After his stay in Japan from February to August 1961, Hundertwasser began his journey back to Europe on the Trans-Siberian Railway. His future wife Yuko Ikewada accompanied him on the journey, which Hundertwasser documented photographically. He was particularly interested in traditional Russian houses, but also in unusual buildings in the sense of "anonymous" or "accidental" architecture. Photographs of people and scenes follow on similar photos from the series "The Values ​​of the Street" from 1952.