Hoshino Ai – Soviet Bus Stops

Soviet architectural design often evokes images of brutalism, Stalinist style, and austere, straight-lined concrete blocks. However, objects such as the thousands of derelict bus stops scattered throughout the former Eastern Bloc and Central Asia seem to have a different aesthetic that surpasses the scope of these preconceptions. Rather than being mass-produced, many of them were created by local architects, students, or artists, and still retain a quiet charm today. Whether distinctively shaped, decorated with beautiful mosaics, or painted in once-bright colours, these bus stops that time forgot are lovingly documented by photographer Ai Hoshino.