OR EDU

In the Urals, there is a small settlement called Arti in which a small factory has been making scythes and sowing needles in an almost primeval manner since the Soviet period. The technology used in production has not changed for at least 70 years, everything is made by hand, or by hand-worked dinosaur-machines that have by some miracle remained in one piece, ghosts of the communist times, on the walls there are banners with images of Lenin and slogans about highly-efficient work and 5-year plans and faces of workers who I saw a long time ago in the magazines Ogonek and Soviet Foto of the 60's and 70's. In the factories there are tables of honours, on which photographs of the best workers of the profession and in some factories milk is given out to combat the effects of the harmful working conditions. And professions whose exotic names you would be pushed to come by even nowadays - Needle eye polisher, Heat-treater, Braid-cutter, Braid-counter, Technician for rotational extraction blades of needles etc. But what is even more striking, is that the factory did not die in the crisis and a large part of production goes to export - including to countries of the European Union.

Aleksey and Daria Bronnikovy with three theirs children (Mariana, Fillip and Gleb) arrived from big Siberian city – Krasnoyarsk to small abandoned village, isolated farmstead consist of a few hoses belonging to monastery. The nearest store is on 3 kilometers from home. But choice of foodstuff is not enough and Aleksey has to go to the nearest store in the town remotest from his home up to 13 km. There are no local transportation. Water is in a draw well, facilities are in outdoor, and bathhouse is in neighboring courtyard, heating by stove. The walls are moist and corners covered by hoarfrost and they have to hang it by carpets all round a room. It’s a severe conditions for the former town dwellers.
Moreover, the most problem they have is a lack of passports. And it’s a deliberate act. If somebody knows our Russians conditions of living they understands that’s it a big problem. Nobody can receive a registration, without registration you cannot get a legal job, you cannot get a loan, social grants and child benefits, including 10000$ for the second childbirth. And you will be an easy target for locals policemen. Aleksey was arrested several times for a passport lack.
They arrived there not so long ago, in December of 2008, when Aleksey got a job here and lodging. He was a head of monastery economy, in real it was something like a crisis manager. He had to get monastery economy out of deep crisis. This circumstance and his uncompromising in church and secular authorities attitude set all monastery dwellers against him. And recently they had to move again in spite of their family has become bigger for one person. Baby son was born at September. And I don’t know where did they move yet.
I was interested in this family for the some reasons. Aleksey resembles for me charismatic leader of old believers. They escaped to forests in the times of church split. His attitude belong to apocalyptic expectations. He found three of six (the sign of satan) in his passport. INN (I don’t know how to translate this abbreviate into English – this is personal number of taxpayer) is the devils number to. He can sacrifice everything, for the beginning sacrifice comfort cities life for the sake of his views . This is martyrdom for belief for him. But despite of all hardships they has warm relationships inside family. Moreover, they don’t resembles severe ascetic that we can imagine in this case.

My project is about people involved somehow to drug industry in Kyrgyzstan and Russia. In Kyrgyzstan I’ve shot in Tyupskiy district and in capital – Bishkek. Tyup is well known as a place of growing and collecting of wild cannabis. In Bishkek I’ve shot some participants of substitution methadone therapy. In Russia I’ve shot rehabilitation center for drug addicts belong to NGO “the City without drugs”. This is example of another therapy, more severe, but more effective. And unlike replacement therapy this one is work. I tried to compare this two methods to understand if our society have morale right to limit social rights of drug addicts or don’t have.

This is little kassak settlement called “Derjavny” that locates near Ekaterinburg in Ural. This is some kind of purgatory. It is refuge for disadvantage people and people in hardship. These are alcohol addicts, homeless people, women suffering of family violence etc. They can receive help for restoration of documents and can find a place for living. Somebody stop to drink. Somebody stay here. Approximately 10 % of this people get back to normal way of living.