The World of the Soviet Bus Stop
I don’t normally like Soviet architecture. Too stark, cold and brutal and usually all a drab grey. But the Soviet bus stops of Tajikistan are an exception, bright and colourful and unique bringing a tiny touch of art to the great landscape of our Pamir road trip.
Soviet art had to adhere to a strictly regulated form in accordance with the state ideology, however, the small insignificant bus stop seems to have escaped this rigid conformity and local artists have been able to express their creativity with different designs popping up in each small village we passed through.
We also heard a story that the elaborate designs are a result of a competition many years ago with the best decorated bus stop winning a Lada – not sure how true that is though.
It became a game of ‘spot the bus stop’ as we bounced along the dusty roads with a great sense of disappointment when a stop was just a boring white shelter. We simply couldn’t nod off on any journey for fear of missing a prime example. The scenery was also pretty special too.
In the Western Pamirs, pebbles and concrete abound, the mighty Panj River running alongside the highway being an easy source of stone. Some stops are still in fabulous condition with embellished stars, rockets, flowers, Marco Polo Sheep with their enormous horns, even the logo from the 1980 Moscow Olympics standing proud while others are just a faded shadow of their former glory.
In the Eastern Pamirs the road stretches for mile upon empty mile of spectacular mountain scenery populated by ginger marmots, the elusive Marco Polo sheep and large hairy yaks but very few people and therefore, no bus stops. But to be honest, all thought of bus stops were forgotten once we had the majestic snow capped mountains all around us.
Buses no longer run along the road but the elaborately designed bus stops remain, testament to the once busy trade route. Now the majority of traffic are tourists here to enjoy the magnificent Pamir Highway…..and play ‘Spot the Bus Stop’.
Helen (20th June 2025)
Oh beautiful bus stops pity you haven’t got your bus passes.
That’s a long time off yet…….
I can see why you’ve really enjoyed this. The Russians have a bad reputation but at the end of the day they’re people just like us and made the most of the journey they tool, taking the opportunity to brighten up their lives when possible xx
They were fab, seen some more while on the buses in Kyrgyzstan so frustrating that we couldn’t stop
Love these. I can just imagine JB waiting for the no 33 at one of these! X
Ha, ha……it would be a much more scenic wait than he’s used to