Chess used to be extremely popular in USSR so there were numerous chess clubs all around the country. It is necessary to mention such clubs based in city parks: people of all ages, but mostly elgerly men, gathered in parks and spent time playing chess, sometimes from morning till night, sometimes notwithstanding disagreeble weather. Since clubs were popular, parks were furnished with tables and benches, wooden as a rule, so that players could spend their time comefortably.
Nowadays, number of chess clubs is significantly smaller but still on a fine summer day you can see a group of people crowding around chess boards in some or other city park. I kind of spied on them when I walked by so here is the photo for you (and another one on my extension site).
