So most bus stops in Russia don't look like those old Soviet ones. One feature most modern bus stops have in common, though, is the little convenience store that is usually located right at the stop. These stores are nothing fancy. They are little huts, usually painted blue and white. The stores display their wares behind glass, and you poke your head into a little window and talk to the blase lady to make your order. On cold days, you have to knock on the iced-laced glass to get her to open the window.  

These shops sell the basics: gum, magazines, cigarettes, and drinks. Now these shops only sell non-alcoholic drinks; a few years ago, you could buy beer at the bus stop, and, although it was technically illegal, no one cared, so you could drink your beer while you waited for the bus. Needless to say, that really fostered Russia's famously tragic love affair with alcohol. You can also buy some strange things at these shops. They often have toys, stuffed animals, laundry detergent, and dish soap for sale. I've even see men's undershirts for sale, which is a surprisingly practical idea--how many guys are inclined to make a special trip somewhere to get an undershirt? American convenience stores have these little stands beat in terms of odd line ups of items (the neighborhood mini mart--where the bleach is right next to the rotisserie chicken, just down from the diapers, catty-corner from the transmission fluid, and across from the PBR), but they fall into the same niche. 

Here's a typical store in a typical Russian neighborhood: