“Life Is Waiting,” or a Moscow Railway Station through the Eyes of a Bored Passenger

Abstract

In this essay the authors present the results of a Moscow railway terminal study as an example of “non-place,” when presence in the space can be reduced to the amount of time spent passing through it. Using Viacheslav Glazychev’s concept of urban environment quality, the Kazan’ Railway Station environment was evaluated through observation.The methodological foundations for observations of urban space and city interactions are discussed as well. In conclusion, we suggest that the transitory nature of railway station space is characterized by poor environment quality. Text in Russian.