RUSS LAND

This photo project started in 2014 and kept running through 2016, combining different stories, inspired with Russian folklore and dark side of fairy tales. Most of kokoshniks, masks and outfits made by the artist as well as photographs. None of works had been digitally manipulated.
 
  DRAGON SPIRIT

DRAGON SPIRIT

Analogue from July 2015

“Dragon Spirit” is evoked by the 3-headed dragon Zmey Gorynich — the most dastardly of all Russian villains. Here aren’t scary dragon heads, but allegory on it in hands with three cigarettes, a subtle hint. “Dragon Spirit” is illustrating lots of symbolism and historical touch as well, since we used to think (and in Russian fairy tales as well) that the Dragon with three heads (Zmey Gorynich) is the male, though we see the woman, the reason to that artist’s switch upside down lays into the roots of pagans families in Slavic culture, there the “Head” of a family always used to be a woman, she was even controlling the whole tribe or the settlement, showing head of the clan. So basically original power and authority were belonging to the female.

Kokoshnik by Agnieszka Osipa

All images are copyrighted © 2013 - Present Uldus Bakhtiozina.