To Be A Russian

For the past several months, through a series of photographic portraits, I set out to explore the unique and often strange ways people in Russia think and feel about the motherland. I know, from growing up in the former Soviet Union and studying the region’s politics, that Russia is a country of many contradictions.

I made numerous trips across the country, photographing and interviewing more than 130 people, of all ages and social groups, and even a few visitors. I asked each person what made someone a Russian; whether they had done something patriotic; whether love of the motherland and love of the government were the same thing; and whether one could disagree with the government and still be a patriot. Had the person ever considered emigration? What were his or her thoughts on migrants? I approached some people on the street; others, I met through friends. Most seemed happy to take an unexpected break from their routines to have their photos taken and to share their opinions.