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InspirationPhotography

Photographer spends 12 years snapping Soviet Bus Stops and is accused of spying

Canadian photographer Christopher Herwig first discovered the unusual architecture of Soviet-era bus stops during a 2002 long-distance bike ride from London to St. Petersburg.

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Via Creative Boom submission. All images courtesy of the artist

Via Creative Boom submission. All images courtesy of the artist

Challenging himself to take one good photograph every hour, Herwig began to notice surprisingly designed bus stops on otherwise deserted stretches of road. Twelve years later, Herwig had covered more than 18,000 miles in 14 countries of the former Soviet Union, travelling by car, bike, bus and taxi to hunt down and document these bus stops.

The local bus stop proved to be fertile ground for local artistic experimentation in the Soviet period and was built seemingly without design restrictions or budgetary concerns. The result is an astonishing variety of styles and types across the region, from the strictest Brutalism to exuberant whimsy.

But his documentation didn't run as smoothly as he'd hoped: “Despite my efforts not to arouse suspicion I was, on several occasions, accused of being a spy and only narrowly avoided getting caught up in something rather awkward. In Abkhazia, my driver accused me of being a Georgian agent and photographing sensitive material. He demanded a bribe, otherwise, it would be ‘straight to the militia and a firing squad.'"

Soviet Bus Stops is the most comprehensive and diverse collection of Soviet bus stop design ever assembled, including examples from Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Ukraine, Moldova, Armenia, the disputed region of Abkhazia, Georgia, Lithuania, Latvia, Belarus and Estonia.

Originally published in a quickly sold-out limited edition, Soviet Bus Stops, named one of the best photo books of 2014 by Martin Parr, is now available in a highly anticipated, expanded smaller-format trade edition. Available on Amazon.

Ornate Soviet-era bus shelter with a domed cream-coloured top, turquoise-green trim and decorative red patterns, set in a flat landscape with mountains in the distance
Concrete Soviet-era bus stop with angular canopy roof and white supporting column in arid steppe landscape with hills in distance
Abandoned Soviet-era bus stop with a distinctive white curved concrete roof and dark interior, standing alone in a flat, barren landscape
Ornate Soviet-era bus shelter with geometric patterned panels and decorative doors, flanked by smaller decorated structures on a barren steppe landscape
A distinctive turquoise-topped bus shelter with a cylindrical tower stands alone on a vast, barren desert landscape beneath clear blue sky, with Cyrillic text reading "АРЫСТАН-БАБ" on its facade
A large white stone bus stop with elephant-shaped side panels stands in a flat steppe landscape, flanked by two decorative panels, one showing a man in blue clothing and the other featuring colourful geometric patterns
Weathered Soviet-era bus stop with ornate geometric patterns in red and teal on its side panels and a dark entrance, standing alone on a barren landscape
A terracotta-coloured Soviet-era bus stop with ornate geometric and floral patterns in the desert landscape, featuring three arched doorways and decorative tilework
A small Soviet-era bus shelter with colourful murals on its side panels depicting figures and florals, set against a barren landscape under clear blue sky
A weathered Soviet-era bus shelter in a green valley with forest backdrop, featuring murals of a man in work clothes, a goat, and decorative golden ornaments on its white and dark panels
Soviet-era bus stop with geometric patterns in red, blue and white, featuring hammer and sickle and star motifs on its panelled exterior, set in a flat rural landscape beneath dramatic cloudy sky
White concrete Soviet-era bus shelter with multiple arched openings set on a hillside with green fields in the background
Modernist Soviet bus stop with cream-coloured walls, dark red door and a small wooden chair visible inside, set beside a rural road
Colourful Soviet-era bus stop shelter with large yellow and red triangular frame and decorated panels featuring trees and figures, set in a vast desert landscape beneath mountains
Abandoned Soviet-era bus shelter with geometric yellow, blue and green painted panels and two open alcoves with faded interior murals
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