Christopher Herwig: Russian stops

Russia doesn't exactly have a good reputation as far as architecture is concerned. The beginning of the century was populated by extraordinary avant-guards, roots of a considerable part of western architecture. After that, there has been nothing but reoccurrences of modules, prisons, squares, grids and all sorts of bizarre socialist contraptions. At times, a decline in culture is the consequence of a political decline. (By the way, did you know that the first architectural researches of Zaha Hadid are directly inspired (copied) from the sketches of the Russian suprematists?) These photographs by Christopher Herwig demonstrate on the contrary, that if allowed, creativity around there was breathing and breeding just like in the rest of Europe. It seems that the bus stops were not reached by the power of Soviet censorship and now these pictures show us a collection of artistic diversity, not conformity. Pieces of small and light documentations of beauty scattered upon the cold Russian desert. Surprises happen sometimes.