A Small Find

In my constant search for treasures I found an old, grey, not much to look at, but absolutely wonderful public phone. What’s so special about it? First of all, it is a relic of Soviet era, in modern days of mobiles and I-phones, it looks almost antic. Secondly, those rectangular grey phones with spin or touch dial were a common feature of underground crossings and street corners of Moscow and finding one in Baku brought back a lot of memories. So many times I was stopped at the streets by people asking for two kopeks (the price of a phone call) or searched for those little coins myself. Those phones were the primal means of communication when people were out and about.

When I found this one in the underground crossing near the Puppet Theatre I was almost sure that it didn’t work, that it was just a part of decor. But no, I lifted the receiver and heard a familiar tone. I wonder if anybody uses it nowadays.