Olya Ivanova
untitled, from the series "Gorelovka"
2009
Gorelovka: Life without state
Gorelovka is a small village in the middle of the taiga, 800 kilometers from Novosibirsk. This place is hard to find even on Google Maps; that's why it is the best place to escape and hide. Many years ago Christian Old Believers came here to avoid church reform. Then 'kulaks' (wealthy peasants) chose this place to escape from Stalin's repressions. Now many 'new world antagonists' have come here to live without passports, internet, personal tax numbers, church and government. They believe that passport numbers and insurance certificates are the devil's signs. They escaped from the big cities to pray, live modestly and in poverty, to avoid strangers and wait until the end of the world. And the end is coming. They promise.