The Garages of Chervonograd
by Anatoliy Babiychuk
The garage area is a phenomenon that can be found in almost every Soviet city. Built in the 70-90s, these areas have become a significant element of the cityscapes of the former Soviet Union.
Large areas on the outskirts of cities – useful for neither urban planning nor agriculture, were typically provided for the garages. Despite the fact that the local authorities issued a universal construction plan they each have their individual design. From the moment the garages were built, they began to be misused by their owners, who transformed their original function to their own ends. In the early 90s this trend only increased. The garages developed progressively – mainly on the part of the male population – into places for self-realization and / or sites of refuge from everyday life. They have become artists’ studios, rehearsal rooms, places for love affairs; they are used as storage facilities, workshops, meeting places for friends, and sites for the production, trafficking and consumption of drugs and alcohol.
This photographic work documents the emergence and development of the concept of individual freedom in the Soviet system, and its transformation under post-Soviet conditions.
Large areas on the outskirts of cities – useful for neither urban planning nor agriculture, were typically provided for the garages. Despite the fact that the local authorities issued a universal construction plan they each have their individual design. From the moment the garages were built, they began to be misused by their owners, who transformed their original function to their own ends. In the early 90s this trend only increased. The garages developed progressively – mainly on the part of the male population – into places for self-realization and / or sites of refuge from everyday life. They have become artists’ studios, rehearsal rooms, places for love affairs; they are used as storage facilities, workshops, meeting places for friends, and sites for the production, trafficking and consumption of drugs and alcohol.
This photographic work documents the emergence and development of the concept of individual freedom in the Soviet system, and its transformation under post-Soviet conditions.
| Tags | analogous, city, conceptual, large format, research, series |
| Technique | Photography |
