Monomad: Urban decay and Soviet aesthetics around the park

Today was a bit of a weird one. One of those days where you wake up but you never really wake up, do you know what I mean? I got out of bed on what felt like a decent sleep, grabbed a black coffee and sat down, though I simply couldn't shake that feeling of being half asleep. A few hours passed from that point on and I found myself just getting back into bed and struggling to find something to watch, struggling to focus on anything despite having the motivation. The weather lately in Tbilisi has been all over the place though, A beautifully sunny day on Sunday followed by some overcast days and rain. I've been loving the rain, but I can't help but feel these sudden changes in weather are really challenging sometimes. I am definitely someone that gets quite affected by overcast days, where the low light introduces a tiredness into me that's often hard to shake. With the hours passing, I felt that urge to get up and try to do something, so I figured maybe some fresh air would help. I could see from the apartment window that it looked like a nice (rainy) spring day and that maybe getting out a little bit might revive something within me. I made some coffee, threw on a few layers of clothing, and grabbed my camera with the intent of taking a short walk and sitting in the park before the daylight disappeared.

I didn't end up drinking the coffee in the end, it was a bit too hot still and my time actually sitting outside was relatively short-lived. This old Soviet (and somewhat now present) style of city design within residential spaces holds the idea of large apartment buildings with a square in the middle of them, where it's more a recreational space for the residents to enjoy. A little bit of nature alongside a park to play various games within for a bit of fun and exercise. A few benches scattered around the area beneath the tall pine trees. At this point the sun was already behind the buildings, but it wasn't as dark as it previously was. The air was cold though, that feeling of spring rain where the smell of spring is really nice but the air still has a bit of a pinch to it. The coffee was aimed at warming me up a little but also to wake me up; my initial plan being less to walk around and more to just sit at one of the benches and relax, take in some scenery and maybe read through a few things on my phone. I'm not that good at sitting still though, so the decision of walking was made. This residential area has a small courtyard in the middle for the sports side of things, and people from all over the area come here to play and make a bit of noise. So a few people were playing a football game there. In the evenings it's more occupied by the aged smokers of the buildings that get their social thrills by standing around together in a cloud.

A little down the road is a larger area, a bit more decay that is felt. Where the buildings seem larger and more roughed-up over time with various patchworks from their owners. Some expand illegally on the side of the building, adding a little bit of support for it, or creating a new balcony with pretty much no support at all. It's quite common in this part of the world, somehow illegal but nobody does anything to stop it despite the dangers imposed on all others in the buildings. Some people even add entire brick walls onto the sides of their balconies. It's an odd sight to see, and in some instances you can't help but be glad you aren't in a building like that, while also considering how others think (or if they think about it all in the first place) about living in such a space. Some buildings are better kept than others, but it's always something different about them: missing windows in the hallway, steps chipped away at over decades of neglect. Or perhaps the aforementioned balcony treatment. The second image actually shows that support with some beams a little more, right next to where the cars park. Super safe! But this image is more about the old garages that remain. I don't know if they were always there, from the Soviet Union's times. But now it's mostly empty, rundown and mostly a dumping ground or home for the odd stray cat or dog.

This image in particular shows some actual Soviet history though. A sign that has faded over the decades. One that sits above a residential building on the main street. One side is in Georgian, and the right side is in Russian. Its text still visible despite the main lettering now missing. It advertises a bank that would've operated back then, though I haven't found any information online about it. The ground floor of the building itself does have more of an office or admin type of design to it, so I can imagine roughly how it would've looked back then. It's really cool seeing these aspects of history still remaining here in Tbilisi. Whether it's old mosaics, symbols, or just bits of text on the sides of buildings that speak of another time and mentality. While many consider Soviet aesthetics to be quite depressing, I think much of that is because of the way it all looks now rather than how it would've looked in the past. Naturally, anything old and ignored will inevitably wither away into something less visually pleasing. And I think that in many cases, that's more the outcome. Where the typical buildings of that era have changed massively over time, with new families appearing, renting out property, or people expanding and customising in various ways to suit their modern interests. And even so, sometimes there might be a little something that still speaks of the past.

In some ways these areas are quite nice to walk around. Despite the way they look, I find I really enjoy roaming through the inner streets of these residential areas. Sometimes you find abandoned cars from 60 years ago, sometimes they aren't abandoned at all. Sometimes they just offer a nice balance of life and peace within them, a subculture almost. Separate from the chaos of the main city streets. Even more fun if there's a bit of that rainy spring feeling present!