DMITRI BALTERMANTS | PHOTOGRAPHER

Dmitri Baltermants è stato un grande maestro della fotografia russa. Soprannominato "l'occhio della nazione", nacque il 13 maggio 1912 a Varsavia, al tempo parte dell'Impero Russo. Iniziò ad avvicinarsi alla fotografia all’età di 14 anni lavorando come assistente di grandi fotografi del tempo. Dopo essersi laureato in matematica, insegnò per un periodo in una scuola militare. Produsse il suo primo reportage in Ucraina occidentale, sul tema delle truppe sovietiche. Attivo come fotoreporter per l'Armata rossa, fu corrispondente di Izvestija e di Na Razgrom Varaga dal 1940 al 1945. Testimone del dramma della guerra, fotografò in prima linea i momenti cruciali del conflitto (l'assedio di Mosca e di Sebastopoli, la battaglia di Stalingrado e la caduta di Berlino), ma le immagini da lui scattate poterono essere rese pubbliche solo nel 1960, quando divenne capo reporter di Ogenek, perché mostravano verità che il regime voleva tenere nascoste. Il Partito Comunista, tuttavia, capì ben presto l'utilità di un fotografo per scopi propagandistici e chiese a Baltermants di mostrare l’imponenza e la produttività dell’impero. Il fotografo viaggiò attraverso tutte le Repubbliche dell'ex impero russo, producendo immagini che ritrattavano la gloria dell'URSS. Nel 1949,nominato fotografo ufficiale del Cremlino, si avvicinò a Stalin. Quando Krusciov giunse al potere dopo la morte di Stalin, estese la sua attività oltre i confini sovietici, visitando Cina, India e Vietnam. Nell’ottobre dell’ 1964, dopo la caduta di Krusciov, Baltermants documentò i cambiamenti che stavano avvenendo in tutto il paese. Di questo periodo i suoi reportage sul boom economico sovietico e sui successi degli atleti sovietici ai Giochi olimpici. Nel 1969, ebbe l'opportunità di presentare il suo lavoro all'estero per la prima volta, a Londra. Per l’occasione ristampò molte suo foto in bianco e nero per evitare l’esagerato realismo. A partire dagli anni Sessanta iniziò il successo mondiale caratterizzato da riconoscimenti ufficiali, consenso della critica, numerose esposizioni sui reportage della guerra di Russia, servizi su riviste prestigiose (Life, Stern, Paris-Match). Al di là dell’indubbio valore storico delle sue foto, le opere di Baltermants sono diventate simboli universali della tragedia e dell'incomprensibilità della guerra, grazie al personale tocco artistico che sottende ogni scatto. Come nella Guernica di Picasso, si innalzano al livello di grande arte raffigurando attraverso bianchi e neri granulosi il realismo sociale di un evento inesplicabile. L’alto livello culturale combinato con una visione ampia, che tendeva al perfezionismo, aiutarono Baltermants a discernere numerosi dettagli che lasciavano molti suoi colleghi indifferenti e offrirci una visione caratterizzata dall’indubbia abilità nella scelta della luce ottimale e nella ricerca di angoli di campo che assicurassero l’armonia della composizione. Ogni immagine catturata dall'obiettivo della fotocamera si presta ad una successiva riflessione. L’aspetto glorioso della guerra raccontato dal regime cade svelato attraverso retroscena segnati dal sangue. Mediante la raffigurazione del "lato oscuro", di una vittoria macchiata, un intero popolo prende coscienza della sua storia; le immagini diventano allora strumento di fusione tra i sentimenti dell’artista e quelli di un popolo sconvolto, dando origine ad opere cariche di trepidazione ed emozioni.

All images © Dmitri Baltermants/The Dmitri Baltermants Collection/Corbis

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ALEKSEY MYAKISHEV | PHOTOGRAPHER

“I am freelance photographer, live in Moscow, working everywhere.”

 
My biograзphy:
Alexey Miakishev, 38 years old, was born in Kirov (Viatka), worked as a press photographer since 1991 till 1999 in several local Kirov newspapers.
In 1998 in cooperation with German photographer Anneta Freack he participated in the project "Two sights to Viatka" and in the same year exhibited his works in the Art Museum of Kirov and a bit later - in "Nadar" gallery in Germany.
In 1996 and 1997 he received a Russian Ministry of Culture grant
In 1998 and 2001 got prizes of "INTERFOTO" for his series about pilgrims and another one about the Northern Urals
In 1999 participated in the exhibition "Generation portrait", organized by "Russkoe Pole" gallery
In 2000 exhibited his works in the University of Oldenburg in Germany
In 2001 his series "The Pilgrims" was exhibitied on the "Religion at the turn of the century" exhibition, organized by Moscow House of Photography
In 2006 his works were exhibited on "Marguerite Yourcenar" villa in France
In 2008 exhibited his works in "Bibliotheque Municipale D`Auxerre" in France
In 1999 he moved to Moscow and becomes a freelance photographer, at the moment he cooperates with several Russian and foreign mass media such as "Russian Newsweek", "Kommersant", " Helsingin Sanomat", "APU","Talouselama" and many others.

