While Yugoslavia has long since dissolved, abandoned monuments remain that recall the nation’s glory in the second world war. Photographer Jan Kempenaers has traveled throughout the Balkans to photograph these wild, strange structures that have lost much of their cultural relevance. In various states of disrepair, these monuments (some buildings, other sculptures) represent an era of modern and brutalist architecture that defined this time period in the socialist East. Today, they appear alien, odd and empty, stark reminders of a struggle long since forgotten by a nation that no longer exists. A coffee table book with the full collection of Kempenaers photographs and commentary is available on Amazon for $42. [via cracktwo and theawesomer]

Abandoned Yugoslavian Monuments Gallery