Name: East Germany: The Red Army Vanishes - Red Urbex (1/8)
Uploaded: 2019-10-01T05:00:00.000+02:00
Duration: 288 s
Description: The Russian military base at Wünsdorf near Berlin was abandoned after the Berlin Wall fell. When the Soviet soldiers returned to Russia, they left behind a ghost town of the Cold War era.

Urbex Rouge (1/8)

Urbex im Osten (1/8)

Niemcy: zniknięcie Armii Czerwonej

Berlín: La desaparición de la Armada Soviética

East Germany: The Red Army Vanishes

La scomparsa dell'Armata Rossa

The Russian military base at Wünsdorf near Berlin was abandoned after the Berlin Wall fell. When the Soviet soldiers returned to Russia, they left behind a ghost town of the Cold War era.

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<p>The Russian military base at Wünsdorf near Berlin was abandoned after the Berlin Wall fell. When the Soviet soldiers returned to Russia, they left behind a ghost town of the Cold War era.</p>

Red Urbex (1/8)

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This masterpiece of brutalist architecture was built in 1981 in the middle of the Bulgarian mountains under the leadership of Todor Jivkov. It was a near-sacred place during the era of Bulgarian communism, but now it's fallen into near-ruin. 

Red Urbex (2/8)

This abandoned flying saucer tells the story of the rise and fall of Bulgarian communism

Bulgaria: Communism's UFO

It now stands forgotten on a Croatian mountain, but this steel monument that took 7 years to build was to remember the uprising of the people against fascism in the former Yugoslavia.

Red Urbex (3/8)

This steel monument surges from the mists, forgotten on a Croatian mountain

Croatia: Tito's Last Folly

Tskaltubo, Georgia, is now a shadow of what it once was; one of the most popular Soviet spas. Stalin enjoyed coming here. But now, it's fallen into disuse and disrepair. These ruins blend classic Stalinist architecture with Georgian ethnic motifs. A haunting, melancoly trip through a piece of history that's fast disappearing. 

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Visit the opulent ruins of Stalin's favourite spa

Georgia: Stalin's Secret Sanatorium

In Tirana, the monument was erected in 1988 in honour of the Albanian dictator Enver Hoxha. Now, it's an empty mausoleum. After the fall of the regime, the statues were broken, and the building looted. 

Red Urbex (5/8)

A monument to a dictator now fallen into ruins

Albania: The Tyrant's Pyramid

Inaugurated in 1981 by the Soviet authorities, the circus of Chisinau was designed as a braided basket of concrete. It's become an iconic building in the heart of the Moldavian capital.

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Inaugurated in 1981 by the Soviet authorities, the circus of Chisinau was designed as a braided basket of concrete

Moldova: Ghosts of the Soviet Circus

This brutalist skyscraper was built in 1977 for a large Yugoslavian company, Genex. Described as "the ugliest building in the world", this incredible brutalist skyscraper is loved and hated in Belgrade in equal measure.

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Described as "the ugliest building in the world", this incredible brutalist skyscraper is loved and hated in Belgrade in equal measure

Belgrade: A Brutalist Jewel

Nicknamed the "corn cob" for its circular shape, this brutalist Moldovan tower was built in 1986 to provide temporary accommodation. It was supposed to last a hundred years but it's already decaying. People still live in this concrete rotunda which at times can feel oppressive.

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This tower was supposed to last a hundred years but it's already decaying

Moldova: The Colossal Communist Tower

Red Urbex - Ghost Buildings of the Eastern Block

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In 1974, the French erotic film Emmanuelle broke audience records: almost 350 million viewers worldwide and a twelve-year run on the Champs Elysées in Paris. After the success of the sexually explicit Last Tango in Paris, Emmanuelle appeared at a turning point in French society: The sexual emancipation following May '68 in France. 

Queen of French Erotic Cinema

In 1974, the French erotic film Emmanuelle broke audience records: almost 350 million viewers worldwide and a twelve-year run on the Champs Elysées in Paris

Emmanuelle

In Japan, the “washlet” combines Western toilets with Japanese hygiene standards. A clever combination of comfort and cleanliness, they're considered a basic essential for people in Japan, although visitors may be left baffled as to how to use them. They have dozens of functionalities.

Gacha Gacha (1/9)

Japanese toilets make the bathroom experience a high tech luxury

Toilets, Perfected

Eating ramen in Japan is a unique sensory and auditory experience. Here, the noodles are noisily slurped up. Considered rude in the West, in Japan this every day gesture is imbued with meaning.

Gacha Gacha (2/9)

In Japan, far from being rude, slurping is all about appreciating ramen's unique palette of flavours

Zuru Zuru: The Sound of Street Food

In Tokyo, sounds blair at you from all sides: the traffic lights that sound like chirping birds, the beep that signals when you enter a shop, and most of all, the delicate and detailed train station jingles. Every station has its own aural identity, crafted by a dedicated composer who has been writing train jingles for decades. 

