Standing stark against silent desert backdrops like sculptures made for Burning Man, these leftover Soviet structures are actually bus stops scattered throughout one of the most sparsely populated regions on Earth. Photographer Christopher Herwig followed bus routes from Estonia to Armenia to photograph odd little roadside shelters in former Soviet satellite states for a new book.

‘SOVIET BUS STOPS’ chronicles dozens of these entirely unique and surprisingly artistic structures in 157 color photographs, exploring the bus pavilion as its own architectural form. “There is a certain amount of [utilitarianism] here,” reads the foreword by Jonathan Meades. “But it is atypical. The norm is wild going on savage. Just as follies were, in the 18th century, often try-outs for new architectural styles, so may some of these wayward roadside punctuation marks have been structural or aesthetic experiments; they certainly don’t lack grandeur and audacity.”

Herwig first discovered the strange beauty of these huts on a long-distance bike ride from London to St. Petersburg in 2002. Designed by local artists, seemingly without any restrictions from the government providing the money, each one displays a bit of the character of the town in which it stands.

Throughout his journey, which took him to 13 countries and through territories that are rarely traversed by tourists, Herwig reports that he was occasionally accused of being a spy. The photographer scoured maps, Google Earth and traveler’s blogs for clues to find many of the shelters, which appear to be in exceptionally good shape for their age.

Twelve years in the making, the photos were originally published in a limited-edition, sold-out version of the book, which is now available in an expanded, smaller-format trade edition. 

Most bus stops are… less than stellar. As functional as anything can be in this world, the form is totally utilitarian and dull. Thankfully not all municipalities believe this should be the case. Unfortunately, most bus stop excitement is purely advertiser-driven guerilla marketing.

(Images via curiousread, a-girl-and-her-fork, nowthatsnifty, epidemicfun)

Fruit-shaped bus stops have an innocent quality about them that’s hard to define. With no apparent advertising motive, these are some of the greatest “just because” bus stops we’ve seen.

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Here, relax! Have some fun while waiting for the bus. It would be excellent if cities realized that small touches would make the wait leagues better.

(Images via demilked, boredpanda, demilked)

Bus stop destruction definitely catches the eye. Whether it’s a bust that is literally breaking through the glass, or an ad for a dinosaur museum… a little destruction can make all the difference.

(Images via demilked, uniqueinterestingfacts)

Bus stop patrons are typically bored. Give them something to fool around with! Throw in some branding, no one will care; they’ll simply be glad they had something different to hold their attention.

(Images via creativeguerillamarketing, designussion, creativeguerillamarketing, designussion)

A few striking advertiser bus stop makeovers make the disparity between a spruced-up stop, and a typical one, quite jarring. Why can’t they all look this great? Thanks to Absolut and Ikea, some stops can.

(Images via uniqueinterestingfacts, creativecriminals, techinasia, designussion)

A truly clever guerilla marketing campaign can turn a bus stop into a creative exercise, almost like a scene from a commercial.

(Images via creativecriminals, uniqueinterestingfacts)

Hungry on the morning commute? These stops won’t help. At least one of them provides some much needed heat to cold commuters.

(Images via adweek, demilked, designboom, designussion)

Interactive bus stops can change the outlook of the entire day. These examples allow one to charge up their phone, get stuck on their new grip bottle, see intelligent electricity in action, or smell a warm baked potato.

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(Images via creativeguerillamarketing, toxel, toxel)

McDonald’s showed the deadline of their free coffee offer with a creative experiment in guerilla marketing. Star Wars lightsabers light up one bus stop, while 3M safety glass tempts commuters at another stop.

(Images via adweek, demilked, crookedbrains, decodir)

These bus stop ads have a depth that can’t be achieved anywhere else. Real swimming fish, an ad made of dice, a living ant farm, and a seductive display are all treats for the weary commuter. Interested in what happens when these commuters get on the bus? Check out this crazy bus art!