Whisperers are people who believe they posses a gift from God, giving them the power to heal all kinds of diseases and physical pain. They claim that they are also able to throw spells and charms and free people from evil possession. The name probably came from the way they treat their believers, whispering special prayers into their ears. At least that's the best known explanation because the few last Whisperers in Poland use little different techniques. Whisperers are most of all elder women. They live in small villages in Podlasie region in the eastern part of Poland, few kilometers from Belarus. They derive from the Orthodox church but today the church don't want to recognize them, cutting itself from that kind of practices. They treat patients all day in their houses or special blessed places few kilometers away from the villages they live in. Most of them don't take any money for their seance saying that their are "obligated by God to do this". Whisperers have their regular patients from the nearby villages and people from all parts of Poland and sometimes even the world. They have been a part of the local culture for hundreds of years in Podlasie, land of mysticism and symbols that dictate the rhythm of life for many people living here.
All images © 2013 Kuba Kaminski
Born in 1985 in Warsaw, Poland. Holds a degree in photography from Lodz Film School. In 2004, he started work as a professional photographer for the "Zycie" daily and since 2005 has been a staff photographer for "Rzeczpospolita" daily newspaper till 2012. Now, he is a part of reportage. by Getty Images Emerging Talent, he is open for assignments in Poland and abroad. Kuba has been working on assignments in Europe, Asia, Africa, US and South America. He is also involved in his own documentary projects, such as "The Sobering Chamber": about post-communist facilities for alcoholics and "Salaryman": concerning overworked Japanese corporate workers. 
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