Photography Journal
Zabereg photo project: Accomplishment
A long-term project about disappearing villages along Pinega river in Russia resulted in a photo book and an exhibition
It took me 11 years to accomplish my personal documentary project about Northern Russian villages. My goal was to go beyond documenting the region at a certain moment in history: I wanted to show how the situation evolves with time. I returned to the same villages over and over again, year after year. At some point, I felt how from a total stranger there I turn into someone whose next visit is expected. The region has changed a lot since 2008 when I began shooting there. Many villages got empty, the remaining infrastructure fell apart, schools, daycare centers, shops, and clubs shut down, public transportation became unavailable. At the same time, I met young new settlers who came from the large cities willing to fulfill their lives far away from civilization with a hard farmer’s labor, and maybe to set a new trend opposing global urbanization.
There was a handful of main characters in this project: a group of elderly women all living in one village. By the time I went on my last trip in 2019, only two of them remained - Maria and Rimma. I stayed at Rimma’s and visited Maria who already couldn’t live on her own and moved to her daughter’s. Right after I came back from that trip, I was told that Rimma has left the village. Shortly afterward terrible news followed: Maria passed away. That was a sign to me that my project is over. It couldn’t go on without these two women.
I sat down to put together a book and an exhibition. With help of my incredible friends I was able to craft a stunning book and on the day of my 40th birthday I opened the exhibition at the Museum of Natural History, Jerusalem.
Here are the names of those who made it possible:
Ola Netta Levitsky - book design, illustrations
Eugenia Shraga - book editing, illustrations
Sasha Iudashkin - book cover
Eugenia Kirshtein - exhibition design
I dedicated a separate page to this project on my website, for more information click here: ZABEREG project
The last bus
Pinega region of Northern Russia is a place where anything has the potential to become “the last” in retrospect. Here’s a bus that suffered this fate.
Pinega region of Northern Russia is a place where anything has the potential to become “the last” in retrospect. Here’s a bus that suffered this fate.
A simple and bleak offspring of Pavlovo bus factory (PAZ), for decades it served as a key player in the fragile eco-system of villages, giving the people a semblance of freedom of movement. It operated several days a week and connected the district center with a dozen of villages located down the river. It allowed people to travel for such essential necessities as visiting a doctor, buying houseware and clothing, seeing a bank clerk or a lawyer, coming for a summer festival.
Not always the bus was able to reach the village itself. On this picture the passengers get off and walk over 2 km across the river and then up the hill to get home.
March 2009. Pirinem, 41 km from the district center Karpogory
A large timber enterprise was built in the area a few years ago. Instead of bringing improvement to the region, it only sucked out the last resources. The bus company that was in charge of public transportation, began providing services for the enterprise. Obviously, the timber magnate pays better than a bunch of starving seniors from the villages.
There is no bus for the villagers anymore. The public transportation is halted altogether. The majority of those who live in the villages don’t own a car, and their last resort when they need to go see a doctor is booking a taxi, but the prices are outrageous. For most people it takes 2-3 round trips to the district center to run out of monthly pension which is their only source of income.
Warming up after a chilling night
December, 2010. Kusogora, the final stop of the bus, 52 km away from the district center Karpogory
In my first several trips to Pinega I traveled by this bus a lot. Nikolay, the driver, recognized me a year after my previous trip and remembered where I need to get off. People often asked Nikolay to deliver something. On this picture he’s delivering from the district center a spare part for someone whose car broke down. Charging money for this service was out of question for Nikolay, of course. Nikolay was everyone’s friend.
March, 2009. Shotogorka, 33 km away from the district center Karpogory
December, 2010. Kusogora village, the final stop of the bus, 52 km away from the district center Karpogory
October, 2011. Near Shasta village, 45 km away from the district center Karpogory
March, 2009. Pirinem, 41 km away from the district center Karpogory
October, 2011. Near Shasta village, 45 km away from the district center Karpogory
October, 2011. Cheshegora village, 38 km away from the district center Karpogory