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 Every station has its own aural identity, crafted by composer who has been writing train jingles for decades

Eki-Melody: Japan's Train Jingles

With his Stetson on his head and a cigarette in his mouth, Townes Van Zandt (1944-1997), was a singer-songwriter of incandescent, beautifully despairing country songs. He was an artist plagued by demons, often under the influence of alcohol and drugs, but he nevertheless wrote some of the masterpieces of American song, including "If I Needed You" and "To Live is to Fly", and managed to climb to the top of the charts in spite of himself with the song "Pancho and Lefty", first popularised by Emmylou Harris and then covered by Willie Nelson and Merle Haggard. His song 'Kathleen' was recently covered by Tindersticks.
 Troubled Troubadour
Through concert footage, film archives and interviews, this remarkable documentary sensitively traces Townes Van Zandt's formative experiences and existential and artistic ups and downs - from the beginning of his musical career, inspired by early Bob Dylan records and legendary blues bard Lightnin' Hopkins, to his untimely death. His managers, his children, his three wives and numerous musician friends shed light on his personality and reveal the affection they had for this troubled troubadour.

Portait of troubled Texan folk singer Townes van Zandt (1944-1997) who wrote beautiful and despairing country songs.

Townes Van Zandt: Be Here to Love Me

In Japan politeness is deeply codified depending on your place in the hierarchy. Where you stand in the lift, how you get into a taxi, and especially how you greet others, depends on your social standing. The concept of Ojigi is instilled in every Japanese child, and adults go on to hire consultants to make sure they get the nuances just right. But if it sounds deeply constraining, it is supposed to provide balance and stability.

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In Japan where you stand in the lift, how you get into a taxi, and especially how you greet others, depends on your social standing

Ojigi, The Art of Deference

Almost every public place in Tokyo is spotless, rubbed and polished clean by government workers. But there are places even their hard-working hands don't quite reach: grimy neighbourhoods full of character and down-in-the-heel charm. And in those streets, roams an elderly ramen seller making his living feeding drunks in the middle of the night.

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In grimy neighbourhoods full of character, an elderly ramen seller ekes out a living feeding drunks

The Old Ramen Seller

Daruma is doll that is supposed to grant wishes. Derived from Buddhism, Daruma is steeped in Shinto tradition. Once a year, at the Jindai-ji temple near Tokyo, a fete full of food, prayer and wishes in dedicated to him. It's a chance for believers to make their wishes for the year ahead. 

Gacha Gacha (6/9)

Once a year, at the Jindai-ji temple near Tokyo, a fete full of food, prayer and wishes in dedicated to Daruma

Daruma, A Nation's Lucky Charm

In Japan, finger pointing is a technique that standardises security checks. This practice is a choreography of gestures that keeps trains running safely and on time. Pointing the finger in Japan, far from denoting blame, focuses the mind.

Gacha Gacha (7/9)

Pointing the finger in Japan, far from denoting blame, focuses the mind

Yubisashi Kakunin: It's Polite to Point

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Bonuses and Extracts

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Behind his polite exterior lies a formidable leader with a ruthless character, ready to do anything to make China the world's leading power by the People’s Republic’s centenary in 2049. This well-documented portrait of the Chinese president gives an unprecedented insight into his politics and shows how Xi Jinping's personal journey has shaped his choices as he steers China towards world domination.

A portrait of the Chinese president giving an unprecedented insight into his politics and showing how Xi Jinping's personal journey has shaped his choices as he steers China towards world domination.

The New World of Xi Jinping

Darío Aguirre is from Ecuador, living in Germany with his wife. When the city of Hamburg unexpectedly invited him to become a German citizen, Darío revisits his rocky path to building a life for himself in Europe and wonders about who he has become. This film is about arriving and living abroad in a time when xenophobia is suddenly acceptable again in Germany, and society is struggling to find the right way to integrate new citizens.

 What it's like to live in Germany as a foreigner when xenophobia is suddenly socially acceptable again

How I Became German

As techno label Ostgut Ton turns 16, ARTE Concert is livestreaming three gigs exclusively from the Halle am Berghain. On this second night, the party continues in the old boiler room. Six DJ sets will blend a variety of rhythms and styles.

As techno label Ostgut Ton turns 16, ARTE Concert is livestreaming three gigs exclusively from the Halle am Berghain

Live From the Halle am Berghain: Day Two

In France, the bungalow evokes holidays in the sun. In the UK, they are humble everyday dwellings for grandparents. But in Germany or the United States, they take on a very different form: they are a bourgeois luxury, a single-storey villa with floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking nature. Inspired by the "bangalo", a traditional one-storey Bengal house open to the outside, this style was also a staple of colonial architecture. 

