Murmansk's Gorgeous Garages -- A Misogynist Subculture

The men of Russia's city of Murmansk have an unlikely passion -- as a woman living there explains:  "Many men in Murmansk love escaping to their garages, which are often built far away from the apartment blocks where they live."

"It is a tradition that the men build the garages themselves.  Many of them were illegally built, though a few months ago there was an amnesty for unregistered garages."

"They call them sea shells.  I don't know why because they are so ugly and sea shells are so pretty."

"Winters are long and hard and they've got to keep their cars somewhere.  They like to mend their cars in a warm place, and the fishermen can lock up their cars when they spend months at sea."

"The men spend a lot of time there, repairing their cars and talking politics or gossiping."

"When a car has been repaired they celebrate.  It is a tradition to eat home-made pickles and drink vodka, so in most garages there is a good store of supplies."

"the garages are often furnished with old furniture, so after bad rows with their wives the men can come here to stay for a few days."

"Many of the garages have wood burners, some even have saunas."

"From time to time there is a fire, and when that happens it can spread fast since there is so much paint and chemicals stored here."

"It is strange that behind all these doors, inside all these garages without windows, there is so much going on, like it's a secret society."

Text and photos: Jorn Madslien, in conversation with one of Murmansk's many mystified women