">Previous article<\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"nav-previous\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/2026\/06\/ceramica-suro-alex-proba-guadalajara-mural\/\" rel=\"prev\">Next article<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/nav><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>All images courtesy of Zupagrafika, shared with permission Construct Your Own Miniature Paper Brutalist Circuses with \u2018Cirk\u2019 June 23, 2026 BooksDesignHistoryPhotography Kate Mothes Share Email Bookmark When we think of traveling circuses, the \u201cbig top\u201d tent likely springs to mind with its acrobats, clowns, tightrope walkers, and other entertainers and pageantry. Sometimes the traditions are [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[226,270],"class_list":["post-2006753","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-crawlmanager","tag-thisiscolossal-com"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2006753","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=2006753"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2006753\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=2006753"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=2006753"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=2006753"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}