A post-socialist landscape, train Sofia-Plovdiv

I was taking a train from Sofia to Plovdiv. Looking through the window, I saw beautiful nature; orchards, mountains, and forests. The perfect settings, however, were diversified with ugly industrial constructions typical for so many post-socialist countries.

The same way as, e.g., a generally beautiful life gets 'diversified' with pesky little problems and uninspiring invaders. The trick: keep things in perspective and look into the horizon.

For another easy example of such nature's beauty and soviet ugliness combination, go and have a look at the beaches of Yalta, Ukraine, where dysfunctional inelegant iron & concrete objects will remind you of the relatively recent proletarian past.

True, some people do find socialist aesthetics exotic.

   Put some music on. Train Sofia-Plovdiv.

Text and video (c) Agne Drumelyte, 2013.