I have received several photo books in the last few weeks, but Kich-Gorodok by Olya Ivanova really stood out.
In this book, the Russian photographer has shot Kich-Gorodok, a small town in the northern part of Russia. Olya travelled with Anna Petrova, a philologist and anthropologist, who collected photos from the family archive of the people Olya portrayed.
Olya and Anna visited several villages around Kich-Gorodok, most of them almost depopulated and with only a few people living in there. Olya explains in the preface of the book that she wanted to shoot these people in the same style as the village professional photographers who used to document the weddings, funerals and different events in the beginning of the 20th century.
Olya has put together a beautiful collection of portraits and daily life scenes happening in this village. Taking a look at the images of the book, you can really tell that she has connected with her subjects, creating really relaxed and personal portraits that wouldn't have been possible without that connection.
The book also includes a selection of the photos that Anna collected during the trip. These images -probably taken by those village photographers- really complement Olya's work, creating again a connection between past and present, and even life and death.
If you're interested in Kich-Gorodok, you can find some more information about it on Olya's site. You can also have a look at the book at the Photo Book Show on 17-19 August in Brighton and 31 August - 2 September in Helsinki.
Thanks a lot Olya for sending the book!
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