SOVIETOPIA - MURMANSK

July 31, 2016

MURMANSK OBLAST is an important Naval Base and hosts the headquarters of the Northern Fleet of the Russian Navy. The ice-breaker Lenin, part of the atomic fleet, is lying at Murmansk’s port. Alyosha, an enormous statue of a soldier, is watching over it. At this time of year darkness does not exist and the sun performs a six hour long set-and-rise-spectacle. 

The Kola Superdeep Borehole is located near the Norwegian border - a scientific drilling project of the Soviet Union and the deepest borehole ever drilled - over 12km deep, lying in ruins today. We were lucky enough to meet the Geologist Yuri Pavlovich Smirnov, who shared his memories with us about the research project and the past during a misty night at the borehole.

In a remote village on the coast, several hours on muddy offroads away, there is a Marine Biology Institute - the old house is peacefully sleeping while moss grows over the laboratory-grounds. Its windows are facing the new buildings on the opposite side of the bay where the Algaeologist Mikhail Vladimirovich Makarov continues his father’s research and is running a project to clean the ocean from oil. 

“Some things might cease to exist but science will always move forward.”

Photos by M.A.B.-W.

STEEL FACTORY - RUSTAVI

March 18, 2016

Rustavi’s Steel Factory premises are enormous, almost an entire city by itself. Some areas are abandoned due to a fire that took place many years ago. In other parts there are works still going on, the company was so kind to let us explore their grounds. We will go back and shoot there for SOVIETOPIA.

Photos by M.A.B.-W.

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