5 ms·

Bus stops of former Soviet republics

79 points by Thevet 11y ago

kozak 11y ago
Neither Abkhazia nor Kazakhstan nor Estonia nor Kyrgyzstan is Russia.
- harryjo 11y ago
  Only the headline says "Russia". The story does not. Headlines are awful; I wish HN would rewrite them more accurately and less clickbaity. (See also: the "Why" clickbait)
  - vacri 11y ago
    HN uses the article title for the most part. And the article itself is very clearly talking about the Soviet era, where "Russia" meant both the specific country Russia and the USSR as a whole. Just as how in the 19th century, "England" meant the specific country England and also Great Britain/British Empire. Neither the photos nor the copy suggest the topic is modern Russia.
    - dang 11y ago
      > HN uses the article title for the most part Yes, but with explicit exceptions for misleading titles and linkbait (see https://news.ycombinator.com/newsguidelines.html https://news.ycombinator.com/newsguidelines.html), both of which were the case here. So harryjo was right and we've changed the title. If anyone wants to suggest a better one, we can change it again.
  - dang 11y ago
    Yes. I'd love for you to realize how much we already do remove inaccuracies and linkbait from titles on HN. Users help greatly by pointing out inaccuracies and linkbait when they see it. If a title is particularly bothersome, you can usually get a quicker fix by emailing hn@ycombinator.com, since there are too many HN comments for us to read them all. Even better is to suggest what a good title would be, especially if it's a phrase from the article itself—that is much better than making up a new title oneself, though we did do that above.
- PMan74 11y ago
  For now
- zura 11y ago
  Also, unlike those three countries, Abkhazia is a region of Georgia currently occupied by Russia.
amelius 11y ago
I know why: because they have no advertisements on them :)
Mz 11y ago
It seems the “bus pavilions”, as they were respectably known, provided a much needed outlet for creative energy, which was otherwise stifled.
theoh 11y ago
Similar idea to a well-known project in Armenia by Ursula Shulz-Dornburg: http://www.schulz-dornburg.info/english/Werke/Armenien-Bushaltestellen/ http://www.schulz-dornburg.info/english/Werke/Armenien-Busha...
x0x0 11y ago
In Moscow, the subway stations are gorgeous. Most of them are unique pieces of architecture and art, clean, and well maintained. There are coffee table books of high resolution pictures that are worth seeing; here is an online sample of a handful of stations [1]. Contrast this to nyc, where the subway is both filthy and looks like a place that, if I didn't know it was a subway station, I would not be willing to enter unless in a large group. If you're there, it's well worth spending an afternoon visiting the stations. [1] http://www.amusingplanet.com/2013/05/art-and-decor-of-moscow-metro-stations.html http://www.amusingplanet.com/2013/05/art-and-decor-of-moscow...
- jes 11y ago
  I agree that the subway stations are gorgeous. I think it's also worth reflecting on the means by which public works were built in the former Soviet Union. [1] [1] http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3110866/This-theatre-built-blood-bones-prisoners-Haunting-message-painted-metal-sheet-ceiling-Soviet-era-building-hopes-finds-lives-world-no-slavery.html http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3110866/This-theatre...
  - eps 11y ago
    Pray tell which Moscow subway stations where built by Gulag prisoners.
    - jes 11y ago
      "With the new emphasis on Gulag as the means of concentrating cheap labor, new camps were then constructed throughout the Soviet sphere of influence, wherever the economic task at hand dictated their existence (or was designed specifically to avail itself of them, such as the White Sea-Baltic Canal or the Baikal Amur Mainline), including facilities in big cities — parts of the famous Moscow Metro and the Moscow State University new campus were built by forced labor. Many more projects during the rapid industrialization of the 1930s, war-time and post-war periods were fulfilled on the backs of convicts. The activity of Gulag camps spanned a wide cross-section of Soviet industry." [1] [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gulag https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gulag
pavel_lishin 11y ago
> The project began in 2002, when Herwig decided to cycle from London to Stockholm, to live with his girlfriend. “Taking a bike on Ryanair,” he explains, “would have cost four times the price of a seat.” As he set off, he gave himself a challenge: to photograph something interesting every hour of the way. A particular roadside feature began to catch his eye, and so began an obsessive quest. “It wasn’t until I got into the Baltic countries,” he says, “that they jumped out at me. Within the first 50km of Lithuania, I noticed these peculiar bus stops everywhere.” He took a hell of a detour to get there.
