Heavy Waters
A country lying close to waters has an advantageous location favourable for development via trade, although, historically, being on the crossroads of trade routes has always been risky. Since times immemorial, the Crimean Peninsula has been coveted by different countries, near and far. Also, some of the bloodiest battles of the Crimean War and WWII have been fought here.
Since the end of WWII and until the collapse of the Soviet Union in the 1990s, Crimea was part of the Soviet Union, and it was then that it grew into one of the most popular resorts in the Soviet Union. In those days, a plethora of various sanatoriums, health resorts and recreation centres were built, the prominent functionaries of the Communist Party acquired real estate there. After Ukraine-Russia crisis Crimea became part of Russia, and, to date, Crimea remains internationally unrecognised part of Russia.
The demographic situation in the modern Crimea, however, has undergone radical changes since many of the sanatoriums and health resorts that were built in Soviet times are now closed, and the Crimean Peninsula doesn’t have a developed industry or other branches of economy that could provide the locals with constant employment opportunities. Oftentimes, the only source of income, especially for the retired elderly people, is renting out their flats to tourists in the summer.
This series of photos is envisioned as a study of towns and rural territories scattered on the Crimean seashore, with a special focus on the entropy of the Soviet urban environment, interspersed with splashes of the new capitalist epoch in Crimea.
Since the end of WWII and until the collapse of the Soviet Union in the 1990s, Crimea was part of the Soviet Union, and it was then that it grew into one of the most popular resorts in the Soviet Union. In those days, a plethora of various sanatoriums, health resorts and recreation centres were built, the prominent functionaries of the Communist Party acquired real estate there. After Ukraine-Russia crisis Crimea became part of Russia, and, to date, Crimea remains internationally unrecognised part of Russia.
The demographic situation in the modern Crimea, however, has undergone radical changes since many of the sanatoriums and health resorts that were built in Soviet times are now closed, and the Crimean Peninsula doesn’t have a developed industry or other branches of economy that could provide the locals with constant employment opportunities. Oftentimes, the only source of income, especially for the retired elderly people, is renting out their flats to tourists in the summer.
This series of photos is envisioned as a study of towns and rural territories scattered on the Crimean seashore, with a special focus on the entropy of the Soviet urban environment, interspersed with splashes of the new capitalist epoch in Crimea.
2011 / All works are archival pigment ink prints on rag paper
