In my work, I address the themes of memory, family, identity, and kinship, and examine them in the context of time and place. My project consists of archival family photographs from the 1980s and 1990s, and photographs taken by me in 2025.
All photographs were taken with a Zenit camera, then scanned and printed. The photographs were hand-embroidered with red floss threads. My grandmother worked in an art factory and was an amazing embroiderer, so I chose embroidery as the artistic technique for this project.
The action takes place in a military garrison, where an aviation regiment of fighter bombers was stationed. My father was a serviceman, hence the choice of setting. The action takes place in the late 1980s, at the beginning of the collapse of the USSR. The era of stagnation, when society demanded colossal change in all spheres of national life, arose. The country was on the brink of a great crisis that would occur in 1991 and upend the destinies of millions of people.
In this project, I use a non-linear narrative technique, alternating archival photographs with contemporary landscapes of the military garrison. Hand embroidery adds accents and imparts additional volume and expressiveness, symbolizing my connection to the places and people who had a colossal influence on the formation and development of my personality.
