Life in the Russian province

Photographer Nadia Sablin was the winner of the prestigious Firecracker Award for his photo project about the Russian aunt, who is called "Two Sisters". The award is presented annually to women photographers working on documentary projects. "My photos - research traditions of their ancestors and the land, as a means of survival," - says the photographer.





Two elderly unmarried aunt photographer - Aleftina and Lyudmila - the whole life lived and worked in the big cities, after retirement decided to go back to the traditional way of life, he moved to his native village Alekhovschina in the Leningrad region - a house that was once built their father . Despite his advanced age, women are chopping wood, carrying water from the well and sew their own clothes. They claim that physical work allows them to stay alive.



Nadia Sablin was born in the Soviet Union, but in the '90s with his parents emigrated to America.
For this photo project Nagy spent three summers in a row with aunts in Alekhovschina, taking their simple rural life and the world around them.



They, of course, has its own garden and orchard.



A "at your leisure" they are doing needlework.



And like crossword puzzles.



"And how these two women are the backbone of each other».



"Outside of the rural environment - itself a character, like themselves».



"My project focuses on aging, family and sense of belonging».





And that's what Nadia tells about his family: "In 1952, my grandfather began to lose vision as a result of injury during the Great Patriotic War».



"Wanting to get back to where he was born, he found an unoccupied hill in the village, not far from his brothers and sisters».
"He took apart his house and pulled the logs down the river Oyat to raise it again in a new place».



"In this house, without heating or running water, up my father and his brothers and sisters. After graduation, they moved to live in the city ».



"Now, after half a century, the house still stands, and live in it two of my aunt».



"Their lives seem to be totally unaffected by the passage of time».



Source: alex-akishin.livejournal.com