Away from the World Cup, the secret lives of goalposts

Away from the World Cup, the secret lives of goalposts

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Never mind Russia's state of the art World Cup stadiums, Reuters photographers have been capturing the eclectic settings of communities' spartan goalposts and pitches.

The sometimes ramshackle goalposts were photographed in Russia and the Crimean peninsula, which it seized from Ukraine in 2014, giving a glimpse of life away from the fervour of a tournament that will be watched by fans from around the world.

. St. Petersburg, Russia. Reuters/Anton Vaganov
A boy hangs from a goal post in St. Petersburg.

Young Russians do pull-ups from the crossbar and run around on pitches in the shadow of golden onion domes, old Soviet concrete walls and modern high-rises.

Locals also find alternative uses for the rusty, netless posts that have seen better days. One man ties his goat to the upright, children take a dog for a walk, and a man gallops past another on horseback.

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Slideshow

Children play under a goalpost during the traditional Cossack games.
. Republic Of North Ossetia-Alania, Russia. Reuters/Eduard Korniyenko

Children play under a goalpost during the traditional Cossack games.

A goalpost stands in the village of Zhuravli.
. Zhuravli, Ukraine. Reuters/Pavel Rebrov

A goalpost stands in the village of Zhuravli.

A goalpost stands in the village of Lesnovka.
. Lesnovka, Ukraine. Reuters/Pavel Rebrov

A goalpost stands in the village of Lesnovka.

A goalpost stands in the town of Dolgoprudny.
. Dolgoprudny, Russia. Reuters/Maxim Shemetov

A goalpost stands in the town of Dolgoprudny.

A car is seen through a goalpost in the Siberian village of Tyulkovo.
. Tyulkovo, Russia. Reuters/Ilya Naymushin

A car is seen through a goalpost in the Siberian village of Tyulkovo.

A cadet holds a model of a sword as he trains at the stadium of the General Yermolov Cadet School.
. Stavropol, Russia. Reuters/Eduard Korniyenko

A cadet holds a model of a sword as he trains at the stadium of the General Yermolov Cadet School.

A man sits on a goalpost in the settlement of Novo-Schedrinskaya.
. Novo-Schedrinskaya, Russia. Reuters/Said Tsarnayev

A man sits on a goalpost in the settlement of Novo-Schedrinskaya.

A goalpost stands in front of an Orthodox church in the Siberian village of Tyulkovo.
. Tyulkovo, Russia. Reuters/Ilya Naymushin

A goalpost stands in front of an Orthodox church in the Siberian village of Tyulkovo.

A goalpost stands in the village of Pribrezhnoye.
. Pribrezhnoye, Ukraine. Reuters/Pavel Rebrov

A goalpost stands in the village of Pribrezhnoye.

Cossacks sit on a bench next to a goalpost covered with a screen during the traditional Cossack games.
. Republic Of North Ossetia-Alania, Russia. Reuters/Eduard Korniyenko

Cossacks sit on a bench next to a goalpost covered with a screen during the traditional Cossack games.

Self-made goalposts stand on a soccer pitch in Verkhnyaya Biryusa village.
. Verkhniaya Biryusa, Russia. Reuters/Ilya Naymushin

Self-made goalposts stand on a soccer pitch in Verkhnyaya Biryusa village.

A goalpost stands in Yevpatoria.
. Yevpatoria, Ukraine. Reuters/Pavel Rebrov

A goalpost stands in Yevpatoria.

A boy rides a bicycle near a goalpost in Yevpatoria.
. Yevpatoria, Ukraine. Reuters/Pavel Rebrov

A boy rides a bicycle near a goalpost in Yevpatoria.

Goats walk near a goalpost in the village of Pervomayskoye.
. Pervomayskoye, Ukraine. Reuters/Pavel Rebrov

Goats walk near a goalpost in the village of Pervomayskoye.

Children play with a puppy near a goalpost on a football pitch in the Siberian settlement of Novosyolovo.
. Novosyolovo, Russia. Reuters/Ilya Naymushin

Children play with a puppy near a goalpost on a football pitch in the Siberian settlement of Novosyolovo.

A boy rides a gyro-scooter near a goalpost on a football pitch in the Siberian town of Divnogorsk.
. Divnogorsk, Russia. Reuters/Ilya Naymushin

A boy rides a gyro-scooter near a goalpost on a football pitch in the Siberian town of Divnogorsk.

People and dogs walk near a goalpost on the Ostrov Otdykha (the Island of Rest).
. Krasnoyarsk, Russia. Reuters/Ilya Naymushin

People and dogs walk near a goalpost on the Ostrov Otdykha (the Island of Rest).

A participant at an amateur football tournament at a stadium made from straw and named Zenit Arena.
. Krasnoye, Russia. Reuters/Eduard Korniyenko

A participant at an amateur football tournament at a stadium made from straw and named Zenit Arena.

A man rides a horse near a goalpost in the village of Bolshaya Dzhalga.
. Bolshaya Dzhalga, Russia. Reuters/Eduard Korniyenko

A man rides a horse near a goalpost in the village of Bolshaya Dzhalga.