I have been photographing since 2006. For me, photography is the way of researching people, the world they live in, and their mutual influence. Therefore, long-term projects are most interesting to me.
Education
Press Photographers Faculty of Saint-Petersburg Journalist Union, from 2007 till 2009
Exhibitions
49th exhibition of Press Photographers Faculty. Saint-Petersburg, Russia, State Museum of Political History of Russia, 2008
“Pogranichniki (Frontier guards). 6 photo stories” Saint-Petersburg, Russia, Exhibition hall of Center of Art and Music of Saint-Petersburg City Public Library, 2008
50th exhibition of Press Photographers Faculty. Saint-Petersburg, Russia, Exhibition hall of Center of Art and Music of Saint-Petersburg City Public Library, 2009
"Mobilization" and "Social protection", photo exhibition during the festival "Art-Sobes “Windows of M/F grows”, curator Solmaz Guseinova, Saint-Petersburg, Russia, Loft Project Etagi, 3nd flour, 2009
This project is about Russian girls who became mothers in their juvenile age. Although protection of maternity and childhood is declared in the Constitution of Russian Federation, very often it has no practical effect at all. Pregnant girls are expelled from schools or even from families because of the “shame” they carry in their bellies. For these girls, it’s not a solution to take it into court or to get a job. It’s unreal to work when you have to raise a baby on your own, and fathers is these situations are not interested in baby and mother’s life at all.
It’s hard to say that having a baby is the conscious and volitional decision for all young mothers. Some don’t do abort because they’re afraid of pain or becoming childless in future, others just don’t have money for operation. For some girls it is a way to draw their parent’s attention or make their boyfriends stay with them, or simply prove to their friends they’re “cool”. Young mothers are often pressed to refuse the baby. It’s profitable for orphanages which receive money from government per number of inmates. Some maternity hospitals and orphanages practice selling refusing children for $15-20 with all necessary documents to childless couples. Unexpected babies are often not welcomed by young mother’s kin as they have to invest new family instead of set the girl into work and, on the contrary, receive money. After all, the government recently proclaimed natalism, pays mothers only from 150 to 1500 RUR ($5-50) per month.
However, there’s a positive side. In Saint-Petersburg, “Little Mamas” shelter, where underage mothers get necessary help, recently celebrated its 10th anniversary. Girls stay here for about a year after delivery (sometimes even longer). Here they learn to look after their baby, to cook and do everything needed to support their small family. They also get education, psychological support and help with job placement. But “Little Mamas” accept only those girls who do not intend to refuse their babies. There’s always a waiting list for “Little Mamas”. Presently, there are such centers in Moscow, Ekaterinburg, Murmansk… By statistics, about 100,000 underage Russian girls become mothers yearly.
Number of refused babies is reducing in these regions where shelters or support groups for underage mothers exist. For example, in Velikie Luki it reduced in three times. But still, acute problems of young mothers are not an object of public interest.
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Sasha is an orphan. She was raised in orphanage near Vyborg, sometimes escaping to Ermylovo village, where her brother lives. She speaks about baby’s father reluctantly: although he admits paternity, he’s not interested in the baby and now lives somewhere in Moscow. Luzhki village, the Leningrad region, 2009
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Marina, 17. Marina is very reserved; she doesn’t speak a lot about herself. Saint Petersburg, 2009
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Dasha, 17, with her nine-month-old daughter Katya. Dasha gets extramural accountant education. Saint Petersburg, 2009
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Сot in Little mama’s room. Saint Petersburg, 2009
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Vika,16, and her five-month-old daughter Julia. Although officially Vika is an orphan, she’s sometimes visited by her mother who’s deprived of parental rights. Saint Petersburg, 2009
I perceive the word “hope” in two projections. On the one hand hope is something vague, but bright and magnetic, something that makes you move forward and work, something that is close to faith in your power and yourself. The main hope for me is connected perhaps with my ability to change something around me, at the same time changing myself and helping others. The conception “Work locally – think globally”, which is taken in account in some of our social organizations, is near my heart, so I hope I will also manage to do something important, working locally.
On the other hand, the second projection is not so optimistic. I’m concerned with this perception when I have days of reflection and depression. This perception is connected with my hopes I used to have, but which never came true. These are oppressive and heavy thoughts. I feel rather upset and discouraged these days.
I explore the reflected light of the urban space in my project, because when I have hope, I can see the light in front and feel that I’m on the right way. But in the days of despair I’m not even willing to look in front, because I can’t see anything there, except this even darkness. And the same is about the city – these urban elements do not produce light, but reflect it, when you look at them at a certain angle. And I’m trying to choose the right angle to see them.
I would like you to look these photos with a black background.
I perceive the word “hope” in two projections. On the one hand hope is something vague, but bright and magnetic, something that makes you move forward and work, something that is close to faith in your power and yourself. The main hope for me is connected perhaps with my ability to change something around me, at the same time changing myself and helping others. The conception “Work locally – think globally”, which is taken in account in some of our social organizations, is near my heart, so I hope I will also manage to do something important, working locally.
On the other hand, the second projection is not so optimistic. I’m concerned with this perception when I have days of reflection and depression. This perception is connected with my hopes I used to have, but which never came true. These are oppressive and heavy thoughts. I feel rather upset and discouraged these days.
I explore the reflected light of the urban space in my project, because when I have hope, I can see the light in front and feel that I’m on the right way. But in the days of despair I’m not even willing to look in front, because I can’t see anything there, except this even darkness. And the same is about the city – these urban elements do not produce light, but reflect it, when you look at them at a certain angle. And I’m trying to choose the right angle to see them.
I would like you to look these photos with a black background.