- tinco 11y ago
  Perhaps the ferry from Tallin was cheaper than staying in a hotel in Copenhagen.
bcheung 11y ago
You should see the metros. Gorgeous!
contingencies 11y ago
On the same theme, check out the exhibition[1] of Magnum photographer Harry Gruyaert that is about to open in London. It includes quite a few bus stop images and indeed leads with one. I saw it in Paris a few months ago, where it featured at both the Magnum agency's own gallery[2] and the Maison Européenne de la Photographie.[3] [1] http://www.magnumphotos.com/C.aspx?VP3=SearchResult&ALID=24PV7CD2QD2&mc_cid=c0070fec02&mc_eid=e0768ff1c5 http://www.magnumphotos.com/C.aspx?VP3=SearchResult&ALID=24P... [2] http://www.parisphoto.com/paris/exhibitors/magnum-gallery http://www.parisphoto.com/paris/exhibitors/magnum-gallery [3] http://www.mep-fr.org/english/ http://www.mep-fr.org/english/
hellbanner 11y ago
Lot of Russia stories on the front page lately
ant6n 11y ago
It's odd how these stops seem to be in the middle of nowhere; who are they serving? One also notes that while some of them are pretty to look at, most of them would actually be very uncomfortable to set in; pretty but useless. It's ironic, in a way, how they say that the design of these was done with more autonomy from the central planners; but then these stops are planned like from far away by somebody who'd never wait at any of these stops.
- dzhiurgis 11y ago
  They were built when personal transportation wasn't an option, so I assume they were used (although not by that many people).
  - userulluipeste 11y ago
    Actually, the bus stations were (and still are) used by a lot of people! Car owning in USSR was nowhere near the levels of western countries and the majority of people relied on public transportation. The article has a reference to Jonathan Meades' photobook in which there is a photo of the bus station in one of the Republic of Moldova villages called Șipoteni¹. They "seem to be in the middle of nowhere" indeed, because the main roads/routes don't always come into the middle of the villages but at the right time these stations are full of people that may wait up to a half an hour there. It was just natural for the authorities to try to exceed themselves in the eyes of the villagers as there aren't many opportunities for them to do so! (Villagers didn't use to need much from the system.) ¹ http://fuel-design.com/media/uploads/thumbs/uploads/homepage/138-139_jpg_940x376_q95.jpg http://fuel-design.com/media/uploads/thumbs/uploads/homepage...
ommunist 11y ago
Well, some British bus stops may be not that beautiful, but are well furnished and equipped with TVs http://www.shetnews.co.uk/news/6564-bus-shelter-joins-online-greats http://www.shetnews.co.uk/news/6564-bus-shelter-joins-online...
sytelus 11y ago
Russian metro train stations are also extremely gorgeous. They are all done differently with intricate designs, sometimes making passengers feel as if they are passing through a palace. There was no advertisements anywhere. But then when you look at all the communist symbols, slogans and architecture heavily embedded in design, you realize that the whole thing itself is a massive advertisement for the political system. Not surprisingly it was all sponsored by Stalin because he wanted to make them as people's place. Anyhow, those stations sets the example of how beautiful these transportation spaces could be. Any tourists to Moscow are definitely recommended to visit its best train stations (Eyewitness guide has a list).
anthonybsd 11y ago
>why Russia has the world's most beautiful bus stops Only a single photograph in the article was shot in Russia, Siberia one in extended gallery. Let's see: Abkhazia (Georgia), Kazakhstan, Estonia, Armenia, Belarus, Lithuania, Kyrgyzstan. This kind of pisses me off.
- lisivka 11y ago
  One of most impressive bus stop in Crimea[0] was destroyed almost immediately after occupation of Crimea[1], so it may explain why it is so few good bus stops in Russia. 0: http://siver.com.ua/_nw/143/26589030.jpg http://siver.com.ua/_nw/143/26589030.jpg 1: http://siver.com.ua/_nw/143/87966600.jpg http://siver.com.ua/_nw/143/87966600.jpg 2: http://espreso.tv/uploads/data/news/2014/03_2/2014-03-31-16-40-54-10972.jpg http://espreso.tv/uploads/data/news/2014/03_2/2014-03-31-16-... 3: http://espreso.tv/uploads/data/news/2014/03_2/2014-03-31-16-40-53-32842.jpg http://espreso.tv/uploads/data/news/2014/03_2/2014-03-31-16-...
- Grue3 11y ago
  Yeah, not many of these bus stops survive in Russia. The ones that remain are made of super-thick blocks of concrete and are, therefore, practically indestructible. They don't look very nice though. A well-known designer, Artemiy Lebedev recently designed bus stops for my home town. A mere year after they were installed, all of them were vandalized beyond recognition.

