During his travels throughout the former Soviet Union, Canadian photographer Christopher Herwig discovered that the region's bus stops constitute an unexplored world of Soviet-era public art. The relative insignificance of these structures allowed Soviet authorities to give free rein to the local administrators, architects, and artists tasked with designing them. The result was a wide variety of creative expression in the unlikeliest of locales. (15 PHOTOS)
Roadside Temples: Unusual Bus Stops Of The Soviet Era
![A bus stop in Kazakhstan's Akmola region -- one of only a few decorated with Soviet propaganda elements. The outdated symbols had been recently refreshed with a new coat of paint.](https://gdb.rferl.org/675428f8-e6ac-4d98-b4dc-63cc64fb499c_cx0_cy7_cw0_w1024_q10_r1_s.jpg)
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A bus stop in Kazakhstan's Akmola region -- one of only a few decorated with Soviet propaganda elements. The outdated symbols had been recently refreshed with a new coat of paint.
![Herwig was impressed by the stylish graphic lines of this bus stop close to Tarza, Kazakhstan, on the road between Almaty and Shimkent.](https://gdb.rferl.org/dd1069c6-8b64-458c-9fcf-7ffcb7651981_cx5_cy12_cw95_w1024_q10_r1_s.jpg)
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Herwig was impressed by the stylish graphic lines of this bus stop close to Tarza, Kazakhstan, on the road between Almaty and Shimkent.
![In Kazakhstan, many bus stops are decorated with murals, often pastoral scenes.](https://gdb.rferl.org/3922c3ef-c838-488e-9afb-78698f3528a1_cx0_cy5_cw0_w1024_q10_r1_s.jpg)
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In Kazakhstan, many bus stops are decorated with murals, often pastoral scenes.
![A horse takes shelter inside this bus stop in Kazakhstan's Almaty region.](https://gdb.rferl.org/1162f982-321d-4d49-8a0e-48750f36075b_cx0_cy9_cw0_w1024_q10_r1_s.jpg)
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A horse takes shelter inside this bus stop in Kazakhstan's Almaty region.
![Herwig said he was impressed by the creativity on display on the remote roads of Kazakhstan.](https://gdb.rferl.org/2e813c2c-2cc5-42f7-b4e1-8891237f1afb_cx0_cy9_cw0_w1024_q10_r1_s.jpg)
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Herwig said he was impressed by the creativity on display on the remote roads of Kazakhstan.
![A bus stop in Saratak, Armenia. Herwig says Armenia is home to many heavy concrete structures with experimental, fun designs.](https://gdb.rferl.org/fafa5166-457e-46e0-8922-db27271602d8_cx0_cy10_cw0_w1024_q10_r1_s.jpg)
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A bus stop in Saratak, Armenia. Herwig says Armenia is home to many heavy concrete structures with experimental, fun designs.
![A bus stop in Pitsunda, in Georgia's breakaway region of Abkhazia](https://gdb.rferl.org/c10ccc8d-e9be-4ba5-ac5a-d7bce288a7c3_cx0_cy13_cw95_w1024_q10_r1_s.jpg)
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A bus stop in Pitsunda, in Georgia's breakaway region of Abkhazia
![Herwig described this mosaic-covered bus stop in Gagra, Abkhazia, as one of the most memorable he had seen.](https://gdb.rferl.org/d13a87ce-89e2-44a6-98ae-0b0e0e3540ea_cx5_cy18_cw94_w1024_q10_r1_s.jpg)
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Herwig described this mosaic-covered bus stop in Gagra, Abkhazia, as one of the most memorable he had seen.
![A bus stop made of concrete blocks in Pitsunda, Abkhazia](https://gdb.rferl.org/fcac3d00-8eae-44cf-91f0-dbd8a815ba37_cx0_cy6_cw0_w1024_q10_r1_s.jpg)
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A bus stop made of concrete blocks in Pitsunda, Abkhazia
![A bus stop in Kyrgyzstan's Karakol region](https://gdb.rferl.org/93db2a6e-25ea-4d76-9659-6fbe72567c22_cx0_cy18_cw95_w1024_q10_r1_s.jpg)
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A bus stop in Kyrgyzstan's Karakol region
![A simple design in Rokiskis, Lithuania](https://gdb.rferl.org/7beb338d-e95b-420d-a6e6-c6eff5980882_cx0_cy7_cw0_w1024_q10_r1_s.jpg)
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A simple design in Rokiskis, Lithuania
![A spider-like bus stop in Niitsiku, Estonia. Herwig thought this structure came after the Soviet era, but found graffiti on it apparently dating from the 1980s.](https://gdb.rferl.org/81502d80-5b81-45ea-84ac-5c3bc3bd937d_cx0_cy5_cw0_w1024_q10_r1_s.jpg)
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A spider-like bus stop in Niitsiku, Estonia. Herwig thought this structure came after the Soviet era, but found graffiti on it apparently dating from the 1980s.
![Kootsi, Estonia](https://gdb.rferl.org/fd94d8c4-dadb-4057-af45-911a294176c0_cx0_cy5_cw0_w1024_q10_r1_s.jpg)
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Kootsi, Estonia
![Mosaics enliven a bus stop in Lelyukhivka, in Ukraine's Poltava region.](https://gdb.rferl.org/079e3936-1f4d-4431-89af-396194c6379f_w1024_q10_s.jpg)
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Mosaics enliven a bus stop in Lelyukhivka, in Ukraine's Poltava region.
![A bus stop in Falesti, Moldova](https://gdb.rferl.org/b9995e57-a1f1-48b8-b442-10a276d34460_cx0_cy9_cw95_w1024_q10_r1_s.jpg)
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A bus stop in Falesti, Moldova