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These Soviet bus stops are oddly beautiful

Chris Weller

2015-11-02T20:59:00Z

KazakhstanAralsk

Christopher Herwig didn't plan on taking 9,000 photographs of bus stops across Central Asia, but that's how the last 23 years have panned out.

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A small fraction of those photos — taken in places like Armenia, Kyrgyzstan, Belarus, and Ukraine — now make up the pages of Herwig's new book, "Soviet Bus Stops."

Each stop reimagines the simple construction of a bench encased by glass. Even in the middle of nowhere, they are functional pieces of art.

"People get this feeling that something's been discovered," Herwig says, "even if it's sitting out in plain view."

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The disputed region of Abkhazia lies adjacent to Georgia. Though many have never heard of the region, Herwig says it contains many of his favorites from the collection.

Disputed region of AbkhaziaGagrajpg

Like this one, whose architect skipped designing a roof on artistic principle, Herwig says. "It's just so monumental."

Disputed region of AbkhaziaPitsunda2

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Elsewhere in Abkhazia the designs are slightly more industrial.

Disputed region of AbkhaziaPitsunda

In Kazakhstan, a bus stop resembling a mosque was erected beside a now-dried-up lake.

KazakhstanAralsk

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Much of the small-scale architecture in the country is designed with religious imagery in mind, Herwig says.

KazakhstanShymkent

In these desolate areas, most of the structures can be dozens of miles from the nearest town or bus stop, he explains.

KazakhstanCharyn

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Often out of necessity, they are built from local materials. In Estonia, they are made of wood.

EstoniaNiitsiku

Other stops use specific color schemes to add a local flair.

EstoniaKootsi

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In contrast to Estonia, the Belarus bus stops are typically fashioned from stone.

BelarusAstrašycki Haradok

Shape also plays a big role, Herwig says ...

BelarusGali

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... as many of the Belarusian bus stops are triangular in design.

BelarusČórnaje

Other structures are given their own flair with murals and tile mosaics.

BelarusSlabodka

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"In Ukraine, if there were a lot of sunflowers around, you'd have a bus stop with sunflowers on it," Herwig says. Local history and culture also made their way into the stops.

UkraineMachuhi

In Kyrgyzstan, for example, a dove's wings served as the shelter. "That's one of the more far-stretching interpretations of a bus stop I've seen," Herwig says. "I quite like it."

Kyrgyzstan Karakol 1

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Others, like in Armenia's Saratak village, take a simpler approach.

Armenia Saratak2

Herwig came across numerous bus stops in the country, he says.

Armenia Saratak

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Including this one.

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And this one.

ArmeniaEchmidazin

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And this one, located about 70 miles away in the Armenian capital city of Yerevan.

ArmeniaYerevan

But his favorite overall is located in the Kazakhstan city of Taraz. "It kind of looks like a dog," Herwig says.

Kazakhstan Taraz

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In Lithuania sits a similar design, just on a smaller scale.

LithuaniaKaunas

No matter if it's a simple shoebox design with pastel colors or something more complex, Herwig says, the shelters are designed to delight people.

LithuaniaRokiskis

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"People seem to really appreciate it," he says. "I'm happy I can bring an underdog piece of art out to the forefront."

MoldovaFalesti2

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