79 points by Thevet 11y ago

kozak 11y ago

Neither Abkhazia nor Kazakhstan nor Estonia nor Kyrgyzstan is Russia.

harryjo 11y ago
Only the headline says "Russia". The story does not. Headlines are awful; I wish HN would rewrite them more accurately and less clickbaity. (See also: the "Why" clickbait)
- vacri 11y ago
  HN uses the article title for the most part. And the article itself is very clearly talking about the Soviet era, where "Russia" meant both the specific country Russia and the USSR as a whole. Just as how in the 19th century, "England" meant the specific country England and also Great Britain/British Empire. Neither the photos nor the copy suggest the topic is modern Russia.
  - dang 11y ago
    > HN uses the article title for the most part Yes, but with explicit exceptions for misleading titles and linkbait (see https://news.ycombinator.com/newsguidelines.html https://news.ycombinator.com/newsguidelines.html), both of which were the case here. So harryjo was right and we've changed the title. If anyone wants to suggest a better one, we can change it again.
- dang 11y ago
  Yes. I'd love for you to realize how much we already do remove inaccuracies and linkbait from titles on HN. Users help greatly by pointing out inaccuracies and linkbait when they see it. If a title is particularly bothersome, you can usually get a quicker fix by emailing hn@ycombinator.com, since there are too many HN comments for us to read them all. Even better is to suggest what a good title would be, especially if it's a phrase from the article itself—that is much better than making up a new title oneself, though we did do that above.
PMan74 11y ago
For now
zura 11y ago
Also, unlike those three countries, Abkhazia is a region of Georgia currently occupied by Russia.

amelius 11y ago

I know why: because they have no advertisements on them :)

Mz 11y ago

It seems the “bus pavilions”, as they were respectably known, provided a much needed outlet for creative energy, which was otherwise stifled.

theoh 11y ago

Similar idea to a well-known project in Armenia by Ursula Shulz-Dornburg: http://www.schulz-dornburg.info/english/Werke/Armenien-Bushaltestellen/ http://www.schulz-dornburg.info/english/Werke/Armenien-Busha...

x0x0 11y ago

In Moscow, the subway stations are gorgeous. Most of them are unique pieces of architecture and art, clean, and well maintained. There are coffee table books of high resolution pictures that are worth seeing; here is an online sample of a handful of stations [1]. Contrast this to nyc, where the subway is both filthy and looks like a place that, if I didn't know it was a subway station, I would not be willing to enter unless in a large group. If you're there, it's well worth spending an afternoon visiting the stations. [1] http://www.amusingplanet.com/2013/05/art-and-decor-of-moscow-metro-stations.html http://www.amusingplanet.com/2013/05/art-and-decor-of-moscow...

jes 11y ago
I agree that the subway stations are gorgeous. I think it's also worth reflecting on the means by which public works were built in the former Soviet Union. [1] [1] http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3110866/This-theatre-built-blood-bones-prisoners-Haunting-message-painted-metal-sheet-ceiling-Soviet-era-building-hopes-finds-lives-world-no-slavery.html http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3110866/This-theatre...
- eps 11y ago
  Pray tell which Moscow subway stations where built by Gulag prisoners.
  - jes 11y ago
    "With the new emphasis on Gulag as the means of concentrating cheap labor, new camps were then constructed throughout the Soviet sphere of influence, wherever the economic task at hand dictated their existence (or was designed specifically to avail itself of them, such as the White Sea-Baltic Canal or the Baikal Amur Mainline), including facilities in big cities — parts of the famous Moscow Metro and the Moscow State University new campus were built by forced labor. Many more projects during the rapid industrialization of the 1930s, war-time and post-war periods were fulfilled on the backs of convicts. The activity of Gulag camps spanned a wide cross-section of Soviet industry." [1] [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gulag https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gulag

pavel_lishin 11y ago

> The project began in 2002, when Herwig decided to cycle from London to Stockholm, to live with his girlfriend. “Taking a bike on Ryanair,” he explains, “would have cost four times the price of a seat.” As he set off, he gave himself a challenge: to photograph something interesting every hour of the way. A particular roadside feature began to catch his eye, and so began an obsessive quest. “It wasn’t until I got into the Baltic countries,” he says, “that they jumped out at me. Within the first 50km of Lithuania, I noticed these peculiar bus stops everywhere.” He took a hell of a detour to get there.

tinco 11y ago
Perhaps the ferry from Tallin was cheaper than staying in a hotel in Copenhagen.

bcheung 11y ago

You should see the metros. Gorgeous!

