The Moscow Project | Heather Shuker

Kiosks – The windows of the world

Russian kiosk culture arose after the end of communism in 1991, when entrepreneurs started to import goods such as cigarettes, chocolate and alcohol and, with no formal retail spaces, built kiosks along the streets. Today, these ubiquitous kiosks line the underground passages that transverse major streets or connect metro stations in Moscow. However, the rapid growth in incomes and the rise in shopping centres coupled with a government crackdown on the kiosks have led to their rapid decline, and no doubt they will soon become a part of the past. Heather shuker observed the inhabitants of Moscow and their interactions, capturing contemporary life through the windows of these fast-disappearing kiosks - a reflection on one of many changes in Russian society since Perestroika.