I use my work to document and deconstruct nuances within Russian life. I focus on communities outside of urban centers, the work portrays the simultaneous expression of traditionalist and modern values within these communities, and the ways these values inform a larger sense of Russian identity.

Everyone goes to their roots, looking for a cultural identity. I’m interested in what this process looks like in Russia, where we have new wave of patriotism and the surge of national consciousness. I have photographed the most traditional part of Russian society — rural people celebrating Village Day. A festival of ‘small homeland’ and village life — a mixture of traditional ceremonies, legacy Soviet rituals and modern pop music. What do our roots look like? If I am Russian, who am I?