In the quiet flow of the Volga

I don't see much difference between the lifestyle of local residents thirty years ago and today. Perhaps this is because I am too close to their world, even inside it, and I am ‘aging’ along with it. Yes, a lot is disappearing right before our eyes. Time has not spared the well-made wooden carts, boats, and utensils, and people have forgotten how to make new ones. They have been replaced by aluminium products, but in the 1990s, all the boats were scrapped for scrap metal. Now fishing has become more of a pastime for city dwellers. In villages along the banks of rivers, more and more summer residents and pensioners are finding their refuge. The once familiar way of life and everyday life is fading into oblivion. In rural areas, horses and cows are a rarity. However, people remain and live their lives, quietly and simply, without bothering anyone. They live and do their work: they plough and sow, raise children, criticise the authorities and reminisce about their youth. That is why it is called ‘The Quiet Volga’. In this sense, it is no longer a separate story, but rather a symphony — a collection of moments from the lives of rural and urban dwellers. Quiet because there is no war. Because it glows with grace and memories of the quiet happiness of childhood. And it is gratifying that you can endlessly add photos to it, filling it with scenes that open a window onto a quiet, unremarkable life that other viewers have not experienced because of their youth.

Eugene Kanaev 2015