A birthday present, volume two of Soviet Bus Stops by the Canadian photographer Christopher Herwig. Volume one was also ordered but is lost in the mail, alas. Quite fascinating.
I learned a new word, Gesamtkunstwerk, which refers to a complex or network of art comprising various elements such as murals, mosaics, statuary, and architecture and architectural embellishment to create a whole piece of art organised around a narrative.
The Moscow Metro is a well known example. Its stations designed as a continuous propaganda reel of Russian and Soviet history.
Soviet bus stops did much the same thing but in a more rural setting and more distributed. They’re obviously much more modest but still very evocative.
I recommend this book!