Bus Stop - Pohoarna

This stop in rather remote Pohoarna is built in the familiar rectilinear form, with a flat cantilevered roof supported by a central pillar and side wall. The mosaics and tiles in yellow, blue, green, white and brown cladding the surfaces make this one of the more unique Soviet-era shelters. The tesserae, likely from ceramic tile, are larger than in other examples in Moldova. Despite weathering and layers of advertising stickers for transport to England and France, the imagery remains luminous and expressive, the structure enlivened by a palette of saturated reds, yellows, turquoise blues, and deep greens. On the outer wall, two deer leap across a field in front of a tree against a blue sky. In Romanian folklore, deer are associated with the sun, and as their horns fall and regrow, they’re also associated with the cycles of rebirth, eternal youth and longevity. Deer are protectors of the forest and symbols of vitality, here translated into a stylised modern idiom. Inside, the wall carries a large panel of yellow roses. Bear with me, but the story goes that a shepherd named Romulus stumbled upon a lush land covered in wild roses, prompting him to establish the city of Rome. This link between roses and origin underscores their importance in Roman lore – and thereby, through extension, Romanian and Moldovan symbolism as two Romance countries.