Nightmarish Soviet playgrounds

Marilyn sends us this, "photo gallery of bizarre playground equipment mostly from Russia includes a happily impaled Baba Yaga, ghouls, a climbing turnip, decapitated monkeys decorating a swing set, and a stationary merry-go-round." Link (Thanks, Marilyn!)

(Image: Olga Shvetz)

[#1 posted by Sam , May 3, 2008 5:05 AM]

Why does that look like someone's toy horsey thats been drawn on and left in the snow? Is that what the article is about? Maybe I'll go and see.

[#2 posted by Nelson.C , May 3, 2008 5:11 AM]

It took me a full minute to parse that picture. Of course it's just a pony model that's been stood up on its front legs, and a face graffitied on its tail. But, tovarisch, it still keeps flicking back to a flaming chaos demon with hooves for hands and a horse's head for a phallus... I hope I haven't given any nightmares to anyone who only saw the pony.

Some of the stuff in the link, though, is just very imaginative with a poverty-driven aesthetic, different to what we're used to. That giant turnip slide would be a winner anywhere, I think, and I think the bathtub cows would appeal to most kids. It's a cow you can sit in! Neat!

[#3 posted by Sam , May 3, 2008 5:11 AM]

Yep, thats a horsey all right. That rat trap one IS creepy though.

[#4 posted by Darcy Casselman , May 3, 2008 5:33 AM]

That stuff is fantastic. Even the creepy, devilish stuff. So much better than the identical lumps of day-glo plastic imported from China that we get. Someone actually took time and (admittedly debateable) talent to make these things. Can we claim the same?

[#5 posted by pauldrye , May 3, 2008 7:27 AM]

That adds a whole new meaning to the expression "hung like a horse".

[#6 posted by Chocolatey Shatner , May 3, 2008 7:27 AM]

This picture gives a new meaning to the phrase "horse hung". Ba dum bum! Thanks, folks! I'll be here all weekend at The Laughter Factory!

[#7 posted by franko , May 3, 2008 7:45 AM]

aww, pauldrye posted my comment before i could do it. great minds, sir, great (dirty) minds!

[#8 posted by Cefeida , May 3, 2008 8:12 AM]

Well, the bad quality of the photos just adds to the overall 'wtf' effect...

I say, yay for imagination.

[#9 posted by fsm , May 3, 2008 8:38 AM]

@Darcy Casselman: Exactly! I was born and raised in Poland (not too far from Soviet Russia) and we had a lot of these in our parks. This stuff was indeed fantastic. I remember being captain of a rocket, I remember fighting creatures, sliding down some fancy slides - each of them different.

BTW, I also think my kids do enjoy the "identical lumps of plastic" anyway. Wheeeeee ;-)

[#10 posted by sylvies_mammacita , May 3, 2008 9:19 AM]

I want to go to all these places... just not with the kids.

Finding out things like this at DarkRoastedBlend.com is why I love BoingBoing so much!!

[#11 posted by Belac , May 3, 2008 11:16 AM]

My favorite was the steering wheel on the sandbox. "Lots of imagination required," it was subtitled, but that's the point. As a kid I created whole landscapes out of sand and grass, and explored them with all the excitement of Dr. Livingstone. I pity those who never had to exercise their imaginations by playing with nothing in particular.

[#12 posted by Antiglobalism , May 3, 2008 12:02 PM]

When all that's holding people together is fear and dogma, you'll get this kind of art.

[#13 posted by cbth , May 3, 2008 12:55 PM]

I only saw the demon with the horse phallus, myself. Does that mean I need to make an appointment with a mental health professional on Monday? ;-)

Seriously, though, while looking at the images, I realized that I wish we had more art in our playgrounds here in the U.S. Not depictions of impalement and decapitation, of course, but I think it would be cool to encourage artists to design creative and safe playground props. As it is, every playground looks the same.

[#14 posted by Antinous , May 3, 2008 1:38 PM]

Even if you view it as a horse, that posture is still seven kinds of kinky.

