Where Pinega starts its flow

The villages are slowly dieing out, some are already completely abandoned. There is no industry, no agriculture. But there were times of state farms, lumber camps and even an airport. Now the young folk is moving to the cities in search of a better life, leaving only the elderly as the permanent residents. Those of the working men who are not drunk yet go on “shifts” (working in the city for weeks at a time). Most of the rest live off unemployment benefits, or even their parents pensions. And there are still times when food and alcohol are acquired with nothing but a promise to pay back sometime.

In summer, the villages come to life thanks to holidaymakers who once moved to the city but return to their native places every summer. Despite the hardships of life, the people here are good, just as they are, without any pretence or deceit. They seem to see right through you, and when you talk to them, you try to be honest and frank. However, they talk more and more about the past, as if there is no present, let alone a future.

Emil Gataullin 2012