Soviet Bus Shelters

I really love this photo series by Christopher Herwig.

A photographer for over 20 years his personal interest, like most photographers, is in the seemingly ordinary.

Soviet architecture is mostly remembered for its heavy block buildings and functionally design. A desire for conformity left little room for individual creative freedom but notable exception is strangely enough in the transportation sector. I'm told there is immense creativity in the metro stations of cities like Moscow and Tashkent, where the coldness and sterility of typical soviet demeanour is abandoned.

The bus stops serves a very simple purpose, and one would think that the soviets would have come up with a universal design for this community structure, something simple, utilitarian, cheap and mass produced. However, in many instances this was not the case and there is a wealth of creative out pouring on many roadsides through out the soviet union.

Herwig took this photo series over many years after his interest being fired on a cycling trip.

The range is vast with every different shape and design through blocks, domes, columns, towers, a frames and archways and even ones shaped like animals or yurts. For the lest daring structures they have been decorated elaborately with mosaic or murals depicting varied themes from industry to history to local culture.

This delights me as it demonstrates a creative beating heart under all adversity. I really like how through out this series so many influences are illustrated; Islamic, Christian, Socialist and beyond.

With the demise of the soviet union many of these bus stops are fading from their original glory i really hope that the local communities are maintaining their local treasures.