SHORT SUMMARY: ABOUT US & OUR PROJECT
My name is Kate Bogachevskaya, I’m a photographer and the coordinator of the Project “From White to Black sea”, which is going to be carry out by Liberty.SU. Liberty.SU is an independent non-profit association of documentary photographers. We believe that documentary photography is essential to recording history and to making the world more transparent and honest. Whatever part an individual or a group of people play in society, documentary photography makes us notice their inherent humanity.
From mid-June to the end of September 2013 we plan to carry out our project "From White to Black Sea". It’s a photographic journey on a yacht, traveling from the Northern Shore (White Sea) to the Southern Shore (Black Sea) of Russia. Our aim is to document the Russian provinces, their variety of traditions and customs, the ethnography of different nationalities and specialties of every region on the route, and the history that can be found along rivers, from abandoned villages to ancient monasteries. We aim to make tangible the way the sea and the rivers relate to human life, shaping the occupations, traditions, hopes and fears of people.
PROJECT DESCRIPTION: PAST & PRESENT
The ability to pass from the White Sea to the Black Sea is rooted in a system of Soviet-era canals.(The White Sea – Baltic Canal, The Volga-Don Canal ). These canals were paid in blood by a huge number of Soviet citizens, who died as laborers on these gigantic projects. But long before the canals came into being, the rivers and seas already functioned as transport and communications lines. Settlements appeared on the shores, forts, villages and cities were built. The Volga river is and always has been the main Russian waterway – and our team is going to sail from it’s very spring head to the estuary. The invention of railways, planes and motor vehicles significantly changed the ethnography of the country and its various lifestyles, but still settlements (villages/cities) are usually located along or near water. Not only because of history and tradition, but also because humans crave fresh air and fresh water.
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The length of the route is about 4300 km. (approx. 2670 Miles). The expedition will take off from Solovetsky Islands, where in the 1920s SLON, the countries biggest labor camp, was situated. Our final destination will be Sochi, the main Russian resort on the Black Sea, which is being rebuilt for the 2014 Winter Olympics. We will sail across 13 regions, visit more than 50 cities and villages, meet lots of people with different stories and backgrounds – and eventually we will tell the world about our endeavors in the language of photography, the only language without barriers.
PROJECT RESULTS: DURING & AFTER
![]( "Liberty's Yacht")
We will travel on a Swedish-made cruise sailing yacht (length 7.62 m, width 2.6 m). The captain will be Oleg Klimov (documentary photographer, Moscow). Other participants will be able to handle the yacht as well, but under the supervision of the captain. During the expedition, twice a week, photo reportages, photo stories and multimedia will be posted on the Journal of Documentary Photography and Multimedia. Also the PRIVATE blog about our everyday life on the yacht (for donators only) will be updated EVERY DAY. Results of the Project will be: a photo exhibition in the Gallery of Classic Photography, (Moscow); a photo book and a documentary film.
WHO WE ARE:
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Participating in the project are 7 documentary photographers. We will take shifts during the journey, accentuating different topics and themes. You can learn more about us (what we do, who we are) HERE (PDF). What we look like you can see on the pictures above.
WHAT WE NEED:
For the realization of the Project “From White to Black sea” we must raise at least $12000:
Digital Inverter Generator (approx. $600)
GPS-treker (approx. $250)
GPS-navigator (approx. $300)
Radio Station (approx. $400)
3G Wi-Fi Routers (approx. $150-300) + unlimited internet access (approx. $1500 for 3 months)
Walkie-Talkies (approx. $200)
Hard Drives (approx. $200)
Gasoline (approx. $700)
Medical Kit (approx. $150)
Different Contingencies (approx. $2000) - Yacht repair, motor repair, medical help, locking, etc...
Also we need:
- Nautical Charts (approx. $400)
- Food (approx. $3000 for 3 months)
- And other stuff/equipment (approx. $2000).
WHAT YOU GET:
Please, SUPPORT our UNIQUE expedition! As a donator you can receive: limited author-signed prints, the photo book and the documentary film resulting from the project. We will send you a set of incredible souvenirs, which will be collected in different cities and villages on the route, or send you a postcard from one of the God-forsaken villages on Volga river. You will also be able to watch a PRIVATE online diary about our everyday life on the yacht. And finally – you can get a chance to travel with the Liberty.SU team. Have a look at the full list of perks on the right side of this page
ALSO You Can Help us…
…by providing ANY POSSIBLE visibility in mass media and social networks. LIKE our project page on IndieGoGo and SHARE it on Facebook, Twitter, etc. Tell your friends about us! We'll be very grateful!
Still have questions?
Feel free to contact me - project coordinator - by email bogachevskaya@gmail.com
skype: bogachevskaya.katya
mobile: +79602494328
