The Soviet Roadside Bus-stop
Departure from the common and boring , Next stop the wild and crazy
For the most part Soviet architecture and design is remembered for its heavy
block buildings and functionally Spartan designs. Its overpowering desire
for conformity left little room for individual creative freedom. A notable
exceptions to this is in the transportation sector. One can admire this
creativity in the Metro stations of cities like Moscow and Tashkent where
the coldness and sterility of typical soviet urban architecture is abandoned
and costs are not spared as creative freedom is unleashed. While many of
us are aware of the elaborate splendor of the Moscow underground, it is
easy to overlook the phenomenon of the common roadside bus stop as an example
of soviet art and design letting loose and becoming a little weird and crazy.
The roadside bus stop serves a simple purpose – to show where the
bus will stop and to provide some comfort and shelter for waiting passengers.
One would think that the Soviets would have come up with one universal design
for this community structure – simple, functional and cheap to mass
produce. However, in many instances this was not the case, much time, effort
and imagination went into many roadside bus stops. The sky was the limit
with different shapes and design– blocks, domes, columns, towers,
A-frames and archways, even ones shaped like birds, yurts and hats. If the
bus stop was less bold and daring with its architectural design then the
creators would often attract attention with decorating the structure with
murals or mosaics. The themes that these decorated bus stops took usually
varied depending on the region, often reflecting the local culture, history,
or industries.
Sadly, with the breakup of the Soviet Union many of the bus stops are quickly
deteriorating from their original glory. That being said some local communities
have recognized the local treasures as worthy of preserving and have maintained
and repainted them. They will appear in the most unlikely places –
sometimes in the middle of the desert, steppe or countryside, sometimes
with no homes in sight. They will make you wonder why and they will make
you smile. The following collection of images was taken during 2002 and
2006, starting with a cycling trip through the Baltic countries to St. Petersburg
and followed by several road trips around Central Asia.
Christopher Herwig Photography
www.herwigphoto.com