contingencies 11y ago

On the same theme, check out the exhibition[1] of Magnum photographer Harry Gruyaert that is about to open in London. It includes quite a few bus stop images and indeed leads with one. I saw it in Paris a few months ago, where it featured at both the Magnum agency's own gallery[2] and the Maison Européenne de la Photographie.[3] [1] http://www.magnumphotos.com/C.aspx?VP3=SearchResult&ALID=24PV7CD2QD2&mc_cid=c0070fec02&mc_eid=e0768ff1c5 http://www.magnumphotos.com/C.aspx?VP3=SearchResult&ALID=24P... [2] http://www.parisphoto.com/paris/exhibitors/magnum-gallery http://www.parisphoto.com/paris/exhibitors/magnum-gallery [3] http://www.mep-fr.org/english/ http://www.mep-fr.org/english/

hellbanner 11y ago

Lot of Russia stories on the front page lately

ant6n 11y ago

It's odd how these stops seem to be in the middle of nowhere; who are they serving? One also notes that while some of them are pretty to look at, most of them would actually be very uncomfortable to set in; pretty but useless. It's ironic, in a way, how they say that the design of these was done with more autonomy from the central planners; but then these stops are planned like from far away by somebody who'd never wait at any of these stops.

dzhiurgis 11y ago
They were built when personal transportation wasn't an option, so I assume they were used (although not by that many people).
- userulluipeste 11y ago
  Actually, the bus stations were (and still are) used by a lot of people! Car owning in USSR was nowhere near the levels of western countries and the majority of people relied on public transportation. The article has a reference to Jonathan Meades' photobook in which there is a photo of the bus station in one of the Republic of Moldova villages called Șipoteni¹. They "seem to be in the middle of nowhere" indeed, because the main roads/routes don't always come into the middle of the villages but at the right time these stations are full of people that may wait up to a half an hour there. It was just natural for the authorities to try to exceed themselves in the eyes of the villagers as there aren't many opportunities for them to do so! (Villagers didn't use to need much from the system.) ¹ http://fuel-design.com/media/uploads/thumbs/uploads/homepage/138-139_jpg_940x376_q95.jpg http://fuel-design.com/media/uploads/thumbs/uploads/homepage...

ommunist 11y ago

Well, some British bus stops may be not that beautiful, but are well furnished and equipped with TVs http://www.shetnews.co.uk/news/6564-bus-shelter-joins-online-greats http://www.shetnews.co.uk/news/6564-bus-shelter-joins-online...

sytelus 11y ago

Russian metro train stations are also extremely gorgeous. They are all done differently with intricate designs, sometimes making passengers feel as if they are passing through a palace. There was no advertisements anywhere. But then when you look at all the communist symbols, slogans and architecture heavily embedded in design, you realize that the whole thing itself is a massive advertisement for the political system. Not surprisingly it was all sponsored by Stalin because he wanted to make them as people's place. Anyhow, those stations sets the example of how beautiful these transportation spaces could be. Any tourists to Moscow are definitely recommended to visit its best train stations (Eyewitness guide has a list).

anthonybsd 11y ago

>why Russia has the world's most beautiful bus stops Only a single photograph in the article was shot in Russia, Siberia one in extended gallery. Let's see: Abkhazia (Georgia), Kazakhstan, Estonia, Armenia, Belarus, Lithuania, Kyrgyzstan. This kind of pisses me off.

lisivka 11y ago
One of most impressive bus stop in Crimea[0] was destroyed almost immediately after occupation of Crimea[1], so it may explain why it is so few good bus stops in Russia. 0: http://siver.com.ua/_nw/143/26589030.jpg http://siver.com.ua/_nw/143/26589030.jpg 1: http://siver.com.ua/_nw/143/87966600.jpg http://siver.com.ua/_nw/143/87966600.jpg 2: http://espreso.tv/uploads/data/news/2014/03_2/2014-03-31-16-40-54-10972.jpg http://espreso.tv/uploads/data/news/2014/03_2/2014-03-31-16-... 3: http://espreso.tv/uploads/data/news/2014/03_2/2014-03-31-16-40-53-32842.jpg http://espreso.tv/uploads/data/news/2014/03_2/2014-03-31-16-...
Grue3 11y ago
Yeah, not many of these bus stops survive in Russia. The ones that remain are made of super-thick blocks of concrete and are, therefore, practically indestructible. They don't look very nice though. A well-known designer, Artemiy Lebedev recently designed bus stops for my home town. A mere year after they were installed, all of them were vandalized beyond recognition.