[#15 posted by elNico , May 3, 2008 3:43 PM]

That blog is incredible...there goes Sunday afternoon.

[#16 posted by Sam , May 3, 2008 4:00 PM]

Actually I thought it was a merman at first, with an extra leg.

[#17 posted by buddy66 , May 3, 2008 4:23 PM]

Are these pre-1991 pieces? If not, what's with the 'Soviet' label?

[#18 posted by Antinous , May 3, 2008 4:29 PM]

In Soviet Russia, the dates get you confused.

[#19 posted by anthony , May 3, 2008 5:40 PM]

Anyone grow up near Ellicott City, Maryland?
Enchanted Forest memories?

There's a couple Flikr sets up (none are mine).

http://www.flickr.com/photos/crowolf/sets/72157594269099376/show/with/499387624/

[#20 posted by anthony , May 3, 2008 5:44 PM]

For some reason my comments aren't going through....I'll try again:
Anyone grow up near Ellicott City, Maryland?
Remember the "Enchanted Forest"?
Here is a link to somebody's Flickr set of the now abandoned site:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/crowolf/sets/72157594269099376/show/with/499387624/

[#21 posted by Takuan , May 3, 2008 8:14 PM]

I never realized it.... I have a talent for designing children's playgrounds.

[#22 posted by Lleugh , May 3, 2008 9:19 PM]

The "merry go round" that doesn't spin is a spring loaded tettertotter I'm pretty sure.

[#23 posted by Trent Hawkins , May 3, 2008 9:38 PM]

"When all that's holding people together is fear and dogma, you'll get this kind of art."

well i guess that explains mickey mouse

[#24 posted by Antinous , May 3, 2008 9:44 PM]

Amen, brother.

[#25 posted by Stefan Jones , May 4, 2008 12:15 AM]

I love this one:

Crow and Wolf

There's something really sweet about the characters.

What is that they have balanced there? A bale of wood shavings for hamster cages? A package disposable diapers? A shrink-wrapped bundle of floor tiles?

[#26 posted by Takuan , May 4, 2008 12:21 AM]

sorrow, not found

[#27 posted by ill lich , May 4, 2008 7:28 AM]

What better way to prepare the children of the Motherland for a lifetime of Kafka-esque bureaucratic nightmares?

[#28 posted by Antiglobalism , May 4, 2008 9:37 AM]

"well i guess that explains mickey mouse"

and britney spears - and g.w. bush! ;)

[#29 posted by tictacky , May 4, 2008 5:26 PM]

they could've at least went Greek and made centaurs... jeez!

[#30 posted by Antinous , May 4, 2008 5:34 PM]

Going Greek with a centaur can be fatal.

[#31 posted by ill lich , May 4, 2008 6:09 PM]

I bet I know what ANTINOUS' link goes to without even clicking. Hopefully it's not the video I'm (shudder) thinking of.

Oh well, the truth will set you free, I guess.

[#32 posted by MessengerBoy , May 4, 2008 8:40 PM]

I was ready to say these were more "whimsical" than "nightmarish," that is until I saw the last photo. I agree, "nightmarish" is the proper word. Wow!

[#33 posted by Antinous , May 4, 2008 8:46 PM]

I linked to the Wikipedia article, not the video, so nobody would have to gouge their own eyes out after clicking the link. The video is nasty. "Too deep?"

[#34 posted by justONEguy , May 5, 2008 7:08 AM]

Beautiful photo. Thanks for posting.

[#35 posted by Jacques , May 5, 2008 10:40 AM]

OMFG, that looks like someone squicking a decapitated horses head.

[#36 posted by Ian Scuffling , May 5, 2008 12:13 PM]

Maybe it's just my willful contrarianism getting the better of me, but I really wonder if these pieces of playground equipment (not art, not sculpture...playground equipment) would be so well-received if they were photographed on playgrounds in Tennessee, Alabama, or Mississippi.