All images  © Alexey Miakishev

Link:
http://www.flickr.com/people/photomans/
http://myakishev.blogspot.it/
http://alekseymyakishev.photoshelter.com/

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VIOLENCE WAITS IN THE SHADOWS | OXANA ONIPKO

Oxana Onipko has been awarded second place in 2012 Alexia Foundation Student Awards. These are the portfolio images which she submitted reflecting her project. The images will be updated when Onipko submits her final project.
The Caucasus is not Asia. Neither is it Europe nor the Middle East. It is its own world. Packed into the geographical boundaries of several nations, more than 50 ethnic groups carve out life the craggly mountains. The northern section: Chechnya, Ossetia, Kabardino- Balkaria, Adygea, Ingushetia, and Dagestan, currently all part of the Russian Federation, have a long-running history of religious, political and military conflict from tsarist times to the present.
In recent history, two ferocious wars in Chechnya in the 1990s resulted in high casualties, long-term psychological scarring, and a deep-rooted sense of foreboding toward the entire region. While that conflict may have subsided, others have arisen. Most notably, in the republic of Dagestan, recently named the most dangerous place in Europe by the BBC. Here Russian Federal forces fight an increasingly horrific campaign against an insurgency increasing in size and tenacity.
Behind it, the self-styled Mujahideen leaders of the “Caucasus Emirate” claim responsibility. They have declared jihad to establish strict Sharia law. It is the latest installment of struggle for the region.
This jihad is not a traditional war with opposing sides and front lines. It rears its head temporarily then disappears. More than anything, the idea of the Caucasus Emirate blankets the region in fear of violence. Ordinary people are forced to go about their daily lives looking over their shoulders. Ironically, many feel secure only in the brief moments following a fresh outbreak of violence. My project looks at the psychological state of these people, who grow up in the historical chain of conflict and violence. What is it like never to have felt safe?
Dagestan is the most ethnically diverse of the Caucasus republics. It was the entry point of Islam into Russia in the 8th century. It is considered the hideout for the leaders of the Caucasus Emirate. These factors have made it the most difficult and the thus most underreported republic in the mountain range. It is nearly impossible tell whether any progress toward peace has ever been made there.
Away from the headlines, the conflict takes its toll on ordinary people. Every month brings new disappearances and murders. Often, the family members claim their loved ones have no connection to the militants, and it almost always remains unknown what, if anything, they have done to deserve such harsh punishment. There is no rhyme or reason to the pseudo-judicial executions, as if a misplaced word here or there, is sufficient invitation for a visit by a shadowy squad of armed men.
For over a year I have been traveling to Dagestan to document the stories of women who have lost sons and husbands to the conflict. My work is done with a local Dagestani NGO called “Advocacy” who are dedicated to stopping violence and dealing with the effects of its aftermath. Through them I am able to get to the heart of the complex issues. Like Advocacy, but with my photos I am trying to put a human face on the conflict in the hopes of stopping it. Through the use of my photographs the head of Advocacy Gulnara Rustama has been able to open a centre for widows of militants who face discrimination.
With the support of the Alexia fund, I would be able to push this story to the next level. With new skills and knowledge and by harnessing modern technology I could bring larger international attention to this diverse culture and its intertwining conflicts. And somehow, begin to comprehend how these tenacious peoples survive through it all.

KIROVAUL, DAGESTAN, RUSSIA – NOVEMBER 2010: Dagestani women who have lost male family members in armed conflict sit on a couch on November 24, 2010 in the small village of  Kirovaul, Dagestan, Russia. Dagestan, near the Chechnya zone of armed conflict in the violent Caucasus mountain region, is stricken with a low-scale guerrilla war, a painful and complex conflict characterised by the assassination of officials, police, and religious leaders, the abduction and murder of peaceful Muslims and suicide bomb blasts. Oxana Onipko

BALAKHANI, DAGESTAN, RUSSIA – MAY 2011:  The sacred place Aisha-Khur near the village Balakhani. Oxana Onipko

KIROVAUL, DAGESTAN, RUSSIA – FEBRUARY 2011:  A Dagestani man who asked that his name be withheld walks through a cemetery on February 21, 2011 in Kirovaul, Dagestan, Russia. The man was visiting the grave of his son who was killed in unclear circumstances. Oxana Onipko

MAKHACHKALA, DAGESTAN, RUSSIA – NOVEMBER 2010: A ram is skinned after being sacrificed during the Eid al-Adha holiday on November 18, 2010 in Makhachkala, Dagestan, Russia. Dagestan, near the Chechnya zone of armed conflict in the violent Caucasus mountain region, is stricken with a low-scale guerrilla war, a painful and complex conflict characterized by the assassination of officials, police, and religious leaders, the abduction and murder of peaceful Muslims and suicide bomb blasts. Oxana Onipko

