Mari gods

From the author

For the past six months, I have shot Mari El in the villages - the people of Marie have been living in them for many centuries. The Mari belong to the Finno-Ugric peoples and used to be pagans. In the days of the Russian Empire, they were baptized into Orthodoxy - however, many of them, especially the inhabitants of the villages, and today observe pagan rituals. Mari villages, surrounded by dense forests, are similar to Russians, but there is an elusive, supernatural aura - as if ancient rites and legends still live in them. I visited the Mari forest, which the locals call “Mari Chodira”, listened to how the wind sow the birch branches, and recalled the stories of the inhabitants of witchcraft. In this photo project, I wanted to capture the invisible side of the Mari villages and forests - my feelings and experiences, clouded by strange and mysterious local stories and rituals.

The site of the photographer

The exhibition is being prepared as part of the Research project with the support of the Triumph gallery