In the US and Germany, bungalows are a bourgeois luxury: a single-storey villa with floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking nature

The Beauty of Bungalows

Berlin-based label Ostgut Ton has made techno, house and experimental club music history. As the label turns 16, ARTE Concert will be streaming three gigs exclusively recorded at the Halle am Berghain. The party will begin in the large hall of the former thermal power plant with collaborative live performances, featuring the ambient and the experimental sounds the Berlin club is so renowned for.

As Berlin-based label Ostgut Ton turns 16, ARTE Concert celebrates in style

Live From the Halle am Berghain: Day One

Fasciae, hidden connective tissues, are largely unstudied parts of our anatomy. What role do they play in the organism? And could a better understanding of them help in finding a cure for back pain?

The Hidden World Under Our Skin

Fasciae, hidden connective tissues are largely unstudied. What role do they play in the human body?

Fascinating Fasciae

Star violinist Anne-Sophie Mutter and composer JohnWilliams have long been something of a dream team. The 89-year-old American has composed a new violin concerto especially for the German violin virtuoso. Together with works by Jessie Montgomery, Aaron Copland and Igor Stravinsky, this world premiere is the highlight of the Tanglewood Festival 2021. The Boston Symphony Orchestra is conducted by BSO Music Director Andris Nelsons and John Williams.

Programme
Jessie Montgomery: Starburst
John Williams: Violin concerto No. 2 (World Premiere)
John Williams: New arrangements of film themes “Across the Stars“
Aaron Copland: Quiet City
Igor Stravinsky: Suite from “The Firebird“ (1919 Edition)

Tanglewood Festival 2021

Anne-Sophie Mutter performs the world premiere of John Williams new violin concerto with the Boston Symphony Orchestra.

Anne-Sophie Mutter - John Williams

From Chur, Switzerland’s oldest city, to Tirano in Northern Italy, the Bernina Express winds its way through deep valleys and wild gorges, crossing some 196 bridges and going through 55 tunnels in its journey through the Graubünden Alps. A journey to discover one of the most spectacular railway lines in the world and an audacious feat of engineering.

A Train through the Alps

 A journey of discovery on one of the most spectacular railway lines in the world, and an audacious feat of engineering.

The Bernina Express

In Autumn 2020, Azerbaijan defeated Armenian troops in Nagorno-Karabakh after six weeks of war. Thousands of soldiers died and the exact number of civilian casualties is unknown. Armenian director Aram Shahbazyan was on the front line, interviewing residents and witnessing bombings.

ARTE Regards

We take you to the frontline of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict

Nagorno-Karabakh: The Last Days

Cesaria Evora made the music of the Cape Verde islands famous throughout the world in the early 1990s. This film is an introduction to the culture, music and zest for life of the Cape Verdean people.

The Music of Cape Verde

Looking for Cesária Évora

The Chachapoyas of Peru fascinate archaeologists and historians. Between the 8th and the 16th centuries this reputedly fierce warrior people practiced an unusual mortuary ritual.

Archaeological Investigations

The Chachapoyas of Peru fascinate archaeologists and historians with their unusual mortuary rituals.

Chachapoyas: Living with the Dead

From the Théâtre de l’Archevêché, Mozart’s opera – directed by Lotte de Beer – opens the festivities at the Aix-en-Provence opera festival. Conductor Thomas Hengelbrock leads a fine vocal ensemble that includes soprano Julie Fuchs, baritone Andrè Schuen and mezzo-soprano Lea Desandre.

Aix-en-Provence Festival 2021

Mozart’s opera – directed by Lotte de Beer – opens the festivities of the festival of lyric art in Aix-en-Provence.

Mozart: Le Nozze di Figaro

After four years of waiting London Grammar have finally released a new album. To celebrate ,the British trio are invited onto the Ground Control set and ,as usual with London Grammar, the result is beautiful.

Ground Control

After four years of waiting London Grammar have finally released a new album. To celebrate ,the British trio are invited onto the Ground Control set to perform.

London Grammar

 French swimmer Florent Manaudou, German pentathlete Marvin Dogue and French sabre fencer Cécilia Berder all trained hard for the Tokyo Olympics, but the most important part of their training they say is in the mind. Mental conditioning is a growing science designed to get the best out of sports champions at a time when they could crumble under the pressure. At the beginning of World War Two, American airforce pilots struggled to face off against the Japanese fleet. Cue Bud Winter: in peace time, a sports coach, and in war, a mental conditioner who taught the pilots how to keep their head in the game even in life-or-death situations. Gradually, the idea that sportsmen and women were as much mind as they were muscle took hold. 

 For Olympic French swimmer Florent Manaudou, his greatest challenge is mental, not physical

Red Urbex - Ghost Buildings of the Eastern Block

East Germany: The Red Army Vanishes

Bulgaria: Communism's UFO

Croatia: Tito's Last Folly

Georgia: Stalin's Secret Sanatorium

Albania: The Tyrant's Pyramid

Moldova: Ghosts of the Soviet Circus

Belgrade: A Brutalist Jewel

Moldova: The Colossal Communist Tower

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