KIROVAUL, DAGESTAN, RUSSIA – NOVEMBER 2010: A Dagestani woman holds a telephone with a picture of her husband who was killed in unknown circumstances on November 24, 2010 in the small village of  Kirovaul, Dagestan, Russia. Dagestan, near the Chechnya zone of armed conflict in the violent Caucasus mountain region, is stricken with a low-scale guerrilla war, a painful and complex conflict characterised by the assassination of officials, police, and religious leaders, the abduction and murder of peaceful Muslims and suicide bomb blasts. Oxana Onipko

KIROVAUL, DAGESTAN, RUSSIA – NOVEMBER 2010: Dzhenet Achalimova, 25, stands beside her two children in her bedroom on November 24, 2010 in  Kirovaul, Dagestan, Russia. She claims her husband, Magomed Nasibov, 31, along with his cousin were abducted and killed by men in camouflage in Makhachkala, Dagestan. Dagestan, near the Chechnya zone of armed conflict in the violent Caucasus mountain region, is stricken with a low-scale guerrilla war, a painful and complex conflict characterised by the assassination of officials, police, and religious leaders, the abduction and murder of peaceful Muslims and suicide bomb blasts. Oxana Onipko

GIMRY, DAGESTAN, RUSSIA - MAY 2011: A view of Gimry nestled in the mountains on May 2, 2011 in Dagestan, Russia. Muslims in Gimry practice the “Sulafi” doctrines and teachings, widely considered to be extremist in Russia. Oxana Onipko

MAKHACHKALA, DAGESTAN, RUSSIA – NOVEMBER 2010:  Aishat Dzhavatkhanova, 57, visits the grave of her son on November 23, 2010 outside Makhachkala, Dagestan, Russia. Her son was abducted and killed in unclear circumstances in June 2009. He was 27. Dagestan, near the Chechnya zone of armed conflict in the violent Caucasus mountain region, is stricken with a low-scale guerrilla war, a painful and complex conflict characterized by the assassination of officials, police, and religious leaders, the abduction and murder of peaceful Muslims and suicide bomb blasts. Oxana Onipko

KIROVAUL, DAGESTAN, RUSSIA – NOVEMBER 2010: Local Dagestani newspaper shows the images of two missing men with the headline "They were killed by accident, who's next?" on November 24, 2010 in the small village of  Kirovaul, Dagestan, Russia. Dagestan, near the Chechnya zone of armed conflict in the violent Caucasus mountain region, is stricken with a low-scale guerrilla war, a painful and complex conflict characterised by the assassination of officials, police, and religious leaders, the abduction and murder of peaceful Muslims and suicide bomb blasts. Oxana Onipko

BALAKHANI, DAGESTAN, RUSSIA – MAY 2011:  Local school teacher Rasul Magomedov speaks at his home on May 2, 2011 in Balakhani, Dagestan, Russia. One of Magomedov’s daughters, Mariam Sharipova killed herself and numerous bystanders by exploding a bomb in the 29 March 2010 suicide metro bombings. Magomedov has been declared missing since November 2011. Oxana Onipko

All images © Oxana Onipko

Fonte

BIO
Oxana Onipko, b. 1980 in eastern Ukraine, is a Russian photographer based in Moscow focusing on the contemporary social issues of the former Soviet Union. After four years in finance, Oxana decided to pursue a career in photojournalism and documentary photography. She likes the fast pace of daily news as well long-term documentary work. Oxana’s work is based on the principles of humanism.

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NOSTALGIA | THE RUSSIAN EMPIRE OF CZAR NICHOLAS II

The Russia of Czar Nicholas II in laboriously restored historical color photographs by Sergei Mikhailovich Prokudin-Gorskii

In 1909, Russian chemist and photographer Sergei Mikhailovich Prokudin-Gorskii (1863–1944) set out on a journey to capture all of Russia in color on behalf of Czar Nicholas II. One of the early pioneers of color photography, Prokudin-Gorskii systematically documented the vast empire with the unprecedented technique he had developed—a method in which he used color-sensitive glass plates—decades before the widespread availability of color film. His color images were not only meant to document the diverse citizens, ethnicities, settlements, folklore, and landscapes of a vast empire, but to create nothing less than a common identity for its populace.

Prokudin-Gorskii’s know-how and his skilled eye make his images especially vibrant and timeless. A century later, they have not lost any of their original beauty and intensity.

Over 250 of these early masterpieces of color photography, which have recently been laboriously restored by the Library of Congress, will be also showcased in the exhibition “Nostalgia”, and shown in Europe for the first time at Gestalten Space. The exhibition is part of the official selection of Berlin displays during the 5th European Month of Photography Festival from October 19th to November 25th, 2012.

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